Three Duke basketball talents combined for 67 points in the matchup between the Charlotte Hornets (11-29) and Memphis Grizzlies (29-15) on Wednesday night.
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Memphis guard and 2015-17 Blue Devil sharpshooter Luke Kennard poured in 23 points off the bench to help power the 132-120 win over the visiting Hornets. He shot a blistering 7-for-11 beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Charlotte reserve guard Seth Curry, a 2010-13 Duke basketball shooting extraordinaire, was a perfect 2-for-2 from three, scoring six points in only six minutes of action.
But despite the effort coming in a loss, Hornets starting center and 2020-22 Blue Devil giant Mark Williams was the star of the scoring show in Memphis.
The 7-footer, continuing his climb since returning from injury setbacks that sidelined him the first 20 games of Charlotte’s current campaign and the bulk of last season, posted a career-high 38 points, just one week after recording his then-best 31 in a road victory over the Utah Jazz. Williams finished 14-for-18 from the field and 10-for-13 at the charity stripe against the Grizzlies.
Mark Oluwafemi Williams 🇳🇬 has been going OFF for the Hornets in his last 5 games.
25.0 PPG
14.0 RPG
1.0 SPG
1.4 BPG
65.3% FGUNREAL numbers by the center.#NBAAfrica #NBANigeria pic.twitter.com/8YSY1SCVND
— NBA Africa (@NBA_Africa) January 23, 2025
Plus, the 23-year-old from Norfolk, Va., who was a McDonald’s All American as a prep and No. 15 overall draft pick after consistently improving as a two-year Duke basketball player, chipped in nine rebounds, five assists, and one steal while committing only one turnover across his 33 minutes on the floor.
Through 17 outings in his third season as a pro, 2021-22 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Williams is averaging a career-high 15.7 points, along with 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks in only 23.4 minutes per game. He’s shooting 63.3 percent from the field and 75.6 percent at the line.
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