Hornets Beat Trail Blazers For Fourth Straight Win

Add as a preferred source on Google

The NBA schedule on 28 February and 1 March featured three clear wins, as the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers all produced strong offensive displays. Each side faced opponents missing key players, yet still needed balanced scoring, accurate perimeter shooting and controlled defence to secure convincing double-digit victories.

The Lakers delivered the most one-sided margin, defeating the short-handed Golden State Warriors 129-101. Luka Doncic tallied 26 points with eight assists and six rebounds, while LeBron James added 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Los Angeles built control early and never allowed Golden State to find rhythm without leading scorer Stephen Curry.

Golden State continued to manage Stephen Curry’s right knee injury, keeping Curry out for a 10th straight game, and newly acquired centre Kristaps Porzingis also missed the contest due to illness. Gui Santos led the Warriors with 14 points, extending a run of five consecutive double-digit scoring outings and 12 such games in the past 13.

Santos’ performance came hours after securing a three-year contract extension, yet Golden State still struggled to match the Lakers’ playmaking depth. James shot 7 for 13 from the field and hit four 3-pointers, following a light-hearted pre-game moment in which James completed his warmup, then took extra shots with 11-year-old daughter Zhuri.

Charlotte’s 109-93 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers continued the Hornets’ recent surge, pushing their record to 30-31, just one game below .500. Brandon Miller led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds, hitting six 3-pointers as Charlotte stretched its winning streak to four games.

The Hornets went 16 of 42 from long range after hitting 72 3-pointers across the previous three victories, a total that matched the NBA record for most threes in any three-game span. Coby White supplied 20 points off the bench, LaMelo Ball contributed 15 points and eight assists, while Moussa Diabate posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Portland relied on Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, who scored 25 and 21 points respectively, but missed All-Star Deni Avdija for a third consecutive game because of a back problem. The Trail Blazers trailed 74-67 after three quarters, cut into the deficit, then faded when their outside shooting collapsed in the final period.

NBA: Adebayo, Larsson lift Heat past Rockets

The Miami Heat also closed strongly, beating the Houston Rockets 115-105 behind Bam Adebayo’s double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds. Pelle Larsson scored 20 points, with 10 coming in the fourth quarter, as Miami finished the contest with greater composure despite missing several rotation players due to injury issues.

Tyler Herro, returning to the starting lineup in Norman Powell’s absence, scored 18 points, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14. Kelel Ware delivered 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Andrew Wiggins finished with 12 points after needing eight stitches to treat a cut inside the mouth. Powell will miss at least one week following a right groin strain sustained in Philadelphia.

Houston relied on Kevin Durant, who recorded 32 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Amen Thompson added 20 points and Reed Sheppard contributed 14. The Rockets remained without Jabari Smith Jr., sidelined by a sprained right ankle and not expected to feature in Washington on Monday, which further tested Houston’s depth and defensive matchups.

The results leave Charlotte closing on a .500 record, Miami strengthening playoff hopes with contributions across the roster, and the Lakers capitalising on Golden State’s injury list. Across all three NBA games, long-range shooting, rebounding strength and effective late-game execution shaped comfortable wins over opponents missing important contributors.