Moussa Diabaté wins his duel against Alexandre Sarr (24 points) in a historic game
Jan 24, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) scrambles for the loose ball from Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) during the first quarter at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Charlotte Hornets secured their 18th win of the season with a 119-115 victory over the Washington Wizards, sending their opponents to a ninth consecutive loss. This win allows the Hornets to string together two victories in a row for the first time since early January.
Brandon Miller led Charlotte’s offense with 21 points, supported by LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges who each scored 20 points. Kon Knueppel added 16 points while Moussa Diabate scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. The French center finished with a double-double. For the Wizards, Tre Johnson stood out with career highs of 26 points and 6 assists, while Alex Sarr contributed 24 points on 11/19 shooting and 4 rebounds in 37 minutes.
Alex Sarr 24/4/1/1s/1b on 11/19 FG vs Charlotte pic.twitter.com/rcPemTAK8Y
— riley ﾉc (@rileyr_) January 24, 2026
A historic record for Washington despite the loss
The Wizards made history by fielding the youngest starting lineup ever recorded since the NBA began tracking these statistics in 1970-1971. With an average age of 20.64 years, this lineup composed of Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, former Chalon player Kyshawn George, and Will Riley broke the previous record of 20.74 years held by Oklahoma City in April 2021.
Despite their youth, Washington fought hard. Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington each added 15 points off the bench, while Kyshawn George and Jamir Watkins contributed 11 points each. Will Riley, making his first start, scored 7 points in 23 minutes.
The game was moved up six hours due to the winter storm crossing the country. Charlotte took control in the second quarter, leading 66-58 at halftime thanks to remarkable shooting at 60% from the field and 63% from 3-point range over the first two periods.
The Hornets extended their lead to 93-81 after three quarters, but the Wizards launched a wild comeback late in the game, getting within one possession on a putback by Jamir Watkins (114-112). Miles Bridges ultimately sealed the victory with two free throws in the final minutes.
This defeat marks the second-longest losing streak of the season for Washington (10-34), who haven’t won since January 6 against Orlando. The Wizards will host Portland on Tuesday to begin a five-game homestand, while Charlotte will travel to Philadelphia on Monday. Hopefully with another strong performance from Moussa Diabaté.
🎙️ Moussa Diabate: « Defense is fun to me. »
« When you have four other guys that can guard as well as you—it makes it a lot easier. Now it becomes a game of who wants to guard who. It’s like, ‘OK, you want to guard him? Alright, bet, I’ll guard him.’ After that, we’re just going. » pic.twitter.com/sBCQcA7etg
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 24, 2026
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