Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 44 points, as the Charlotte Hornets held off the Atlanta Hawks 102-94 at State Farm Arena.
Hayward signed a $120 million, four-year contract, becoming the Hornets’ top free-agent acquisition since one-time All-NBA center Al Jefferson. Hayward’s prior career high was 39.
The Hornets led by as many as 24 points, only to lose all that lead, with the Hawks pulling ahead in the fourth quarter. This broke a three-game losing streak for the Hornets, who improved to 3-5.
Hayward, box-score filler
The Hornets made a huge financial commitment to small forward Hayward to provide efficiency and versatility.