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Tag: The Hornets

  • Hornets carry modest momentum into clash with Magic

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    (Photo credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

    Hot-shooting rookie Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets look to continue a surge when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

    Charlotte has won three of its last five games and Knueppel, the No. 4 overall pick out of Duke, leads all rookies in scoring with 19.4 points per game and is shooting 41.9% from 3-point range.

    ‘We’re just going to take one game at a time, compete and try to get a win every night,’ Knueppel said following Tuesday night’s 126-109 win over the Washington Wizards. ‘And going forward, I think if we play our brand of basketball and play the way we want to play, we’re going to have a good chance to do that.’

    Knueppel was one of eight Hornets in double figures with 19 points against the Wizards, sinking 5 of 9 shots from behind the arc.

    LaMelo Ball has been in and out of the Hornets’ lineup, appearing in 20 of 30 games this season dealing with ankle injuries. He is averaging 19.6 points and 8.7 assists, which would rank fifth in the NBA if he had played enough games to qualify.

    Ball had a team-high 23 points with nine assists against Washington. Brandon Miller added 20 points, and Moussa Diabate delivered 12 points and 18 rebounds.

    Second-year Charlotte coach Charles Lee believes the team is turning the corner due to its increased defensive intensity.

    ‘I feel like our defense continues to get better,’ he said on Tuesday. ‘The games that we win, our defensive rating is usually in a really good spot. And then offensively, I feel like ever since the game at Brooklyn (a 116-103 loss on Dec. 1), we’ve done such a better job of trusting the pass, playing the pass.’

    Defense has been the Magic’s calling card for the last few years under coach Jamahl Mosley. That and injuries, unfortunately.

    The Magic’s leading scorer, Franz Wagner, is currently dealing with a left ankle sprain and has missed the last two weeks, and Moritz Wagner is still out after tearing his ACL last season.

    ‘Whoever is out there on the floor, you’re asked to play Magic basketball, and that is playing hard, playing together, playing defense, playing for one another,’ Mosley said Tuesday. ‘This group will continue to show that as we get bodies back, whenever that may be.’

    Orlando has won two of its last three games, most recently a 110-106 win in Portland on Tuesday. Desmond Bane scored 23 points, and Anthony Black added 22.

    Orlando continues to rank among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA at 34.3%, 27th in the league. Bane, brought over in a monster offseason trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, is shooting a career-worst 36.6% from downtown, but is coming off making a season-high four 3-pointers on seven attempts against the Trail Blazers.

    Orlando defeated the Hornets 123-107 on Oct. 30 in Charlotte. The Magic have swept the last five meetings and won 10 of the last 11.

    –Field Level Media

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  • NBA roundup: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hawks hold off Hornets

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    (Photo credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

    Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points and came up with a crucial defensive play in the final seconds to help the Atlanta Hawks hold on for a 113-110 win over the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

    Alexander-Walker put the Hawks ahead 111-110 with a layup at 1:42 and stripped Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel of the ball with 6 seconds remaining to preserve the win. The Hornets’ Miles Bridges missed a last-second 3-pointer that would have tied the game.

    Alexander-Walker was one of four Atlanta players – all starters — with 20-plus points. Jalen Johnson scored 28 with 11 assists and eight rebounds, Dyson Daniels had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Onyeka Okongwu added 20 points and seven boards.

    Knueppel scored 28 points for the Hornets, including seven 3-point baskets. Collin Sexton added 22 points and Bridges scored 21.

    Heat 127, 76ers 117

    Norman Powell scored 32 points and Kel’el Ware registered 20 points and 16 rebounds to guide visiting Miami to a victory over Philadelphia.

    Bam Adebayo contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat, while Davion Mitchell chipped in with eight points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Miami reserves with 22 points.

    Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and Trendon Watford contributed 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the 76ers, who have alternated losses and wins in each of their last nine games. Andre Drummond pulled down 23 rebounds to go with 14 points. Center Joel Embiid (knee) continued to sit out, while Paul George (knee) scored 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery.

    Raptors 119, Nets 109

    Immanuel Quickley made two 3-pointers in the final 3:17 as Toronto defeated visiting Brooklyn for its seventh straight win.

    Quickley scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter. He was one of eight Raptors to reach double figures, with Scottie Barnes leading the group with 17. RJ Barrett scored 16 before limping to the dressing room with 7:13 left in the third quarter; he did not return with a right knee sprain.

    Reserve Tyrese Martin scored 26 points for the Nets, while Michael Porter Jr. had 25. Noah Clowney added 22 points, and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Brooklyn tied the game at 104 with 4:19 remaining before Quickley’s barrage dashed its hopes.

    Cavaliers 120, Clippers 105

    Donovan Mitchell collected 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Evan Mobley scored 18 points as Cleveland pulled away for a victory over visiting Los Angeles.

    De’Andre Hunter added 17 points and Darius Garland had eight points and eight assists for the Cavaliers, who went 4-2 on their longest homestand of the season. Head coach Kenny Atkinson improved to 76-24 in his 100th game with the franchise.

    Ivica Zubac amassed a season-high 33 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to pace the Clippers, while Kawhi Leonard scored 20 in his first game since Nov. 3. James Harden had 19 points, but he missed all eight of his 3-point attempts. L.A. fell to 2-10 in November with the loss.

    Celtics 138, Magic 129

    Jaylen Brown collected 35 points and Boston avoided back-to-back home losses by beating short-handed Orlando.

    Boston received 23 points off the bench from Anfernee Simons and 19 from Payton Pritchard. Simons was 4 of 7 from 3-point territory. Brown and Pritchard each had eight assists.

    Jett Howard led the Magic with 30 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench. He scored 28 points in the second half, including 22 in the fourth quarter. Orlando received 18 points from both Jase Richardson and Desmond Bane. Franz Wagner added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

    Thunder 122, Trail Blazers 95

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to help Oklahoma City extend its winning streak to nine with a home victory over Portland.

    Gilgeous-Alexander also had seven assists and five rebounds while finishing 13 of 18 from the field and hitting all nine of his free throws. Ajay Mitchell complemented SGA’s brilliance with 20 points off the bench, and Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

    Jerami Grant led the Blazers with 21 points. Deni Avdija missed 12 of 16 shots from the field and finished with 11 points as Portland failed to defeat the Thunder for the second time in two tries and suffered its fifth loss in six games.

    Suns 111, Spurs 102

    Dillon Brooks had 25 points and four of Phoenix’s 14 3-pointers, Devin Booker tallied 24 points and the host Suns extended their winning streak to three with a victory over San Antonio.

    Jordan Goodwin had his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in his first start this season, and Mark Williams added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix, which has won 10 of 12.

    De’Aaron Fox scored 26 points, Devin Vassell had 17 and Julian Champagnie collected 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who had a three-game winning streak broken. San Antonio had not lost since star Victor Wembanyama suffered a calf injury in a Nov. 14 loss to Golden State.

    Lakers 108, Jazz 106

    Luka Doncic scored 33 points while adding 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead Los Angeles past Utah in Salt Lake City.

    Austin Reaves tallied 22 points and 10 boards to help the Lakers notch their second consecutive win over the Jazz in a six-day span. LeBron James added 17 points and eight assists in his second game back from a sciatica injury. Rui Hachimura chipped in 13 points. Los Angeles outscored Utah 26-18 in fastbreak points.

    Keyonte George led the Jazz with 27 points and eight assists. Lauri Markkanen chipped in 20 points that included multiple baskets in the final minutes. Jusuf Nurkic added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

    –Field Level Media

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  • ‘We don’t need your flying trash’: Misunderstanding scuttles transfer of 41 Australian Hornets to UA

    ‘We don’t need your flying trash’: Misunderstanding scuttles transfer of 41 Australian Hornets to UA

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    A senior Ukrainian Air Force official refused an offer from two Australians to receive 41 of the country’s decommissioned F/A-18 Hornet fighters, bluntly stating that “we do not need your flying trash,” reported the Australian Financial Review on Jan. 30.

    This statement effectively killed the deal, highlighting a stark misunderstanding between Australia and Ukraine amid Ukrainian pilots’ desperate attempts to evade Russian aircraft.

    Read also: Germany to provide Ukraine with military helicopters

    The incident occurred as Ukraine was navigating the challenges of avoiding Russian fighters, revealing a significant miscommunication between the two nations.

    Australia stands as the world’s seventh-largest military spender based on purchasing power, according to the Lowy Institute. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed that Australia is among the top military aid donors to Ukraine outside NATO.

    Nevertheless, the relationship between two countries’ military has been strained by reluctance from Australian Defence Ministry to fulfill Ukraine’s requests for surplus equipment. This includes the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, which were already being dismantled when Ukraine requested them in December.

    Unlike many other countries, Australia has chosen not to reopen its embassy in Kyiv, diminishing direct contact between the nations.

    Read also: Latvia to provide Ukraine with helicopters and howitzers in new aid package

    Ukraine’s government, including President Volodymyr Zelensky and his advisors, sends mixed signals about its military needs, complicating negotiations.

    The idea of Australia providing Hornet fighters was initially proposed in March last year, and by two months later, news emerged that the U.S. government was “favorably disposed” towards the transfer of the aircraft, which had been in service with the Royal Australian Air Force since 1984 and were retired in 2021.

    The Hornets, designed for aircraft carriers, have robust landing gears suitable for Ukraine’s war-damaged runways, enabling them to take off and land on short strips.

    Ukraine, however, began discussions with the U.S. and European governments for the less robust F-16 Fighting Falcons, fearing the logistical challenges of operating two types of foreign fighters simultaneously.

    The F/A-18 Hornet: an overview

    Reports surfaced on June 6 that Australia and the U.S. were discussing the transfer of 41 F/A-18 Hornets to Ukraine, to be replaced by the more modern F-35s. Dozens of old but serviceable F-18s would likely be available for export as Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and Finland transition to the F-35 fighters, Politico reported.

    Read also: Aviation expert unveils pros and cons of F/A-18 Hornets, potential benefits for Ukraine

    The F/A-18 Hornet, an American carrier-based multi-role fighter developed in the 1970s, serves as the primary combat aircraft of the U.S. Navy and is also operated by several European and Asian countries.

    It has been deployed in military operations against Libya, Iraq, and Yugoslavia.

    Classified as both a fighter and attack aircraft, the Hornet has been in service since 1983, with a combat radius of about 1000 km.

    It is capable of employing a wide range of armaments, including unguided Hydra 70 and Zuni rockets, air-to-air missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder, air-to-ground missiles such as the AGM-88 HARM and Taurus, the AGM-84 Harpoon, unguided bombs like the Mark-80 series, CBU-87, and precision-guided munitions equipped with the JDAM system.

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    Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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