Walker, Charlotte Ranger
The Hornets are not generally known as a premier offensive team, ranking toward the bottom of the league in most scoring and shooting metrics. With few offensive threats on their roster, Charlotte badly needed star point guard Kemba Walker to carry the load on offense for them to have a chance.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, carry the load he did. Walker finished with 32 points, 20 of which came in the first half, shooting 13-of-21 from the floor and 4-of-9 from behind the arc.
He took advantage of almost every defender the Bucks threw at him, pushing the ball in transition and slicing into the lane off of ball screens. He exhibited excellent body control, repeatedly going at much bigger defenders under the hoop only to find a gap between extended arms and finish.
The Hornets also benefited from an above-average shooting night from three, finishing a nice 12-of-26 from deep. Although this may have something to do with the Bucks’ defensive methodology, it’s unlikely they repeat the same performance in the teams’ next game.