Hornets 107, Hawks 84
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Guard Kemba Walker scored 23 points before sitting out the entire fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 107-84 blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Walker was 9 of 13 from the field and hit four 3-pointers, breaking out after combining to go 7 of 28 from the field in his previous two games. He also had five assists.
The Hornets (18-20) raced to a 17-2 lead in the first seven minutes and never trailed from there, taking advantage of an Atlanta team that seemed totally disinterested all night. Charlotte eventually led by as many as 35 points in the second half.
The Hawks (23-16), who had won two straight and nine of their previous 12, were 1 of 11 from the field with six turnovers on their first 15 possessions. They finished at 37 percent from the floor and committed 16 turnovers.
The Hornets also got big production from guard Jeremy Lin and center Cody Zeller. Lin finished with 19 points, Zeller had 19 points and 10 rebounds and guard Nicolas Batum added 10 assists.
Forward Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 20 points. But center Al Horford, who had 33 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Chicago on Saturday, finished with just two points and two rebounds.
The Hornets led 45-36 at halftime and 80-58 after three quarters.
NOTES: The Hawks won both previous meetings this season, 97-94 in Atlanta on Oct. 30 and 94-92 in Charlotte on Nov. 1. The teams will meet one more time during the regular season, on Feb. 28 in Atlanta. ... The Hawks were well-rested after being idle since beating Chicago 120-105 last Saturday. ... The Hornets returned home from a winless four-game trip that ended with a 95-92 loss at Denver on Sunday. ... Hawks G Thabo Sefalosha (ankle/wrist) suited up but did not play. ... The Hornets were without C Al Jefferson (knee), who will likely be out until after the All-Star break. ... The Hornets are getting more hopeful that F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder surgery) will return at some point during the regular season. He has been cleared for non-contact drills and is working out. After Kidd-Gilchrist underwent surgery in October, it was feared he would miss the entire season. ... Hawks F Paul Millsap came into the game 47 points shy of 10,000 for his career. ... The Hawks came into the game ranked second in the NBA in steals (9.63) and third in assists (25.5). The Hornets lead the league in fewest turnovers (12.9). ... The Hornets will play at New Orleans on Friday. The Hawks are at Milwaukee on Friday.