The Spurs hosted the Hornets in the NBA regular season, and the two sides launched a crazy battle because the Spurs dual-core Wenbanyamaa and Fox were both cancelled for the season. The Hornets hit a franchise-record 26 3-pointers, and the Spurs were not far behind, hitting 21 for a combined 47. The Hornets, with four players scoring at least 20 points, swept the Spurs 145-134 season.
In terms of statistics, eight Spurs scored in double figures, Castle contributed 26 points, Wassell had 22 points, three rebounds and three assists, Sohan had 14 points and five rebounds, Mamukailashvili, Kelden, Champany, Wesley and Barnes also scored. For New Orleans, seven scored in double figures, led by the three-goal Ball, who finished with 27 points and 15 assists, tying a career record for assists in a game. Smith added 26 points, three rebounds and five assists, Bridges had 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Josh Green had 20 points, three assists and four steals, and Maway, Nurkic and Jeffries also contributed.
In the game review, the Hornets showed a hot touch in the first quarter, 13 of 19 shooting nearly 70% shooting percentage, including 13 of 8 3-pointers, while the Spurs 10 of 24, including 12 of 4 3-pointers, entering the second quarter, the Hornets fired from the perimeter, scored 37+ points for two consecutive quarters, a 44-29 net win of 15 points in the first half, The Hornets had built a 26-point lead over the Spurs, 81-55,
Returning from the break, the Hornets continued to maintain a hot hand, scoring 40+ points for two consecutive quarters. The Spurs also scored 40 points in the third quarter, and the two sides scored 80 points in a single quarter. The Hornets once extended a 97-66 lead of 31 points and maintained the lead from then on. The Spurs, despite an offensive comeback, trailed by 26 points through the first three quarters.
