Nick Smith Jr. Goes Off For 33 Points In Close Loss
Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. exploded for 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the floor with four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in Tuesday's tight 97-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The 19-year-old turned the rock over six times, but nailed 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Smith filled up the scoring column in this one, flashing the type of spark-plug tendencies Charlotte may have envisioned when making him the draft's 27th-overall pick. The combo guard is set to back up LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier on the razor-thin Hornets depth chart, but could push for a significant sixth-man role this year. Though, Smith is likely to have many ups and downs and constitutes more of a points-league dart throw in upcoming fantasy drafts.
