The Charlotte Hornets put together one of their more complete home performances of the season on Saturday night, coming away with a 124-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Spectrum Center. Charlotte led by four after the first quarter, built the margin to 12 by halftime, and then took firm control with a 38-point third period. Behind 29 points from LaMelo Ball, balanced scoring, and a clear rebounding edge, the Hornets improved to 37-34 in front of a crowd of 19,487.
Quarter-by-quarter breakdown
First Quarter: Hornets 30, Grizzlies 26
Charlotte opened with good pace on the offensive end and created an early edge by finishing the quarter more efficiently. Memphis stayed close with 26 points in the period, but the Hornets answered with 30 and set the tone with better shot-making from the field.
Second Quarter: Hornets 29, Grizzlies 21
The game began to tilt further toward Charlotte in the second. The Hornets outscored Memphis by eight in the quarter, tightened up defensively, and carried a 59-47 lead into halftime. That stretch gave Charlotte control of the game and forced the Grizzlies to play from behind for the rest of the night.
Third Quarter: Hornets 38, Grizzlies 28
Memphis had one of its better offensive quarters with 28 points, but Charlotte was even better. The Hornets delivered their highest-scoring period of the night with 38 points, extending the lead to 97-75 heading into the fourth. That third-quarter separation was the defining stretch of the game.
Fourth Quarter: Hornets 27, Grizzlies 26
Any hopes of a Memphis push were limited in the final period. The teams played nearly even basketball, but Charlotte maintained its cushion and closed out the 23-point victory without allowing the margin to tighten in a meaningful way.
Key performers
Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball led all scorers with 29 points and added three steals, serving as the headliner in Charlotte’s efficient offensive night. Moussa Diabate gave the Hornets an important interior presence with a game-high 14 rebounds, helping Charlotte finish with a 49-34 advantage on the glass. Coby White set the table with seven assists as Charlotte recorded 25 assists as a team.
The Hornets shot 45-for-85 from the field, good for 52.9%, and connected on 18 of 43 from three-point range, a 41.9% mark. That efficiency gave Charlotte steady production across all four quarters.
Memphis Grizzlies
GG Jackson paced Memphis with 19 points, while Javon Small added 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. DeJon Jarreau led the Grizzlies with four assists. Memphis made 16 three-pointers, but the Grizzlies finished at 40.7% from the field overall and could not consistently match Charlotte’s efficiency inside the arc.
Game analysis
Charlotte’s control came from a few clear areas. First was shooting efficiency: the Hornets shot more than 52% from the floor compared with 40.7% for Memphis. Second was rebounding, where Charlotte’s 15-board advantage created extra control over the flow of the game and limited second chances for the visitors. Third was offensive balance. While Ball led the scoring, the Hornets also got playmaking from White and strong work on the glass from Diabate, allowing them to keep pressure on Memphis throughout the night.
The Grizzlies were willing to shoot from deep, attempting 46 threes, but they were not able to convert enough other opportunities to stay within reach. Charlotte’s 18 made threes, paired with stronger overall shot selection and finishing, made the difference. Once the Hornets expanded the margin in the third quarter, the game shifted from competitive to controlled.
Closing context
The result moves Charlotte to 37-34 overall and 17-17 at home, an important late-season step as the Hornets continue working for postseason positioning in the Eastern Conference. Memphis fell to 24-46 and 11-25 on the road. For Charlotte, this was the kind of performance that matters in March: efficient offense, consistent control, and a win that kept momentum moving in the right direction.
