Charlotte Hornets outlast Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz at home, 99-88
Despite 35 points from Donovan Mitchell, the Charlotte Hornets topped the Utah Jazz to improve to .500 at home.
The Charlotte Hornets (16-24) were able to defeat the Utah Jazz (17-25) as the bounced back from a tough home loss to the Dallas Mavericks last time out. Charlotte did just enough to overcome rookie Donovan Mitchell’s 35 points. The Hornets had six players score in double-figures.
Cody Zeller sat out for the 17th consecutive game as he continues to recover his surgically repaired left knee. His rehab process is on track and he should return after six weeks. Dwayne Bacon was not with the team for this game as he is on assignment in the G-League with the Greensboro Swarm.
Game Story
This was a back and forth game throughout as it featured 17 ties and 10 lead changes. Charlotte managed to take control in the fourth quarter as they outscored Utah, 25-16. The turning point came at the 5:58 mark in the final period when the game was tied at 85. The Hornets closed the game on a 14-3 run. The Jazz rookie who had played well all night committed four turnovers in the fourth.
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Player of the Game:
Kemba Walker finished the game with a team-high 22 points to go along with six assists. Although he only shot 5-14 from the field, the all-star point guard did manage to make four of his six three-point attempts. He was also a team-high +17 in +/-.
Frank Kaminsky led the Hornets’ second unit as he scored 16 points off of the bench. Marvin Williams put 15 points and seven rebounds while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 12 points. Jeremy Lamb had 11 points and eight rebounds off of the bench while Nicolas Batum also ended the game with 11 points.
Utah was led by Donovan Mitchell who scored a game-high 35 points and grabbed five boards. The only problem for the Jazz was that only two other players managed to score in double-digits with Rodney Hood (15) and Royce O’Neale (11). The rest of the team only combined to score 27 points.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
Jazz 2nd in the league in steals at 9.2 per game. Hornets limit that number to 5 tonight.
— Locked On Hornets Podcast (@LockedOnHornets) January 13, 2018
"Quick Stings"
- Charlotte both out-rebounded Utah and outscored them in points in the paint.
- Jeremy Lamb recorded his 76th game of 10+ points off of the Hornets’ bench which is the fourth-highest total in team history.
- Kemba scored 20+ points for the 22nd time this season.
- The Hornets have won three consecutive games on Friday nights.
With the win, Charlotte improves to 1-0 in their season series against Utah. The two teams will meet once more this year on February 9th. The Hornets have now won three straight home games versus the Jazz.
Next: Hornets fully guarantee Graham's contract
In their next outing, the Hornets will host the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of a back to back on Saturday, January 13th. This will be Charlotte’s second and final meeting of the season against the reigning league MVP in Rusell Westbrook. Kemba Walker and company will look to close out their three-game homestand with a victory.