Jonathan Mogbo delivered 17 points, a career-high 11 assists, and 10 rebounds to become the first NBA rookie to record a triple-double this season, powering the Toronto Raptors to a 126-96 rout of the short-handed Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Jared Rhoden led the Raptors with 23 points, while Scottie Barnes added 17 points and 11 rebounds. The win marked Toronto’s ninth consecutive home victory over Charlotte and improved their home record to 18-23.
AJ Lawson chipped in 14 points as the Raptors matched their largest win margin of the season. Their previous 30-point win came against Brooklyn on March 26.
Nick Smith Jr. posted 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Jusuf Nurkic had 26 points for the Hornets, who have now dropped five straight games and seven in a row on the road.
Veteran Taj Gibson scored two points and grabbed five rebounds in his 1,000th career NBA game. Gibson began his career with the Chicago Bulls in the 2009-10 season.
Toronto starters RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both played only the first half. Barrett finished with 11 points, and Quickley added eight.
Game Takeaways
Hornets: Charlotte was without nine players, including Miles Bridges (left hip), Josh Okogie (left hamstring), and Mark Williams (left foot).
Raptors: Head coach Darko Rajakovic announced that Brandon Ingram will miss the remainder of the season. After consulting a specialist in New York, Ingram received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left ankle.
Key Moment
Barnes and Rhoden sparked the offense in the third quarter, combining 18 points as the Raptors outscored Charlotte 35-23 to stretch their lead to 20.
Key Stat
Toronto’s bench outscored Charlotte’s 64-20, providing a massive lift in the blowout win.
Up next
Hornets: Travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Friday night.
Raptors: Head to Dallas for a matchup with the Mavericks on Friday.
