You’ll hear this a lot, but Mark Williams’ interior presence is an absolute game-changer for the Hornets. In this game, he was able to neutralize Porzingis, and provide a consistent option on the boards. He also had a number of impressive layups that showed off his touch.
Should also note for the last piece of the title… Charlotte was outscored by 30 when he was off the floor, because there is literally no healthy backup center. PJ Washington mostly took on that role, Thor played 5 incredibly useless minutes, and I believe Miles Bridges got a few possessions at center. Those minutes did not go well.
Those extra possessions were huge too. 17-11 advantage on the offensive glass in a 3 point game.
That and 94% vs 64% from the line were the game winners for Charlotte.