By Sam Perley, hornets.com
more on:
charlotte hornets
photo gallery
See what you've missed from the:
video footage
Check out video coverage from:
Result
The finale of a back-to-back set against a red-hot Jazz team wasn’t a recipe for success as the Hornets closed out their four-game road trip with a 106-94 loss on Friday, Feb. 9 in Salt Lake City, UT. Newly-named two-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker racked up a team-high 19 points to lead five Charlotte players in double figures as the Hornets remained winless in each visit to Vivint Smart Home Arena since March 1, 2006.
Turning Point
With the score tied 75-75 at the 2:02 mark of the third quarter, Utah uncorked a 9-2 run to enter the fourth with a seven-point advantage. The Jazz eventually stretched the lead to a game-high 13 points with just under four minutes remaining on the clock, cruising to a season-high-extending eighth-straight win.
Hornets Player of the Game (Pick up your Kemba Walker gear here)
Kemba Walker finished the night with team-high totals in scoring (19 points on 8-of-19 shooting) and assists (5) to go along with three rebounds in the loss. Walker also reached 150 three-point field goals for the third season in his career, matching Dell Curry for the most in franchise history.
Jazz Player of the Game
Joe Ingles exploded for a career-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, five rebounds and six assists in the victory. The Aussie now has five career games with 20-or-more points, three of which have come in his last 10 appearances.
Game Notes
Frank Kaminsky racked up 14 points and two assists in 25 minutes off the bench… Jeremy Lamb chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and a career-high-tying four steals… Nicolas Batum (13 points) and Marvin Williams (11 points) also posted double-digit scoring games for Charlotte… Dwight Howard recorded five points and a team-high nine rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter… Utah dominated the rebounding battle, 49-33… The Jazz also had higher totals in assists (29-17) and blocks (7-2)… This is the 10th-conseutive road loss for the Hornets in Utah… The Jazz are now one of five teams in the NBA this season with an eight-game winning streak (Golden State, Cleveland, Houston and Oklahoma City).
Quote of the Night
“We just couldn’t stop them. We put ourselves in position to win on the road. [Utah’s] been playing well, obviously. We just needed to get a couple more stops and we couldn’t do it.” – Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford
Next Up<br
The Hornets head home to take on the Toronto Raptors starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.