The Charlotte Hornets faced the Atlanta Hawks Friday night, looking for their first home victory of the season after a road win against the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday. Once again, Charlotte was without three main contributors, including two starters, Coby White and Kon Knueppel.
Unfortunately for Hornets fans, it was a night to forget, as the Hawks dominated from start to finish, improving to 2-0 on the season. Turnovers led to Charlotte's demise, as a whopping 27 giveaways led to a 128-81 defeat. Naz Reid was one of only three Hornets to score in double-figures. He had 17 points, while Tidjane Salaun and Grayson Allen added 11 each off the bench. For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson and Aaron Wiggins led the way, scoring 19 apiece. Dyson Daniels was dominant on the defensive side of the ball, tallying seven steals to go along with his 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Looking ahead, the Hornets will have to regroup quickly as they host the Miami Heat Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back. As for the Hawks, they'll take their 2-0 record back home to Atlanta for their home opener against the Houston Rockets.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets drop home opener to Hawks in blowout fashion