The Charlotte Hornets have won four straight games, and a common denominator in those contests is the Hornets carrying a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Whenever they have that comfortable a cushion, their stars usually don’t have to play a lot of minutes, keeping their bodies fresh and helping them avert injuries as much as possible.
For instance, Charlotte needed less than six minutes to race to a 20-9 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, thanks to Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges combining for 16 of its points. The Grizzlies managed to keep it close in the first half and trailed by just 62-55 at the break.