Miles Bridges scored a layup with 3.8 seconds remaining, helping the Charlotte Hornets secure a 115-114 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday night, spoiling Hawks star Trae Young’s return from a finger injury.
Young, who missed 23 games due to a torn ligament in his left pinkie, tallied 14 points and 11 assists in 21 minutes, making all five of his field goal attempts. However, he didn’t play in the final quarter.
Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 27 points, while Bridges contributed 18 as the team mounted a comeback after trailing by 18 points, including a 92-77 deficit going into the last period.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford, who announced his decision to step down at the end of the season on April 3, urged his team to stay focused and take it one possession at a time. The Hornets displayed composure and executed crucial plays late in the game.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vit Krejci each scored 19 points for Atlanta, which suffered its fourth consecutive loss. Despite a strong effort, the Hawks missed an opportunity to narrow the gap with the Chicago Bulls for a home game in the play-in tournament.
Young, wearing a black brace on his left hand, showed confidence in his shooting despite the injury. He aims to gradually increase his playing time leading up to the team’s final regular-season game.
Bogdanovic set a new team record with 235 made 3-pointers this season, surpassing Young’s previous record of 233 from the 2021-22 season.
