Brandon Miller and Surging Hornets Hold Off Spurs
Charlotte Hornets vs San Antonio Spurs 111-106 result
The Charlotte Hornets continued their mid-season resurgence on Saturday, January 31, 2026, securing a hard-fought 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum Center. The game, which was moved up three hours to noon ET to avoid an incoming winter storm, saw the Hornets push their winning streak to six games—their longest in nearly a decade. Brandon Miller led the way for Charlotte with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Collin Sexton provided a massive spark off the bench, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range to finish with 21 points. The Charlotte Hornets dominated the glass with a 51-36 rebounding edge, allowing them to withstand a late-game surge from a resilient San Antonio squad.
The Hornets appeared to be in total control after a dominant second quarter where they outscored the Spurs 35-17, heading into halftime with a 61-47 lead. The advantage swelled to as many as 20 points in the third quarter before the San Antonio Spurs began a desperate comeback. Fueled by 20 points from Dylan Harper and back-to-back triples from Harrison Barnes, the Spurs utilized a 7-0 run to pull within two points at 100-98 with five minutes remaining. However, the Charlotte defense, anchored by Moussa Diabate’s 12 rebounds and 10 points, tightened in the closing minutes to prevent San Antonio from ever regaining the lead. Diabate was particularly effective in limiting Victor Wembanyama, holding the 7-foot-4 star to 16 points on just 6-of-15 shooting.
A controversial officiating moment nearly changed the complexion of the final minute when a foul was initially called on De’Aaron Fox during a Brandon Miller three-point attempt. After a video review, the call was overturned and resulted in a jump ball, which Wembanyama easily won with 36 seconds left on the clock. Despite the extra possession, the Spurs were unable to capitalize; Wembanyama missed a hurried game-tying three-point attempt, and the Hornets secured the critical rebound. In a tactical error, the Spurs allowed 15 seconds to elapse before fouling Miller, who calmly sank two free throws with 10.6 seconds left to seal the 111-106 final score.
The victory improves Charlotte’s record to 22-28 and further solidifies their position in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. For San Antonio, the loss drops them to 32-16 and ends their hopes of finishing January with a winning road record. Aside from Wembanyama and Harper, the Spurs saw double-figure contributions from Stephon Castle (16 points), Devin Vassell (13 points), and Julian Champagnie (13 points), but their 48% shooting from the field was undermined by the lack of rebounding and second-chance opportunities. The Hornets will look to extend their streak to seven when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, while the Spurs return home to host the Denver Nuggets.
