On Wednesday night, the Charlotte Hornets topped the Toronto Raptors 110-106 for a crucial road win. Kemba Walker and Marco Belinelli combined for 40 in a game which featured decent shooting from both sides. With the latest victory, the Hornets also continued to stay relevant when it comes to the NBA Playoff picture. While they're still below the No. 8 spot, a hot streak starting with tonight's win could go a long way. Here's a look at how Walker and the Hornets got the W in Toronto on Wednesday night.
Charlotte vs. Toronto recap
Bench player Marco Belinelli and NBA All-Star Kemba Walker were huge for Charlotte on Wednesday night.
Belinelli finished the game with 21 points off the bench on 7-for-11 shooting including two three-pointers. Walker led all starters with 19 points, which included two huge threes down the stretch.
All-Star DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors in tonight's loss. DeRozan shot 11-for-24 from the floor and finished with 28 points. He also racked up eight assists and six rebounds in his effort. Teammate Jonas Valanciunas finished with a double-double with 14 points and 15 boards.
Both teams shot just over 45 percent for the game, and the Raptors won the rebounding battle 44-38. However, Toronto also had 13 turnovers in the game, nearly double what Charlotte had, showing how efficient the Hornets are at maintaining control of the ball.
NBA standings and what's next
The win moves the Hornets' record to 34-41. They're still below that .500 level by seven games with seven to go. That has them tied with the Detroit Pistons for about the No. 10 spot in the East. Currently, the Bulls (35-39) are above both teams while Miami and Indiana are holding the No. 7 and No.
8 spots with 37-38 records. Next up for the Charlotte Hornets is a home game on Friday night at 7 p.m. Eastern Time against the Denver Nuggets.
The Raptors fell to 45-30 in the standings for the East with tonight's loss. That would have them still at the No. 4 spot if the NBA playoffs began today. They're about 1.5 games behind Washington for third in the East with seven games left to play. Toronto will host the Indiana Pacers on Friday night starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.