Jakob Poeltl scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors to a third consecutive win on Friday, 108-97 against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
Poeltl’s efficient 12-of-14 effort from the field pushed him to his 22nd double-double of the season. Immanuel Quickley scored 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting and had nine assists, while Scottie Barnes added 18 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jamal Shead tied a career high with 17 points for the Raptors.
Mark Williams led the Hornets with 18 points and 12 rebounds on a perfect 9-of-9 from the field. DaQuan Jeffries scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while KJ Simpson added 14 points as Charlotte suffered its fourth straight loss.
Miles Bridges was a big part of the Hornets’ offensive struggles. Typically one of the team’s most potent scorers, Bridges was held to just 11 points on 4-of-20 shooting.
The Raptors led by two at halftime, and after falling behind again in the third quarter, Toronto went on a 15-0 run to re-establish 72-60 lead on Barnes’ pullup 3-pointer with 5:46 remaining.
That ended up being the turning point of the contest. Toronto only briefly allowed Charlotte to crawl back within single digits and led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter.
The Raptors made 42 of 95 attempts (44.2 percent) from the field and shot 14 of 44 (31.8 percent) from 3-point range. The Hornets made 39 of 96 attempts (40.6 percent), while shooting 9 of 31 (29 percent) from beyond the arc.
After the Hornets took a 12-10 lead at the 7:18 mark in the first quarter, the Raptors went on a 20-6 run to open up their first double-digit lead of the night. The run culminated with a 3-pointer by Barnes that put Toronto ahead 30-18.
Toronto’s momentum didn’t carry over to the second, however. The Raptors went 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the frame, and after Charlotte got as close as one point, Toronto settled for a 49-47 lead into the break.
