The Toronto Raptors (28-53) cruised past the Charlotte Hornets (19-62) with a 126-96 win on Wednesday, April 9, as rookie Jonathan Mogbo recorded the NBA’s first triple-double by a rookie this season.
Mogbo finished with 17 points, a career-high 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in the milestone performance. Jared Rhoden led all Raptors scorers with 23 points, and Scottie Barnes added 17 points and 11 rebounds as Toronto improved to 18-23 at home and extended its home win streak over the Hornets to nine games.
The Raptors matched their largest win margin of the season, equaling a 30-point victory over Brooklyn on March 26.
Charlotte was led by Nick Smith Jr., who posted 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Jusuf Nurkic, who added 26. The Hornets, missing nine players including Miles Bridges and Mark Williams, have now lost five straight and seven in a row on the road.
Veteran forward Taj Gibson played in the 1,000th game of his NBA career, finishing with two points and five rebounds. Gibson debuted in 2009-10 with the Chicago Bulls.
Raptors guards RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both played limited minutes, logging 14 each in the first half before sitting the rest of the game. Barrett had 11 points and Quickley chipped in eight.
Toronto outscored Charlotte 35-23 in the third quarter to push the lead to 20, with Barnes and Rhoden combining for 18 points in the period. The Raptors' bench poured in 64 points, outscoring Charlotte’s reserves by 44.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic announced that forward Brandon Ingram has been shut down for the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured left ankle.
The Raptors visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, April 11. The Hornets travel to face the Boston Celtics the same night.
