McGowens, Hornets Top Cavs in Summer League
The Hornets were hot on Wednesday, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-80 in their third game of Summer League action.
Bryce McGowens led the Hornets with 24 points, including shooting 5/6 from 3-point range and 5/6 from the free-throw line. The 40th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft matched Cleveland's leading scorer, fellow rookie Ochai Agbaji, who nailed 4/8 three-pointers himself. McGowens also led all players in minutes played, seeing the court for just over 30 minutes in just his third Summer League game.
McGowens wasn't the only Hornet shooting efficiently, as he joined Mark Williams, Kai Jones, and LiAngelo Ball as Hornets who shot north of 65% from the field in the game. Although the Hornets held only a two-point lead at the half, the shooting efficiency helped propel the team to a breeze of a second half where the lead was never conceded.
Not every Charlotte player was finding the bucket so easily though. Ty-Shon Alexander shot only 2/9 from the field, and LJ Figueroa followed suit on a quiet 1/5. The biggest offensive struggle for the team other than a couple stray shooting performances was the fifteen turnovers conceded by the Hornets. In a game where results are a lot less important than progress, a turnover total that more than doubles the other teams is certainly not ideal.
On the defensive end, Charlotte held the Cavaliers to just 39.7% from the field for the game, including just 20% from 3-point range. The disruption caused by the Hornets can be seen through the blocks, where Thor, Williams, and Jones each contributed at least two. Williams further looked like the defensive anchor he was billed to be as he chipped in two steals as well.
The Cavaliers shooting woes were followed by staunch rebounding from the Hornets, led in the box score by rookie Mark Williams. This is especially encouraging considering Nick Richards, a contributor to last season's NBA rendition of the Hornets, was a DNP- Coach's Decision.
Hornets Summer League coach Jordan Surenkamp now has the team sitting at 2-1 with encouraging play on both ends. While Summer League records can mean next to nothing in the grand scheme of things, this has to feel more exciting than last year's Charlotte squad who performed at a paltry zero wins across five games in Vegas.
Team Stats by Quarter
1Q:
CHA: 7-15 FG | 4-8 3FG | 8 REB | 4 AST | 5 TOs
CLE: 7-19 FG | 2-6 3FG | 9 REB | 5 AST | 4 TOs
2Q:
CHA: 10-17 FG | 3-8 3FG | 10 REB | 5 AST | 4 TOs
CLE: 10-21 FG | 1-6 3FG | 9 REB | 7 AST | 1 TOs
3Q:
CHA: 9-19 FG | 5-9 3FG | 14 REB | 7 AST | 3 TOs
CLE: 7-17 FG | 0-3 3FG | 5 REB | 2 AST | 1 TOs
4Q:
CHA: 7-17 FG | 1-8 3FG | 12 REB | 1 AST | 3 TOs
CLE: 7-21 FG | 2-10 3FG | 9 REB | 4 AST | 1 TOs
Total:
CHA: 33-68 FG | 13-33 3FG | 44 REB | 17 AST | 16 TOs
CLE: 31-78 FG | 5-25 3FG | 32 REB | 18 AST | 7 TOs
Box Score
CHA: 19-27-29-17-91
CLE: 18-26-19-16-80
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