SAN ANTONIO (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 27 points and 14 assists, and the Charlotte Hornets made a franchise-record 26 3-pointers to roll past the San Antonio Spurs 145-134 on Friday night.
Nick Smith Jr. scored a career-high 26 points for the Hornets. Miles Green added 21 and Josh Green had 20.
Ball was 7 for 11 on 3-pointers and Charlotte led by as many as 31 points and won for the third time in four games.
San Antonio allowed the second-most points to an opponent this season a day after announcing De’Aaron Fox will undergo season-ending surgery to repair tendon damage in his left pinkie.
Stephon Castle had 26 points for the Spurs and Devin Vassell added 22.
Charlotte led 81-55 after the first half, the most points it has scored in any half this season.
San Antonio has trailed by double digits in 42 games this season, losing all but 10.
The Hornets, who were shooting 33% on 3-pointers, was 26 for 46 on 3s against the Spurs.
Takeaways
Hornets: Smith matched his career high with six 3-pointers, all in the first half. Smith missed his only 3-point attempt in the second half.
Spurs: Castle returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Feb. 3. A leading contender for Rookie of the Year, Castle was 3 for 7 on 3-pointers and 10 for 17 from the field.
Key moment
The Hornets took a 22-point lead three minutes into the second quarter on three consecutive 3-pointers by Seth Curry and two by Smith. Charlotte was 10 for 14 on 3-pointers in the second quarter.
Key stat
Marcus Garrett’s 3-pointer with 9:20 remaining in the game gave Charlotte a franchise-record 25 3-pointers in a game. The Hornets’ previous record was 24, which they set against Detroit on Jan. 5, 2022, and matched 25 days later against Indiana.
Up next
The Hornets visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The Spurs host New Orleans on Saturday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Raul Dominguez, The Associated Press
