CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Raymond Felton had 23 points and 11 assists, Matt Carroll scored 21 points and the new-look Charlotte Bobcats continued their surprising turnaround with a 108-93 win over the slumping Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Emeka Okafor added 16 points and 15 rebounds in another balanced effort for the fourth-year Bobcats, who matched a team record with their fourth straight win and sent the Hawks to another damaging loss as they fight for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Joe Johnson scored 20 points and Al Horford added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta, which had an opportunity to win three games in two days against two of the worst teams in the East.
Instead, the Hawks enter Saturday's replay against Miami as the latest victim of the Bobcats, who have thrived since changing their lineup and focusing on young players following 12 losses in 13 games.
Felton, entrenched at point guard after shifting between both guard spots before Jeff McInnis was waived last week, hit 8 of 13 shots and directed a crisp offense that surpassed 100 points for the fifth straight game.
Carroll, buried on the bench early in the season, made 5-of-6 3-pointers in another start in place of Gerald Wallace (concussion).
Rookie Jared Dudley, getting more playing time in the win streak, had 13 points and eight rebounds. It allowed Jason Richardson, coming off a 42-point game against Golden State, to have a quiet 13-point night.
The Hawks, who had allowed 135 and 116 points in their last two games, surrendered only 16 points in the first quarter, then melted down defensively again in blowing an early 10-point lead.
Felton scored 15 points in the second quarter, then Carroll got hot in the third. The Bobcats built the lead to 78-69 on Carroll's 3 at the third-quarter buzzer. He hit another 3 and a long jumper early in the fourth quarter to give Charlotte an 83-72 lead.
The Hawks never recovered, losing their fourth straight game and dropping to 3-8 since Mike Bibby joined the team following a trade with Sacramento.
Bibby had 11 points and 10 assists, but the Hawks shot 44 percent.
Friday
May 2nd, 2025
3:48AM
