Hornets post 119-115 win over young Wizards, whose starting 5 had an average age of 20.64 years

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 21 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat Washington 119-115 Saturday, sending the Wizards to their ninth straight loss.

Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball each scored 20 points, Kon Knueppel added 16 and Moussa Diabate 11 as the Hornets won consecutive games for the first time since January 3-5 against Chicago and Oklahoma City.

Tre Johnson had career-highs of 26 points and six assists for the Wizards, who, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, fielded the youngest starting lineup, by average age, since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71. Washington's starting five, at an average age of 20.64 years old, beat the previous youngest lineup of 20.74, fielded by Oklahoma City on April 10, 2021 against Philadelphia.

Alex Sarr scored 24 points, reserve Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington added 15 apiece, while Kyshawn George and Jamir Watkins each added 11 for the Eastern Conference-worst Wizards, who fell to 10-34. Will Riley made his first start for Washington and added seven points in 23 minutes. Champagnie added 11 rebounds.

Washington's losing streak is it's second-longest of the season. The Wizards, who last won on January 6 against Orlando, had lost 14 in a row in a skid in October and November.

Ahead by a point after the first quarter, Charlotte moved ahead to stay in the second, outscoring the Wizards 31-24 for a 66-58 lead at the break.

Washington was slowed by 31% (9 for 29) shooting from 3-point range in the first half while the Hornets went 24 for 40 (60%) from the field, including 10 for 16 (63%) from distance, in the first two periods. The Hornets stretched that advantage to 93-81 after three periods.

The start of the game was moved up six hours due to forecast of the winter storm moving across the country.

Wizards: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in the opener of a five-game homestand.

Hornets: At the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe, left, talks to guard Bub Carrington during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, left, passes against Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) looks to drive against Washington Wizards guard Kyshawn George during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond).

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Defending champion Jack Draper rallied from a set down and beat five-time champ Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) Wednesday night in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

The 24-year-old Draper, who is coming back after missing eight months due to an arm injury, advanced to the quarterfinal round and will face Daniil Medvedev, who beat Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 to move on.

Djokovic, seeded third, led 6-5 in the third set before Draper rallied and forced a tiebreaker.

“I still don’t feel like I’m playing anywhere near the way I want to play," Draper said. "I came out here and I won that match through determination.”

In addition to his win at Indian Wells last year, the 14th-seeded Draper won the Stuttgart Open and the Vienna Open, both in 2024.

The 38-year-old Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, won at Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016. Djokovic nearly won an 11th Australian Open title earlier this year, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE -Britain's Jack Draper plays a shot against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic during a Davis Cup quarter-final tennis match between Serbia and United Kingdom in Malaga, Spain, Nov. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)