Green thriving as Hornets buzz reaches fever pitch

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Australian wing Josh Green is having his most efficient season of his NBA career as the Charlotte Hornets continue their mid-season resurgence with their fifth consecutive win to rise up the Eastern Conference standings.

Green had another double-digit scoring game, his third in Charlotte's past five victories, while shooting the three ball at an impressive 44.1% - a significant improvement on his previous best in 2022-23, where he shot the ball at 40.2% while with the Dallas Mavericks.

The 25-year-old former Arizona Wildcat hasn't missed a beat since returning from off-season shoulder surgery and has been a major spark off the bench for a Hornets team, which has won seven of its last 10 games to move all the way up to ninth spot in the conference and sit just 2.5 wins out of sixth spot, currently occupied by the Philadelphia 76ers.

They are also the first time this season to win five straight games by more than 15 points.

Green recorded a team-high +36 in the Hornets' 117-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at the Spectrum Center.

Charlotte's recent form, led by the likes of Brandon Miller, former NBL Next Star LaMelo Ball and rookie Kon Knueppel, has Charles Lee's team looking like a genuine playoff team - a place the franchise hasn't been since they lost to the Miami Heat in the first round in 2016 with Kemba Walker leading the way.

While Green is only averaging five points, two rebounds and 0.9 assists in 16 minutes per game, his efficiency is off the charts compared to previous seasons, even shooting a career-high 87% from the free-throw line.

In other Aussies in the NBA news, Josh Giddey fell just short of another triple-double, which would have seperated himself from Scottie Pippen as the Chicago Bulls went down to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

NBA Scores: Dallas Mavericks @ Charlotte Hornets

Josh Green had 11 points in 25 minutes off the bench in Charlotte's 27-point win over the floundering Mavericks.

Green shot 4-from-6 from the field and 3-from-5 from the three-point line as the Hornets won their fifth straight game. The Aussie was a team-high +36 for Charlotte, who look destined for post-season action for the first time since 2016.

NBA Scores: Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Aussie rookie Tyrese Proctor was a DNP Coach's Decision in a 113-109 win for the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Detroit Pistons.

NBA Scores: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Chicago Bulls

Josh Giddey fell one rebound and one assist short of his 16th triple-double for the Chicago Bulls in his team's hard-fought 116-108 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center.

Another triple-double would have allowed Giddey to pass Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen after the pair drew level on 15 triple-doubles earlier in the week.

Giddey had 14 points, nine rebound and nine assists in the loss.