Jonathan Mogbo became the first rookie this season to post a triple-double, leading the Toronto Raptors to a dominant 126-96 win over the undermanned Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Mogbo registered 17 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds across 37 minutes, helping Toronto (30-50) clinch its second consecutive win and improve to 18-23 at home.
Jared Rhoden poured in a team-high 23 points off the bench as the Raptors extended their home win streak over Charlotte to nine games.
Scottie Barnes contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds in just over 20 minutes of action, as the hosts broke the game open with a 35-23 third quarter.
Toronto finished with 64 bench points, outscoring Charlotte’s reserves by 44 in one of its most lopsided wins of the season.
Nick Smith Jr. led the Hornets (19-61) with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Jusuf Nurkic added 26 points and nine boards.
Charlotte entered the contest with nine players listed as unavailable, including Miles Bridges, Josh Okogie, and Mark Williams.
The Hornets dropped their fifth straight game and have now lost seven consecutive road contests.
Taj Gibson marked his 1,000th career NBA game with two points and five rebounds in 17 minutes, more than 14 years after his debut with the Chicago Bulls.
Toronto’s RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley each played limited minutes, both logging 14 in the first half before sitting out the remainder.
Barrett scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, while Quickley added eight points and two assists before being rested.
Mogbo, who was active on both ends, also recorded three steals and helped spark a 15-2 run midway through the second quarter.
Toronto held Charlotte to 43.9 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers, converting them into 21 points.
The Raptors’ defense held the Hornets to 22 points or fewer in two of the first three quarters, creating separation early and never looking back.
Rhoden and Barnes combined for 18 third-quarter points as Toronto expanded a 50-45 halftime lead to 85-68 entering the final period.
AJ Lawson added 14 points and seven assists in a season-high 27 minutes, continuing to provide spark off the bench.
In total, 11 Raptors players logged at least eight points as head coach Darko Rajakovic utilized a deep rotation.
With the win, Toronto stayed ahead of Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference standings, while Charlotte remained second-to-last in the East.
Smith Jr. shot 6-of-9 from three-point range but received little support outside of Nurkic, as no other Hornets player reached double figures.
Toronto shot 47.1 percent from the field and made 19 of 52 attempts from beyond the arc, led by Rhoden’s 3-of-5 clip from deep.
The Raptors also dominated on the glass, outrebounding Charlotte 55-41 and grabbing 16 offensive boards.
