Cody Martin's free throw with 5.5 seconds remaining broke a tie as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 124-123 on Friday night, breaking a two-game skid.
Rookie James Bouknight had a breakout game with 24 points for the Hornets, while Miles Bridges notched 23 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 22, and Martin and Gordon Hayward finished with 19 apiece.
Bouknight connected on six 3-point shots and Oubre made four, accounting for more than half of the team's 14.
De'Aaron Fox poured in 31 points and Terence Davis racked up 19 points to pace Sacramento. Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III all added 15 points for the Kings, who began a three-game road trip.
But Fox missed two free throws after the Hornets notched the final point. Bagley's putback off an offensive rebound was also off the mark.
The Hornets, who won't play again at home until after Christmas, shot 55.2 percent from the field and won despite committing 15 turnovers.
The Hornets went up 120-115 before Davis scored the next two baskets with less than two minutes to play. Fox hit a jumper with 54.9 seconds to give the Kings the lead.
Martin's 3-pointer put the Hornets ahead 123-121 with 34.2 seconds left. Fox tied it at the 20.2-second mark with a pair of free throws.
Interim coach Alvin Gentry was directing the Kings in a game not far from his hometown of Shelby. Sacramento is 5-4 since Gentry replaced fired Luke Walton.
Charlotte is still coping with roster adjustments with starters LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee and reserves Jalen McDaniels and Ish Smith out because of COVID protocols.
It was a contrast in terms of margin to Sacramento's 140-110 home victory when the teams met last month. But some of the high-scoring stretches were similar to that game.
Charlotte shot 60.4 percent from the field in the first half yet trailed 71-69 at the break.
The Kings, who were playing in an Eastern Conference venue for just the second time this season, hit 47.2 percent of their shots from the field.
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