Hornets' Kemba Walker
After scoring 43 points in a 117-112 win over the Boston Celtics (9-8) Monday night, and a season-high 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers (11-7) over the weekend, Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker has become the league’s leading scorer.
Walker, a first-round (9th overall) NBA draft pick out of UConn in 2011, ranks first at an average of 29.6 points per game, Lebron James ranks second at 28.8, and the Sixers’ Joel Embiid sits in third with an average of 27.9. Walker also passed the injured Stephen Curry for the league lead in 3-pointers made with 65.
The Celtics entered the fourth quarter leading 87-84 and quickly stretched the lead to double digits behind Kyrie Irving,
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Walker simply outperformed Boston’s Irving, who finished with 27 points and 11 assists. He scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone and made 14 of 25 shots overall, including seven more 3-pointers.
Walker finished 7-of-10 from the floor with four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Charlotte erased a ten-point deficit to pull even at 8-8 on the season.
He delivered the knockout punch with a clutch 3-pointer from 27 feet away with 32 seconds left, bringing fans to their feet and putting the Hornets up by six.
Irving missed two open 3s down the stretch and the Hornets escaped with the win to pull even at .500.
”I just wanted to win, man,” Walker said. ”I wanted to win a close game. We’ve been in every game for the most part. There’s a couple we haven’t been in but you know things just haven’t been going our way in those situations and tonight it did and it felt good.”
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He scored 11 straight points in one stretch, including a 3-pointer from the right wing and a nifty Euro-step move through the lane.
”It means a lot but it’s still the early season,” Walker said. ”I would’ve never, ever in my life thought I would be that high up in the rankings as far as scoring in the NBA. But I’m going to try to keep it up, do what I can to win games.”
Jeremy Lamb had 18 points and Willy Hernangomez added 14 as the Hornets beat the Celtics for the first time in eight tries.
”He’s been unbelievable, especially when your whole game plan is to stop him and he is still going off and doing what he does,” said Celtics forward Gordon Hayward of Walker. ”He’s an unbelievable player.”
”We were looking for another 60 but I think 43 will do tonight,” joked Hornets coach James Borrego. ”He’s incredible. This is a special player, a special performance and a special start to an NBA season.”
The Hornets will go on to host the Indiana Pacers (11-6) Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST. The game will air on FSIN and FSCR from North Carolina’s Spectrum Center.
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