The Charlotte Hornets performed like a well-oiled machine against a very young Minnesota Timberwolves team to take the victory at home in the Time Warner Cable Arena. Nine players contributed at least eight points or more for the Hornets in the 25-point victory.
In the absence of star point guard Kemba Walker, all of the other players for Charlotte stepped up in front of the home crowd to secure the victory. In the first half, Gary Neal led the way for the Hornets attack, scoring 10 out of his 12 points for the game. After the first quarter, Charlotte's defensive intensity gave them the push they needed to extend their lead to 17 going into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Gerald Henderson, and backup point guard Brian Roberts stepped up to effectively put the contest out of reach for the visiting Timberwolves. Leading by 31 heading into the fourth quarter, the Hornets cruised to their 10th home win of the year, moving to just half a game back of the Brooklyn Nets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
Henderson earned Charlotte's top performer award with 17 points and three rebounds on the day. Minnesota's Thaddeus Young made his way to the top of the scoring sheet, putting in 18 points.
Al Jefferson scored eight points and grabbed five boards in 25 minutes off the bench in his return from a groin injury.
The Hornets now improve to 17-25 on the season, while the Timberwolves fall to 7-33.
The Hornets' next game comes at home against the Miami Heat on Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET, while the Timberwolves travel back home to take on the Dallas Mavericks at 8:00 pm ET on the same day.