The Charlotte Hornets have struggled to find a groove as of late, losing eight of their last nine games after bowing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime on Tuesday night.
It was a back and forth affair for the majority of the contest, but it looked like the Hornets were going to run away with the win at the start of the second half. They held Karl Anthony-Towns to 1-of-7 shooting from deep until he woke up in the fourth quarter and OT to help put the match away, finishing with a game-high 39 points.
In the midst of KAT's dominant night, Miles Bridges had a stellar performance of his own. He had a team-high 28 points and 13 rebounds. His scoring, along with LaMelo Ball's and Terry Rozier's kept the game close. So close, that it came down to a Bridges at the charity stripe, with a chance to get the win. But he went 1-of-2 in the closing seconds of regulation. He then had a 0-of-2 trip midway through the extra period. The Hornets forward was a perfect 7-of-7 before crunch time but missed his next three free throws when they mattered most.
That would mess with anyone's mind no matter how tough. Bridges spoke on it a little bit after the game.
Article Continues Below“Everyone wants to be in those clutch situations, but when you miss, it definitely takes a toll on you. But I knew we had overtime, so I was still ready to play. We didn't get off to a good start in OT, so that loss is on me,” said Bridges.
As depressing as that might sound, it's always a good thing to hear one of your best players own up to his mistakes. However, there is a lot of other factors that played into the Hornets' loss, starting with second-chance points. It seemed like the Timberwolves capitalized on their offensive rebounds. They had open looks after the ball was loose and found a way to a Minnesota player.
The addition of Montrezl Harrell is huge for the Hornets, but there is still a lack of size. Harrell did have another solid game though, with 12 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes.
Thankfully for the Hornets, they have a shot at redemption on Thursday against the Miami Heat. The Heat are the top seed in the Eastern Conference, so it won't be easy, but it is a nice test before heading into the All-Star break. The Hornets need that game before kicking it into high gear for a postseason run.