It wasn't quite the “dagger”, but it looked very similar. At the very end of the possession, two minutes from the end of the match on the Wolves floor, Brandon Miller inherited leather. He went on his left hand, then did a step-back and backwards shot, collapsing in front of a helpless Anthony Edwards.
This mid-range shot gave his team a five-point lead, on the verge of achieving the feat of beating the best team in the West on its floor, and despite the gargantuan performance of Karl-Anthony Towns (62 points ).
A little-publicized number 2 in the Draft
The Hornets rookie had a lot to do with his team’s victory. Displaying a nice variety in his range of shots, from the “floater” to the 3-point shot, including the perimeter shot, Brandon Miller got closer to his career record (29) by signing the best evening of address of his young career: 11/13 on shots (85%), including 3/4 from distance, for 27 points.
His mantra on this match? “ Going forward and giving it my all with my teammates. They push me and motivate me to have 20-point games like this. Our bonds were forged on and off the field before the start of the season. We know our strengths and weaknesses, so we will continue to build on that. “, summarizes No. 2 of the last Draft.
His coach Steve Clifford appreciated his evening performance. And even thinks that he could have scored more without his problems with mistakes (4). “ This is what limited his playing time, because once we were under five or six minutes in the first period, we couldn't put him back into play. But he played very well and he scored two shots. 3-pointers against the zone when we were 14 or 15 points behind Minnesota. He takes important shots », Judges the technician.
The “rookie wall” crossed?
Important shots to compensate for a big slack that occurred at the beginning of January. Over four games, his skill level had plunged (7 points at 26% shooting), then he missed two games due to back pain. The winger returned with other intentions by signing 24 points in the victory against Spurs.
“ We are completely different (editor’s note: when he plays). I always push Brandon to be aggressive. He played well, he was aggressive and that's what we expect of him in every game. He's still a rookie, he's still discovering everything. But once he gets into that game mode and plays consistently, he'll be tough “, judged Miles Bridges after this meeting.
“ He’s 2m06 tall, he’s athletic, he knows how to defend and shoot. So every time you're deprived of it, you're going to feel it. The fact of having found him is great », appreciated LaMelo Ball, where their coach noticed that his team had missed him “ really in all phases of the game. He defends on main attackers, scores 14 points per game, has a high IQ, has the right size for his position. […] When you lose one of your top four or five players, it hurts your depth. »
Author of 23 points the next day against the Sixers, Miller said he feeds off his teammates: “ MThis team motivated me, gave me the energy I need to go out on the court, take tough shots, play in hostile environments, close games like this. Hats off to the team for boosting my confidence. »
| Brandon Miller | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | CHA | 34 | 31 | 42.3 | 37.4 | 81.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 14.5 |
| Total | 34 | 31 | 42.3 | 37.4 | 81.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 14.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
