Jakob Poeltl delivered a dominant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors rolled to their third consecutive win, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 108-97 on Friday night.
Immanuel Quickley chipped in 19 points, hitting five of eight from beyond the arc, and dished out nine assists to help Toronto build momentum late in the season.
Mark Williams led the way for Charlotte with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. DaQuan Jeffries added 15 points as the Hornets dropped their fourth straight game.
Toronto opened the game with a 10-0 run to build a 20-12 advantage in the first quarter and held a narrow 49-47 lead at halftime. Poeltl led the first-half charge with 12 points and continued to dominate inside throughout the night.
Game Takeaways
Raptors: Toronto’s winning streak has come entirely against teams ranked below them in the Eastern Conference. With wins over the Nets, Wizards, and now the Hornets, the Raptors — currently 11th in the standings — can complete a sweep of the conference’s bottom tier with a victory over the 76ers on Sunday.
Hornets: Charlotte announced Friday that star guard LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season due to a right ankle impingement and will undergo a wrist procedure. He ends his season averaging a career-high 25.2 points over 47 games.
Key Moment
Poeltl’s layup with 8:17 remaining in the third quarter gave Toronto a 61-60 lead — a lead they would never surrender for the rest of the game.
Key Stat
The Raptors outscored the Hornets by 15 points from three-point range, converting 14 triples compared to Charlotte’s nine.
Up Next
Both teams return to action on Sunday. The Hornets will visit the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Raptors travel to face the Philadelphia 76ers.
