Game 50: A 123–110 win over the Hawks… featuring Sycamore’s Naughty Bear
One of the best wins of the season came on the road in Atl*nta: Kemba set some records and Dwight’s thirst for revenge set the tone.
Well, at least we don’t have any trouble beating the Atl*nta H*wks in the 2017/18 season. Wednesday night’s game was the now-weekly “get right” game for Charlotte as the Hornets took the lead early and never once gave it up. They beat their rivals emphatically, 123–110 in Atl*nta, to take a 3–0 season series lead.
The story of the night on Wednesday was Kemba Walker’s 3-point blitz. The should’ve-been All Star (or at least alternate, come on Silver) set a career high and franchise record with NINE 3-pointers on the night for 38 points… including a whopping 18 in the third quarter alone.
Everyone around him played well too: Dwight had 20 points and 12 rebounds, all five starters (including Frank Kaminsky, in for Marvin) ended up in double digits, and the bench played well too, with Treveon scoring 14 and Lambo 10.
But points weren’t the entire story: Kemba dropping 3's at will and the bench being able to contribute (albeit against a 15–36 Atl*nta team) made for a dominant performance, one that didn’t stop in the fourth as the boys ran out of gas.
Mr. Howard even had enough energy late in the fourth to end Mike Muscala’s career and send him into hiding:
That said, I had trouble getting hyped, even in the midst of one of the best performances of the year. We lose a game, we win a game, we lose a game, we win a game, we lose two games, we win a game. Yes, that’s the real record over the last seven… and I don’t see it changing.
Do I want last night’s win in Atl*nta, Kemba’s ridiculous 3-point barrage, Dwight’s double-double and monster dunk, and the bench’s apparent awakening to be the game that turns the season around? Of course I do. But until the Hornets can string more than two wins together, it’s just an entertaining blip on the radar of an otherwise up and down, disappointing season.
At least we’re not tanking though. Fun game that one. On to the next one.
As for the beer on the night, I went with my sixth in a row from Sycamore Brewing, their Naughty Bear Winter Ale. I’ve finished off their regular run of the mill can offerings (which were all amazing) and now get to move into some of their lesser known creations. This one was something special.
The first smell out of the can and the first sip of Naughty Bear are overwhelmingly honey, and that never really stops throughout the entire 16 ounces. At first, I loved the mix of vanilla, honey, spice, honey, and honey, but by the end of the can, I felt like I was drinking straight out of a honeycomb or something.
Here’s how they describe it: “It’s getting chilly, naughty bear! Warm up with this Winter ale, brewed with vanilla beans, local Cloister honey and seasonal spices. It is deceptively easy drinking, but at 7% abv, it is perfect for chilly Carolina nights.”
Maybe it was the 7% abv talking, but I found that I didn’t mind drinking straight out of a honeycomb at all on Wednesday night. It was sweet as hell, but I finished the deceptively-easy-drinking brew without a second thought, and I’d happily go back for another.
Just know what you’re getting into here: a warming winter ale that tastes more like honey than any mead I’ve ever tried, and bearly like beer at all. 8/10 Muggsys for me, but towards the bottom of that range. Gotta be in the mood.
Overall, Wednesday was a good night for Buzz City and another good night with Sycamore to celebrate the 50th game/brew of the season. We’ll hope the good nights continue this weekend, as a trip to Indiana (who just smacked us) and a Super Bowl Day date with Phoenix (first of two matchups this season) should be weighing heavily on the whole team before the February 8th NBA trade deadline.
Let’s see what we’re really made of. Buzzzzzzzz.
