Choosing Brandon Miller with the second selection in the NBA Draft in June paid off for Charlotte on Wednesday night as the Hornets opened the 2023-24 NBA season with a 116-110 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

The former Alabama All-American scored eight points in a four-possession span in the fourth quarter as Charlotte completed a rally from an 11-point deficit.

“I think you can see tonight where he is – not like most guys his age,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “So he gets in foul trouble in the first half, which some guys wouldn’t be able to come back. Had a couple of calls that could have gone his way. Didn’t get the calls. And then, he makes huge, huge plays in the fourth quarter. And if you watch him, he’s got great self-confidence and he competes so naturally, and that’s the way he is in practice every day also.”

Entering the fourth quarter of his NBA debut, Miller had made two of his six shots, scoring on a 3-pointer with his first shot and slamming through an alley-oop pass.

But he also picked up three fouls in 10:49 of court time in the first half at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Miller sank a clock-shot-beating 3-pointer with 6:10 to play to pull Charlotte within one point of the Hawks. On the next possession, Miller scored on a reverse layup to tie the score at 95-95 with 5:31 to play.

Power forward P.J. Washington’s 3-pointer gave the Hornets a 98-97 lead on their next possession before Miller made another 3-pointer with 4:19 left to put Charlotte up 101-99, and it never trailed again.

“That was as big a shot as there was in the game,” Clifford said of Miller’s final basket.

Miller finished his first NBA game with 13 points as he made 5-of-9 from the floor, including 3-of-7 3-pointers after going 1-of-13 from behind the arc during the preseason. Miller also had three rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 24:37 on the floor.

“I can tell you I had a lot of fun when both of them went through the net,” Miller said of his fourth-quarter 3′s. “I think the crowd loved it. I think enjoying the moment with my teammates and getting the win is just the best part.”

The Hornets return to the court against the Detroit Pistons at 6 p.m. CDT Friday in Charlotte.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.