CHARLOTTE — Kelly Oubre Jr. stole the show in the fourth quarter of the Charlotte Hornets’ 140-111 home win over Detroit on Wednesday night, coming just one shot short of tying Klay Thompson’s all-time NBA record of nine 3-pointers made in a single quarter.
Charlotte’s sixth man entered the quarter with just eight points but went on a seven-minute stretch where he drilled eight shots from behind the arc to set a franchise record in quarterly 3s and tie Kemba Walker’s team record of 24 points in a quarter.
“When Kelly gets hot, he’s tough to stop,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “He got going there and I thought he was fantastic. He just made shots — that’s what he does — so I’m proud to see him play with that joy, spirit and confidence.”
With 32 points and six rebounds, Oubre was 9 for 14 from long range overall, contributing his own career-high nine 3s to help set the Hornets’ new all-time high of 24 3-pointers in a game.
“We had 39 assists tonight. I had the hot hand at a point in time, but anybody on this team can have a hot hand,” Oubre said. “I’m just blessed to be able to play with a bunch of selfless guys out there who allow me to continue with the hot stretch.”
Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges each added 19 points for the Hornets (20-19), who led by as much as 36 in what became their 14th straight win over the Pistons (7-29). P.J. Washington had 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists in his first game back with the team after a two-week absence.
Terry Rozier scored 16 points while LaMelo Ball notched 12 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.
“I feel like with every loss, you have to come back with a win obviously to bounce back, and I felt we did tonight,” Ball said on his team’s 29-point victory after losing two consecutive games.
Trey Lyles led Detroit with 17 points and seven rebounds; Cade Cunningham, the 2021 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick, added 16 points and seven assists for the Pistons.
The Hornets’ offensive domination might have peaked in the fourth quarter, but it started just a few minutes into the beginning of the game and quickly gained steam.
The team held a 37-19 advantage after the first quarter and led by as much as 26 in the second quarter before the Pistons surged back to make it 65-51 at halftime. A 12-0 run to end the third quarter gave Charlotte a 100-75 lead as it eventually built its lead up to 36 points.
The Hornets now have a two-day break to rest before the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (25-15) come to town for a 7 p.m. matchup on Saturday. The Bucks hold the third spot in the current Eastern Conference standings while the Hornets sit in eighth place.
