The Atlanta Hawks avoided elimination from the play-in tournament by defeating the Charlotte Hornets 132-103 on Wednesday night. 

Hawks’ Performance 

Star point-guard Trae Young led the way for Atlanta, scoring 24 points and adding 11 assists. De’Andre Hunter added 22 points while center Clint Capela brought in 17 rebounds. The Hawks found great success from range, hitting 50 percent of their three point attempts. 

For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 26 points and eight assists. Miles Bridges was ejected midway through the fourth quarter after receiving multiple technical fouls. This result means the Hawks will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday for the No. 8 seed.

Charlotte’s Struggles 

The Hornets’ defense was disappointing on the night and as bad as it’s been all season. They found some joy in defending against Trae Young early in the game. However, that created space and open looks for his teammates. They were unable to stop the three point shots from falling and had trouble defending the rim. A priority for the Hornets heading into the postseason must be the addition of a rim protector. Their inability to defend inside has been a weak point for them all season and it appeared again. 

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Elsewhere 

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 in Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament. New Orleans will now face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night for a shot at the No. 8 seed. Jose Alvarado and CJ McCollum combined for 29 of the Pelicans’ 35 points in the second quarter to give New Orleans an 11-point lead heading into halftime. McCollum scored 27 points in the first half and finished with 32 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Alvarado contributed 12 points off the bench. Brandon Ingram had 27 points.

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