Charlotte Hornets: Howard, Hornets bully Timberwolves inside

Dwight Howard dominated the Timberwolves inside on Monday night to give the Hornets a  split of the season series with Minnesota.

Dwight Howard was once the most dynamic and dominant big man in the NBA. As players age, they can sometimes hit those old peaks but far less often. Monday night was one of those peaks for the 13-year vet dubbed Superman now donning a Charlotte Hornets cape.

Howard led all scorers with a season-high 25 points and recorded game-highs with 20 rebounds and four blocks. Behind Howard’s effort, the Charlotte Hornets (7-9) dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves (10-7) inside to the tune of a 118-102 win to split their home-and-home season series.

The Hornets finished with a 52-38 rebounding edge and outscored the Timberwolves 48-38 in the paint. It was a balanced night for the Hornets, who shot 42.3 percent from three-point range.  Frank Kaminsky made 4-of-5 three-point attempts and scored 24 points off the bench.

Kemba Walker (14), Nicolas Batum (17), Cody Zeller (10), and Jeremy Lamb (16) all finished in double figures.

Jamal Crawford led the Timberwolves in scoring off the bench with 19 points in just 18 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns posted his sixth double-double in seven games with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The Hornets took the lead with 1:49 left in the third quarter off a three-pointer from Kaminsky. They never relinquished the lead again, outscoring the Timberwolves 34-22 in the fourth quarter.

What’s Next

The Hornets are back at The Hive on Wednesday for a game against the Washington Wizards. This is the first meeting of four between the two this season. The Wizards are the only team in the Southeast Division that is currently above .500 at 10-7. The Hornets lost all but one game against the Wizards last season. John Wall was the leading scorer in three of the four games. He poses a particular challenge defensively for the already suspect defender Kemba Walker.

Next: Bagley scores 24 again in Duke win

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Spectrum Center.