P.J. Washington missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds, as the Charlotte Hornets fell on the road to the Toronto Raptors 111-108.
Washington finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, as the Hornets lost their second in a row to slip to 6-7. Terry Rozier had 22 points and five assists for the Hornets.
The Raptors, playing home games in Tampa. Fla., due to pandemic-related travel restrictions in Canada, made 20 of 50 attempts from 3-point range. Chris Boucher finished with 25 points.
A 20-12 run in the fourth quarter got the Hornets back into the game. With under 10 seconds left, Washington blocked Boucher’s shot into Boucher’s arm and out of bounds. (Hornets got possession via an official’s review.)
That gave the Hornets possession down three with 9.8 seconds left. Rozier found Washington for an open 3. Devonte Graham chased down the rebound along the baseline, but couldn’t retrieve in time for a real look at the basket.
Five observations off the game:
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HAYWARD’S HIP
The Hornets played without leading scorer Gordon Hayward, who suffered a strained left hip in Wednesday’s home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Hornets listed Hayward as probable to play Thursday morning, then downgraded him to doubtful, and then out just before tip-off. The Hornets are calling Hayward’s injury day-to-day. The Hornets play the Raptors again in Tampa Saturday. If Hayward sat out that game as well, he’d have a long rest, because Charlotte doesn’t play again after that until next Wednesday versus the Washington Wizards.
This was the first regular-season game Hayward missed this season. He fractured his right pinkie finger in the preseason, but then played in the season-opener in Cleveland.
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WASHINGTON UPSWING
Center-forward Washington has steadily improved since the preseason, when coach James Borrego raised concern about his performance and conditioning.
Washington had a 16-point, 10-rebound, six assist game Wedneday against the Mavericks, then followed that up with 20 points and 11 boards Thursday.
Washington starts at power forward, then shifts to small-ball center. That was always the plan going into the season, but Washington’s minutes at center expanded with Cody Zeller breaking his left hand in the season-opener. Zeller is out until early February.
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MONK’S RENEWAL
Shooting guard Malik Monk had been so far out of the Hornets’ rotation this season that he totaled 11 minutes over two of Charlotte’s first 12 games. Hayward’s absence, and the Hornets’ offensive struggles, changed that Thursday.
Monk played in the first half and he scored 10 points in 11 minutes before halftime. The rust was indicated in his foul situation -- three before halftime.
Monk told The Observer recently he was “super” frustrated not to play because he knew he could help.
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TURNOVERS EQUAL SCATTERED
The Hornets have been top 10 this season in defensive efficiency. Borrego has said they are one of the NBA’s top defensive teams when they get to guard in settled half-court situations
In other words, they get out of whack defensively when live-ball turnovers make them scattered getting back in transition. They committed 11 turnovers in the first half against the Raptors, who shot 58% from the field in that span.
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CALEB MARTIN’S RARE START
Caleb Martin, who the Hornets signed two summers ago as an undrafted free agent, got his second NBA start, filling in for Hayward.
Martin defines the success the Hornets have had of late in the development program built around the Greensboro Swarm, their G-League franchise. He worked closely last season with development specialist Nick Friedman, then ended up in Charlotte’s rotation late last season.
Caleb has moved slightly ahead of his twin brother, Cody, in the Hornets’ rotation of late. Cody was the Hornets’ second-round pick two years ago.
