The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 126-119 to earn their ninth straight win on Saturday night.
Hornets’ Miles Bridges scored 26 points, Kon Knueppel had 23, LaMelo Ball added 19 and nine assists, Brandon Miller 16, and Moussa Diabate finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Charlotte’s win streak is the longest active streak in the NBA and the best run for the franchise since it also won nine in a row during the 1998-99 season.
On the other hand, Jalen Johnson had 31 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for the Hawks. Zaccharie Risacher scored 18, and Onyeka Okongwu had 16.
The Hawks trailed 120-115 with 1:42 left, but Dyson Daniels dunked off a rebound, and Johnson made two free throws to trim Charlotte’s lead to one with 26.3 remaining.
Ball, Miller, and Bridges each made two foul shots to help the Hornets close it out, as the Hornets went 16 for 16 at the line and Atlanta was 15 for 17.
The Hornets closed the third quarter with an 11-0 run with Grant Williams’ three-point play and Tre Mann’s 3, giving them a 98-90 lead going into the fourth.
Charlotte finished with a 49-30 rebounding advantage, led by Diabate.
Both teams will compete on Monday: Atlanta at Minnesota, while the Hornets will open a four-game homestand against the Pistons.
