The NBA landscape shifted significantly on Saturday night as two surging teams saw their impressive winning streaks halted by inspired performances.
In Charlotte, the struggling Hornets pulled off a massive upset, snapping the Toronto Raptors’ nine-game run in a dramatic 118-111 overtime thriller. Meanwhile, in Miami, the Detroit Pistons outgunned the Heat to end their six-game tear with a tight 138-135 victory.
The Charlotte Hornets, entering the night with just five previous wins on the season, delivered a stunning comeback to defeat one of the league’s hottest teams.
The Raptors looked poised to cruise to a tenth straight victory after jumping out to a commanding 17-point lead in the first quarter.
However, the Hornets chipped away, fueled by a scorching performance from Miles Bridges.
Bridges was sensational down the stretch, scoring 16 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The true dagger in Toronto’s heart came in the final seconds of regulation. With the Hornets trailing, rookie Kon Knueppel, who finished with 20 points, stepped up and drilled a clutch three-pointer with 10.1 seconds remaining to send the game into an extra period.
Once in overtime, the momentum was all Charlotte’s. Bridges immediately tied the game with a floater and then gave the Hornets their first lead of the entire contest with a three-pointer.
The Hornets’ defense tightened, outscoring the Raptors 14-7 in the final five minutes to secure just their second consecutive win.
“The whole team set the tone,” Bridges said afterward. “As a team, we’re bringing a different type of energy.”