National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Charlotte 104, Utah 86
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 20, 2014
Where: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Officials: #26 Pat Fraher, #30 John Goble, #66 Haywoode Workman
Attendance: 17384

Hornets 104, Jazz 86: Kemba Walker had 20 points and four steals and Al Jefferson added 19 points and 10 rebounds as host Charlotte knocked off Utah.

Gerald Henderson scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting for the Hornets, who have won two straight after losing 14 of their previous 16 games. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 13 points and 11 rebounds as Charlotte snapped a 10-game losing streak against Utah.

Gordon Hayward scored 14 points and Derrick Favors and Joe Ingles had 13 apiece for the Jazz. Alec Burks and Rudy Gobert each scored 11 with Gobert also collecting a season-best 12 rebounds.

After Charlotte saw a 24-point advantage trimmed to 10, Henderson drained a 3-pointer and Walker hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to start an 11-0 burst to get the lead back to 99-78 with 3:23 to go. The Hornets didn’t lead by fewer than 16 the rest of the way as they closed out a contest in which they committed just five turnovers.

Charlotte possessed a 52-39 lead at the break and expanded the lead to 24 in the third on Walker’s basket with 4:03 left in the quarter. The Hornets led 84-63 entering the final stanza before the Jazz opened the period with a 15-4 burst to pull within 10 with 6:52 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Walker has strung together four consecutive 20-point outings and is averaging 25.3 points during the span. … The 13 points was a season best for Ingles, who made three 3-pointers as the Jazz went 8-for-31 overall. … Hornets G Lance Stephenson (pelvic sprain) missed his second straight game.
Top Game Performances
 
Utah   Charlotte
Gordon Hayward 14 Scoring Kemba Walker 20
Gordon Hayward 6 Assists Kemba Walker 6
Rudy Gobert 12 Rebounds Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 11
Alec Burks 5 Free Throws Made Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 5
Trevor Booker 1 Steals Kemba Walker 4
Rudy Gobert 2 Blocks Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Utah 86 38.8 8-31 12-15 18 39 5 3 9
Charlotte 104 48.3 9-22 11-16 21 49 3 8 5
Upcoming Games
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against Denver. The Hornets have a W/L % of .429 after a win and .250 after a loss.
  • Utah will play their next game on the road against Memphis. The Jazz have a W/L % of .125 after a win and .350 after a loss.