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Wednesday, Apr. 12 7:30pm ET
Hornets hold Mutombo without a shot | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- David Wesley didn't miss many shots, especially in the second half. Dikembe Mutombo didn't miss any shots -- he didn't attempt any. Charlotte's Wesley went 9-of-10 from the field after halftime and finished with 29 points while the Hornets silenced Mutombo all night Wednesday en route to routing the Atlanta Hawks 119-87. "I was trying to think of the last time I got shut out and I couldn't remember," said Wesley, who bounced back from an 0-for-6 outing against Indiana last weekend. "I went through a stretch earlier where I couldn't buy one, so it's good to get that feeling back." The Hornets' interior defense hounded Mutombo for all of his 29 minutes on the court. He finished with three points, off free throws. "Once he got it down in the paint and started backing down, we just started sending different people," Charlotte center Elden Campbell said. "He was willing to pass it out, and never got into any kind of rhythm. We'll take our chances with that." Charlotte's 10th win in 12 outings kept the Hornets (45-33) a game behind Philadelphia for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, which awards home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. It was the Hornets' second-largest victory of the season. After committing eight turnovers in the first quarter and falling behind 27-20 early in the second, Charlotte's reserves led a comeback that put the Hornets ahead 49-45 by halftime. Wesley scored 22 points after the break, and Charlotte led by as many as 38 late in the fourth quarter. "I thought it was important to try to put them away," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "We struggled in the first half but played well in the second. The veterans picked it up, and then I got a chance to rest them. "I wish we played the way we played in the second half all the time." Reserve Dion Glover led the Hawks with 14 points, with Jim Jackson and Cal Bowdler adding 13 each. Atlanta (26-52) lost its eighth straight game and 19th of 22. The Hawks have dropped 13th straight on the road. "This is the first year I've coached when we've been out of the playoffs this early in the season," Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens said. "Games like tonight are painful lessons, but we have to learn." Backup center Brad Miller had 15 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte in his second game back after missing 25 straight with a knee injury. Anthony Mason had eight points, 10 assists and five rebounds for Charlotte, which now plays three away games. It is 16-22 on the road. Game notesWesley tied Muggsy Bogues' franchise record with his 199th consecutive appearance Wednesday night and can break the record Friday at Milwaukee. He has started all 199 of those games. ... Mutombo had three assists Wednesday, giving him 1,001 for his career. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Atlanta Clubhouse Charlotte Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 95 Orlando 91
Charlotte 119
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