It seemed fitting for Théo Maledon.
The guy making a surprise start for the Charlotte Hornets for the first time in four months did it in the place he was cast off from last year, suiting up against the very team that drafted him, when he got sent to Houston in an eight-player deal back in September.
Perhaps that’s why Maledon smiled as he kept his shooting form on display midway through the fourth quarter following a made 3-pointer during a critical run against Oklahoma City. He was thrust into emergency duty just hours after the Hornets made a roster move to take advantage of a little-known Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) rule.