Ryan Kalkbrenner's DAD ENERGY POWERS Hornets WIN | Rookies SHUT DOWN Bucks | Tre Mann CLUTCH

The Charlotte Hornets pulled off a 111-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, defined by their most aggressive, physical performance of the season. The defense set the tone, holding the Bucks under 30 points in all four quarters. The story of the game was the center rotation. Ryan Kalkbrenner, fresh off the birth of his first child, put up 17 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting, dominating with his "baby hook." Moussa Diabate backed him up, owning the glass with 13 rebounds and fueling a 19-to-5 second-chance points advantage for Charlotte. This win also saw the Hornets finally break their third-quarter curse. They won the period 24-22, playing with composure and committing only three turnovers. While the star rookies had cooler shooting nights, players like Tre Mann stepped up with key offensive buckets. The big question coming out of this win: Does Kalkbrenner's stellar play change the calculus on whether the Hornets should pursue a star center like Domantas Sabonis? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.