James R. Jordan Chief Operating Officer & Interim President | Carolina Hornets Website
James R. Jordan Chief Operating Officer & Interim President | Carolina Hornets Website
Thanks to Matt Morgan's exceptional performance, the Charlotte Hornets rebounded strongly to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 84-68 on Friday night at COX Pavilion in Las Vegas, NV.
Morgan, an All-EuroCup First-Team point guard for the London Lions last season, delivered a flawless display, scoring 36 points on perfect shooting—11-of-11 from the field and 7-of-7 from three-point range—in less than 23 minutes off the bench. According to RealGM.com, Morgan set a new franchise Summer League single-game scoring record and tied with LA Clippers’ Jordan Miller for the second-highest points by any player in Las Vegas this year.
Following Portland’s 7-0 run to close the second quarter, Charlotte regained control with a dominant third quarter, outscoring Portland 25-8. The Blazers struggled significantly during this period, making only 3-of-23 field-goal attempts (13%) and missing all twelve three-point attempts while committing six turnovers. Entering the fourth quarter down by 24 points, Portland never closed the gap to less than 14 points.
The Hornets excelled in ball movement throughout the game. They recorded 24 assists on their 30 made baskets, achieving an impressive assist percentage of 80%. Zavier Simpson led with eight assists, followed by Nick Smith Jr. with six. Caleb McConnell and Jake Stephens each contributed three assists, while James Banks III added two.
Despite committing 16 turnovers themselves, Charlotte limited Portland's ability to capitalize on these opportunities, allowing just six points off turnovers. Conversely, Charlotte scored effectively in transition, converting 19 takeaways into 24 points and leading fast break scoring by a margin of 15-7 (15-2 entering the fourth quarter).
“It felt good. Usually when I make my first shot, I know it’s going to be a good game,” said Morgan following his standout performance. “I credit my teammates for finding me throughout the whole game... You just want to ultimately come out with the win but to do what I did... I think I played a pretty good game.”
With Golden State defeating Oklahoma City earlier in the evening, Charlotte has been eliminated from Summer League Semifinals contention. They will play one final consolation game against Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center at 6:30 PM ET. This game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
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