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.