Team effort propels Hornets over Hawks with Bridges, Diabate suspended for fight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate missing the first game of their respective four-game suspensions, the Charlotte Hornets were counting on rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner and veteran journeyman Grant Williams to step up in the final matchup before the NBA All-Star break. The results were mixed.

Kalkbrenner (five points) and Williams (seven) had 12 combined points, but the Hornets were still able to defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 110-107, at Spectrum Center on Wednesday with the backing of a total team effort and a 31-point performance from shooting guard Brandon Miller.

Kalkbrenner started at center in place of Diabate against Atlanta, while Williams started at power forward for Bridges.

The NBA handed out four-game suspensions to Bridges and Diabate just a few hours before the 7 p.m. tip-off. Diabate and Bridges were punished for their involvement in Monday’s extended on-court skirmish with Detroit Pistons big men Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Duren received a two-game suspension, while Stewart — who left the Detroit bench to get involved in the fight — received a seven-game ban. All four players were ejected during the third quarter of the Hornets’ 110-104 home loss to the Pistons.

Hornets coach Charles Lee, who was also ejected Monday following a later argument with an official, backed Williams and Kalkbrenner after the suspension notices of Bridges and Diabate. He also noted that he was relieved to know how long he’d be missing two of his five primary starters.

“Our group all year has done a great job (regardless) of whoever is available,” Lee said before the game. “Those guys are prepared, they’re competitive, they know our identity and how we need to play on both ends of the court. So, I feel good about the group that we have. We’ll miss those guys for the next four games, but there’s never a finite roster at any point because who knows what happens in the next couple of games.”

Williams, Kalkbrenner lifted by total team effort

Against the Hawks, Williams made his first start since Nov. 23, 2024. He was sidelined nearly 14 months with an ACL injury from that game until Jan. 10 of this year.

In the previous 13 games since returning from the knee injury, Williams averaged 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. On Wednesday, he went 1 of 9 from the field and finished with seven points and eight rebounds.

The Hornets (26-29) entered the matchup with a 9-17 record with Kalkbrenner as the starting center. The squad was 12-4 in games when he came off the bench, largely due to the productivity of Diabate in recent weeks.

Kalkbrenner picked up two fouls less than four minutes into the game, and he was held scoreless until the third quarter. He did, though, have two blocked shots and six rebounds in roughly 24 minutes.

Williams and Kalkbrenner were lifted by the play of the rest of the starting lineup against Atlanta (26-30). Rookie small forward Kon Knueppel, point guard LaMelo Ball and Miller went a combined 16 of 39 from 3-point range.

“Huge resolve on this team,” Lee said after the win. “I think it also just shows the commitment to togetherness, because I see, a lot of times, those guys who could be competing for minutes are talking to one another about how they can help not get in foul trouble or how they can be in a better position. … It’s a mindset that the group is developing, and they understand how much they need each other — how much we need them to come in and impact the game in a lot of different ways. So, I’m proud of them.”

Knueppel connected on 4 of 7 of his 3-point attempts, while shooting 5 of 12 from the floor. The impressive rookie finished the win with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.

“I think we come into every game as the hunters,” Knueppel said. “And I think that’s kind of flipped from the beginning of the season. We were building good habits, but now we come in expecting to win games. And I think that’s what you need to be successful in this league, ‘cause it’s really hard to win. And so the appreciation of how hard it is is something I think we have a good grasp on right now, and what it takes. So, we’ll just keep building on that — we still have a long way to go.”

Ball chipped in 24 points, four rebounds and six assists while shooting 8 of 23 against the Hawks. He hit 7 of 18 of his 3-point attempts

Miller added nine rebounds and two assists to his team-leading 31 points in 36 minutes of action. Big man P.J. Hall came off the bench for 11 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds with Kalkbrenner sidelined with fouls early on in the contest.

The Hawks were led by guard Dyson Daniels, who produced 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Forward Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 13 rebounds and nine assists, to go along with 19 points, in 34 minutes.

The Hornets have won 13 of their last 17 games. Charlotte has also won of the season series against Atlanta, 3-1, after winning three consecutive matchups against the Hawks this season.

“With 27 games to go, we’ve built this mindset, we’ve built some resolve, we’ve built an identity — I really, truly believe,” Lee said. “And so, as they get a day or two to let their bodies recover, think about what we want to accomplish when we come back here. And I think I know the answer, but it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything we’ve done, and then figure how we can stay hungry and take advantage of a couple of days to rest and recover.”