Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams has thumb surgery to repair torn ligament

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Hornets starting center Mark Williams underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the team. The Hornets didn’t say when Williams will return to action, saying “an update on his status will be provided as appropriate.” Williams took over as the team’s starting center after the team traded Mason Plumlee. Williams played in 43 games with 17 starts as a rookie, averaging 9 points in 19.3 minutes per game. He was second in blocks per game (1.0), third in field goal percentage (.637), fourth in rebounds per game (7.1) and fifth in double-doubles (11) among rookies.