The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 12 - 4 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 9 - 7 ) 95 - 90 on Friday . The Hornets have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now , but the Cavaliers are simply better . Cleveland outscored the Hornets 23 - 14 in the final 12 minutes and they closed out the game like the winners they are . Both teams shot exactly 42 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free - throw line . The big difference was the rebounding , as Cleveland snatched 50 boards to the Hornets 38 . Cleveland did n't play their best game on Friday , but they escaped with a very impressive win . LeBron James and Kevin Love carried the load like they have been all season and they 're becoming one of the best tandems in the NBA right now . James tallied 25 points , 13 rebounds and five assists while Love amassed 18 points and 16 rebounds in the victory . They also got Timofey Mozgov back in this game from a shoulder injury and Tristan Thompson came off the bench to record yet another double - double . This has to be a satisfying win for King James , to beat a scorching - hot Charlotte team in front of Michael Jordan in their home building . The Cavs will look to keep up this nice run against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday . The Hornets had their four - game winning streak snapped in this loss , but it was n't for a lack of effort . In fact , Charlotte dominated the hustle stats as they committed 14 combined blocks and steals to the Cavs five . The Hornets were led by Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum in the defeat . Walker tallied 18 points , four rebounds , four assists , three steals and two blocks while Batum totaled 17 points , eight rebounds and four assists in the loss . This still goes down as a loss , but it 's a message for the rest of the league that they can compete with anybody on any night . Charlotte will look to start a new winning streak against the struggling Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 10 - 7 ) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks ( 6 - 11 ) 87 - 82 on Sunday . This was a sloppier game than expected , as the two team 's combined to shoot under 40 percent from the field . The second quarter was when the tide turned , as the Hornets outscored the Bucks 23 - 9 in that 12 - minute stretch . Charlotte is now 8 - 2 at home and Milwaukee is now 2 - 7 on the road and these are two teams going in opposite directions right now . The Bucks have been playing poorly lately and that continued on Sunday . The team shot just 57 percent from the free - throw line and the bench amassed just 15 total points . Milwaukee has now lost eight of their last 10 and they are starting to look like a bad team . The good news is that the defense has been the problem all year and that really was n't the issue today . The Bucks will look to bounce - back against the Denver Nuggets on Monday . The Hornets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA and they showed why on Sunday . They did n't play well , but knuckled down defensively to pick up an impressive win . The team was led by Kemba Walker , who tallied 22 points and three assists in the victory . After losing their first three games , Charlotte has now won 10 of their last 14 games and are steadily moving up the Eastern Conference standings . They 'll have their biggest test of the season in their next game , when they take on the undefeated Golden State Warriors on Wednesday .


The Golden State Warriors ( 200 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 10 - 8 ) 116 - 99 on Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte . As audiences have become accustomed to so far this NBA season , the Warriors again put on another offensive clinic . As a team , they shot an impressive 52 percent from the field and 47 percent from the three - point line , while the Hornets finished at just 37 percent from the floor and a meager 29 percent from deep . The Hornets forced the Warriors into a whopping 21 turnovers , but could n't get their shots to fall offensively and ended up taking a 17 - point loss in front of their home crowd Wednesday . It was the Stephen Curry show for the Warriors.Curry was nearly perfect with his shot , ending the night with a game - high of 40 points ( 14 - 18 FG , 8 - 11 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , while also adding three rebounds and five assists . The sixth - year , reigning MVP is moving at an unbelievable pace behind the arc so far this season and has currently shot 50 percent or higher in four straight games . He 's now averaging 32 points , 5 rebounds and 6 assists on the year . Curry did n't do it alone , though , as Klay Thompson added 21 points ( 8 - 18 FG , 4 - 10 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and three rebounds over 29 minutes . Thompson has picked up his production of late as well , combining for 41 points and eight rebounds over his last two games . Draymond Green struggled offensively with just four points ( 2 - 9 FG , 0 - 4 3Pt , 0 - 2 FT ) , but did a little bit of everything else with 11 rebounds , nine assists and three blocked shots . His 11 rebounds helped the Warriors secure a 53 - 41 advantage as a team on the boards . Nicolas Batum was the only Hornets ' starter to get anything going . Batum went off for a team - high of 17 points ( 6 - 15 FG , 1 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , to go along with eight rebounds and three steals . Batum has hit just 5 - of - 21 three - point attempts over his last three games , so his 1 - for - 6 showing Wednesday did n't give any indication of him turning things around . Jeremy Lamb , Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes all reached double figures in points off the bench . Kaminsky , the rookie out of Wisconsin , led the group with 16 points , while shooting an efficient 5 - for - 8 from the field and 3 - for - 3 from beyond the arc . It was arguably the best game of his young career , with the 18 points registering as a new career - high . Lamb added 13 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and four rebounds , while Hawes recorded 12 points ( 5 - 9 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and five rebounds . The Warriors ' next game will be on the road against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday , while the Hornets will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Saturday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 12 - 8 ) defeated the Detroit Pistons ( 12 - 10 ) 104 - 84 on Monday . Pistons center Andre Drummond has undeniably been one of the NBA 's most improved and productive players of the 2015 - 16 campaign , having impressively tallied double - digit scoring in every game , as well as double - doubles in all but one contest . Meanwhile , a Charlotte defense that was ranked in the bottom 10 of the league in points and rebounds surrendered to opposing centers had recently been weakened even further by the loss of center Al Jefferson to a multi - week calf injury . However , the Hornets somehow managed to get Drummond into foul trouble Monday , limiting him to 24 minutes and prompting his first single - digit scoring night of the year . The home team surprisingly dominated overall down low , outscoring the Pistons 46 to 34 in the paint and outrebounding them 57 to 41 . The unexpected success led Charlotte to post their third victory with a margin of 20 or more points this season . For Detroit , veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova stepped up during Drummond 's extended stint on the bench , totaling 15 points , 13 rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block for his first double - double of the season . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ( 16 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal ) and Marcus Morris ( 11 points , three rebounds , an assist and a block ) joined Ilyasova as double - digit scorers , while Reggie Jackson and Drummond amazingly posted season - lows of four and nine points , respectively . Steve Blake paced the Pistons ' bench with a second consecutive nine - point performance . Detroit dropped to 12 - 10 and currently resides in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They head to Memphis for a matchup versus the Grizzlies on Wednesday . The Hornets were lead by a second straight strong effort from Cody Zeller in Jefferson 's stead , as he tallied a season - high 20 points and added six rebounds , an assist and a pair of steals . The outing comes on the heels of a 17 - point , eight - rebound performance by the third - year pro versus the Bulls . Marvin Williams supported Zeller in the frontcourt with a 14 - point , 12 - rebound double - double . Kemba Walker , questionable before the game with an illness , came within a rebound of his own double - double , totaling 14 points , nine boards , a pair of assists , a steal and a block . Nicolas Batum stuffed the stat sheet once again , amassing 13 points , eight assists , seven rebounds and a pair of steals . Jeremy Lin paced the Charlotte reserves with an efficient 13 - point , four - assist , three - rebound effort , while also adding a pair of steals . The Hornets improved to 12 - 8 and currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They remain home for a showdown with the Miami Heat on Wednesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 13 - 8 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 12 - 8 ) by a score of 99 - 81 , in Charlotte on Wednesday night . Charlotte has now won three in a row and are 8 - 2 in their last 10 games . With this win Charlotte has surpassed Miami in the standings and now sits second in the East . The Hornets grabbed control of this game from the moment they went up 7 - 6 with nine minutes left in the first quarter , leading for the rest of the game . Charlotte led 80 - 54 going into the fourth quarter . A stronger fourth quarter from Miami allowed them to avoid a total blowout . Charlotte 's home court advantage was in full effect as Miami shot only 38 percent from the field . The Heat were led in scoring by Tyler Johnson who shot 6 - 12 from the field and finished with 20 points , two assists , two rebounds , one steal and one block , in 29 minutes . Gerald Green tallied 11 points , three rebounds and two blocked shots , on 4 - 10 shooting . Dwyane Wade chipped in 11 points , four assists and two rebounds . No one else scored in double digits for Miami , who simply struggled to get any momentum going in Charlotte . The Hornets as a team shot 49 percent from the field , recorded 27 assists and had only 11 turnovers compared the 18 they forced out of Miami . Kemba Walker had a solid game with 18 points on 8 - 13 shooting , five rebounds , four assists and five steals , leading the way to a good team win . Marvin Williams also contributed 18 points , on 7 - 11 shooting , along with four rebounds . Nicolas Batum filled the stat sheet with a triple - double including 10 points , 11 rebounds and 11 assists , in 27 minutes . The Hornets were missing big Al Jefferson who was out with a calf strain , but who also was just suspended for five games for violating the NBA 's anti - drug policy . Next up Charlotte will be in Memphis on Friday . Miami will be in Indiana Friday for another tough road game against a top Eastern opponent .


The Boston Celtics ( 14 - 10 ) beat the rising Charlotte Hornets ( 14 - 9 ) after the teams traded three - pointers in the final 30 seconds . For Boston , the win came on the coattails of a devestating loss in double overtime against the Golden State Warriors . Despite the extended matchup on Friday , the Celtics came out guns blazing in Charlotte . Rising star Avery Bradley led the way with 23 points , while point guard Isaiah Thomas had a 21 - point , 13 - assist double - double . Boston has exceeded most expert 's expectations this season , now sitting four games above .500 and coming off a back - to - back in which they defeated the Eastern Conference 's second seed and came seconds away from snapping the Golden State Warriors ' historic win streak . The young team , along with third - year coach Brad Stevens will hope to improve upon last year 's surprising playoff run . Meanwhile , the loss comes as a bit of a momentum killer for Charlotte , who had won five of their previous six games . Even in the face of a loss , small forward Nicolas Batum put up strong numbers . In his first year with the Hornets , Batum has been impeccable , putting up impressive averages of 17 points , 7 rebounds , and 5 assists and helping the lottery team transform into one of the Eastern Conference 's toughest matchups . Point guard Kemba Walker , meanwhile , had an off shooting night , going just 5 - 15 from the floor . After what was a heartbreaking Friday night for Boston , the win against Charlotte should help the team regain its momentum before a big game against Cleveland on Tuesday . Charlotte 's next matchup will be against the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 15 - 10 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 16 - 11 ) 109 - 99 in overtime on Thursday . The Hornets ' prized offseason acquisition , Nicolas Batum , left Wednesday night 's contest versus the Magic with an illness . That same malady extended into Thursday , opening up the starting opportunity for Jeremy Lin . The six - year pro had his best scoring game in over two years , tallying a game - high 35 points on outstanding 13 of 22 shooting from the field . The total included a pair of three - pointers , and was amassed over a robust 47 minutes . Lin 's previous scoring high on the season was 19 points , but the 27 - year - old showed that he is still highly capable of a breakout performance when given extended opportunity . The player who had considerable trouble defending Lin , DeMar DeRozan , nevertheless had a stellar offensive showing of his own . The Raptors ' shooting guard collected a team - high 31 points and added five assists , four rebounds , a steal and a block . The outing was DeRozan 's fifth consecutive game with 20 or more points . His trusty backcourt mate Kyle Lowry pitched in with 20 points , but needed an astounding amount of shot attempts to get there . Lowry was an atrocious 6 of 29 from the field , including 3 for 17 from beyond the arc . Bismack Biyombo and Terrence Ross both provided solid contributions , with the former accumulating a season - high 18 rebounds ( along with eight points ) , and the latter pouring in 17 points on the strength of a season - high five three - pointers . The Raptors fell to 16 - 11 but remain in first place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head to Miami to take on the Heat on Friday . Kemba Walker was the second member of the Hornets ' backcourt to spearhead Charlotte 's offensive attack , supporting Lin 's effort with 27 points of his own . He added seven assists , six rebounds , a pair of blocks and a steal . Marvin Williams contributed a 10 - point , 10 - rebound double - double , while P.J . Hairston pitched in with a second straight 14 - point performance that included a season - high four three - pointers . One of those long - range buckets came with 1:30 left in the overtime period and gave the home team a lead they would not relinquish . Spencer Hawes was highly productive off the bench , collecting a modest five points but hauling in an impressive 10 boards . He added four assists , three steals and a block in a highly efficient 23 minutes of action . The Hornets improved to 15 - 10 and currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They head to Washington for a Saturday night showdown with the Wizards .


The Boston Celtics ( 16 - 13 ) held on for a 102 - 89 victory against the host Charlotte Hornets ( 15 - 13 ) on Wednesday . The Hornets trailed 72 - 52 late in the third quarter before mounting a comeback . They pulled to within six points , 92 - 86 , with three minutes left in the fourth quarter , but the Celtics stiffened and outsored Charlotte 10 - 3 down the stretch to seal the game . The Celtics , who led throughout , have won back - to - back games after losing four of their previous five . Kelly Olynyk led five Celtics in double figures , totaling 20 points , nine rebounds and three steals . Jae Crowder scored 19 while Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley each added 18 points . David Lee scored 10 off the bench . For the Hornets , it was a night of futility . They committed 17 turnovers and shot 36 percent from the field , including 8 of 28 from three - point range . Frank Kaminsky scored a season - high 23 points to lead Charlotte . Nicholas Batum had 17 points and seven assists , though he was just 6 of 15 from the field .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 16 - 13 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies ( 16 - 16 ) 98 - 92 on Saturday night This was a tight game throughout , but the Hornets ended up prevailing in the final quarter winning it 24 - 18 . Both teams struggled from the field , as they barely shot over 40 percent a piece . The biggest differential was the free - throw shooting , as Memphis went just 11 - for - 21 while Charlotte went 28 - for - 32 . This snapped a three - game losing streak for Charlotte and this was the first time Al Jefferson played in about a month . Memphis got one of their best games of the season out of Zach Randolph , but the rest of the team did n't play well enough . Randolph , Marc Gasol and Mike Conley all scored in between 18 and 19 points , but no other player scored more than eight points . Conley was the best player for Memphis on this night , as he tallied 19 points , seven assists four rebounds and three steals in the loss . Randolph tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds in his best game off the bench this season . Memphis will have a much better chance at a win when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in their next game . The Hornets have been struggling a bit as of late , but free - throw shooting got them a victory here . Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker both flirted with triple - doubles and carried the Hornets to a win . Batum accumulated 20 points , 11 rebounds and eight assists in the win . Walker had a team - high 22 points and also pitched in six rebounds and eight assists . They also got 17 minutes from Al Jefferson who fouled out in a rusty performance . Charlotte has a good chance to start a winning - streak when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in their next scheduled game .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 17 - 13 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 5 - 27 ) 108 - 98 on Monday . After a lackluster showing against the Grizzlies on Sunday , the Lakers came ready to play , looking like a team that was capable of much more than the five wins they had amassed on the season . The two teams hit intermission all knotted up at 58 , Los Angeles ' best first - half point tally of the current campaign . However , Kemba Walker took control of the game in the second half for the Hornets , particularly in the final period . The 25 - year - old guard collected 18 of his 23 second - half points in the fourth quarter , helping Charlotte pull away from the Lakers by a 10 - point margin at game 's end . Walker shot an outstanding 56 percent ( 14 - for - 25 ) from the field , and drained half of his six three - point attempts for an eye - popping 38 points overall . Los Angeles was led once again by Kobe Bryant , who amassed 20 points , four rebounds and a pair of assists . Although he was the Lakers ' top scorer , some of the shooting struggles that he 'd left behind in recent games did resurface . The future Hall of Famer could only sink 25 percent of his 20 attempts from the field , making it his worst figure in that category since a 13 percent - outing versus Detroit on December 6 . Larry Nance , Jr. did follow up his first career double - double on Sunday with a 12 - point , seven - rebound encore , and Louis Williams pitched in with a nicely rounded line of 11 points , seven assists and four boards . The bench also provided outstanding production , as Brandon Bass ( 12 points , three rebounds , an assist and two steals ) was joined by Julius Randle ( 11 points , six rebounds ) and Nick Young ( 11 points , two assists and a rebound ) as double - digit scoring reserves . The Lakers fell to 5 - 27 and remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They head to Boston to face off against the Celtics on Wednesday . In addition to Walker 's memorable performance , the Hornets also benefitted from another productive effort from Cody Zeller , Even though Al Jefferson was active for his second game after missing 11 contests with a calf injury and suspension , Zeller still received 33 minutes and managed 16 points , eight rebounds and a pair of assists . Nicolas Batum posted a second straight double - double , collecting 15 points , dishing out 11 assists , and topping it off with five boards . P.J . Hairston added 13 points , and Jeremy Lin matched his scoring total from the bench , while adding six rebounds , four assists , a pair of blocks and a steal against his former teammates . Charlotte improved to 17 - 13 and currently resides in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They remain home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 20 - 13 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 17 - 14 ) Wednesday 122 - 117 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte . Despite being without their star in the frontcourt , Blake Griffin , the Clippers continue to roll as this victory was their fourth straight . It was a steady battle throughout the night , but LA was able to open up a large enough lead in the first quarter to hold on . They were lead by J.J. Redick , who scored an incredibly efficient 26 points in 27 minutes while shooting 5 - of - 6 from three . Chris Paul notched a double - double of 19 points and 11 assists on top of five rebounds in 30 minutes , while DeAndre Jordan added one of his own , finishing with 13 points and 13 boards in 33 minutes . The surprise performance of the night came from Austin Rivers , who scored 22 points in just 20 minutes off the bench . The team 's offensively efficiency is what carried them to victory , as they shot 50 percent from three and 52 percent overall . For the Hornets , Kemba Walker had a huge night , scoring 29 points and dishing out seven assists in 37 minutes . Additionally , Frank Kaminsky continues to improve in his rookie campaign , as he finished with 20 points in 28 minutes off the bench , while Jeremy Lamb added 19 of his own as a reserve . Up next , the Clippers will head to New Orleans Thursday to take on the Pelicans , while the Hornets will head to Toronto Friday to play the Raptors .


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 24 - 10 ) routed the Hornets ( 17 - 16 ) in Charlotte on Saturday , 109 - 90 . The Thunder have been on a tear of late , picking up 13 of their last 15 games . After a mediocre start , OKC has established themselves comfortably as the third - ranked team in the Western Conference , and have slowly been gaining on the second seed San Antonio Spurs , who currently rank dead last in strength of schedule . 2014 MVP Kevin Durant led the way for the Thunder with a 29 - point scoring performance . Durant paired the impressive points total with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots , contributing to the Thunder 's impressive 15 total blocks . All-NBA point guard Russell Westbrook showcased his skill too , posting a well - rounded stat line of 16 points , six rebounds , and seven assists . The dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook has been elecrtic this season , as both players rank in the top four in the league in scoring . The Hornets , meanwhile , got off to a blazing hot start this season but have slowed down recently . Charlotte is now just 7 - 9 in the month of December and have dropped three straight games . Star point guard Kemba Walker , however , has not wavered in the face of the losing streak . Walker delivered a dominant 32 points , which he coupled with three steals on the defensive end . Walker 's effort was not enough , however , as the team was held to just 35 percent shooting from the field on the night . OKC will hope to continue playing winning basketball as they prepare to take on the Sacramento Kings on Monday . Charlotte , on the other hand , will face a tough challenge as they take to the road against the 30 - 2 Golden State Warriors on Monday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 18 - 20 ) snapped a seven - game losing streak with a decisive 107 - 84 win over the Atlanta Hawks ( 23 - 16 ) on Wednesday . Charlotte was finally able to turn its luck around on Wednesday , as the team maintained a firm lead over Atlanta for the final three quarters . Point guard Kemba Walker led the team with 23 points , and also provided a strong defensive performance as he stole the ball three times . Backup Jeremy Lim provided a valuable spark off the bench for Charlotte , as he poured in 19 points and went 8 - for - 8 from the free - throw line . With center Al Jefferson ( meniscus ) still out , Cody Zeller was able to shine in his starting role , posting a 19 - point , 10 - rebound double - double along with three blocks . The Hornets simply dominated every aspect of the game , out - rebounding Atlanta 54 - 37 and shooting 7 percent better from the field . The Hawks , who came into the game well - rested and holding onto first place in the Southeast Division , simply could not make anything happen in Charlotte . All-Star forward Paul Millsap was the only Hawk to score in double - digits , as he led the team with 20 points . Overall , Atlanta struggled from the field , shooting just 37 percent on the night . In what was an unusual issue for Atlanta , a team known for its ball movement , the Hornets held a 26 - 17 advantage in team assists . Atlanta will look to get the ball moving better in a Friday night matchup against Milwaukee . Charlotte , meanwhile , will hope that its luck has changed for good , as it prepares to take on New Orleans on Friday .


The Milwaukee Bucks ( 18 - 25 ) handily defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 18 - 22 ) on Saturday , 105 - 92 . The Bucks have been hit - or - miss this season , and have now picked up two in a row after an impressive win against the powerful Atlanta Hawks . Milwaukee dominated all sectors of the game , shooting 54 percent from the field while holding their opponents to just 38 percent and out - rebounding Charlotte 46 - 35 . Milwaukee , behind Greg Monroe 's 19 points and 10 rebounds , maintained a 46 - 36 edge in points in the paint . Guard Khris Middleton also lit it up from the field , scoring 24 points on 11 of 16 shooting . For the Hornets , the loss is the second straight and the ninth in 10 games . Charlotte has been in a downward spiral since a surprisingly hot start to the season , and is now the coldest team in the NBA . Center Al Jefferson has been sidelined with multiple knee injuries and a drug suspension , which has not helped Charlotte 's weak play in the paint . Even in the face of a losing streak , Kemba Walker has maintained strong play . The point guard scored 12 and dished out six assists on Saturday . Charlotte 's next matchup will be against Utah on Monday . The Bucks , meanwhile , will travel to Miami on Tuesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 19 - 22 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 18 - 23 ) 124 - 119 in double overtime on Monday afternoon . What was expected to be a low - scoring contest turned into a back - and - forth showdown between the teams ' two best offensive players . Kemba Walker was outstanding for Charlotte , amassing a career - high and franchise - record 52 points , while Utah 's Gordon Hayward responded with 36 points of his own . While the spotlight largely and rightfully shone on that pair of remarkable efforts , Trey Burke also put together a notable performance while pacing the Jazz 's bench , which included a 23 - foot three - point jumper with 13 seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game into its first extra period . Burke 's key basket culiminated a 31 - 22 run by Utah in the fourth quarter to erase what had been a 73 - 64 deficit entering the period . After Rudy Gobert 's dunk off a Hayward assist with seven seconds left in the first overtime tied things up at 108 , Walker drained four free throws in the final minute of the sixth quarter to put a cap on what was a record - setting afternoon and send the Hornets to the locker room as weary victors . Hayward added nine assists , five rebounds , a pair of steals and a block to his team - high scoring total to pace the Jazz . Burke 's memorable afternoon consisted of a season - high 25 points , along with three rebounds , two assists and a steal . Gobert put together a second straight impressive double - double , tallying 14 points , hauling in 14 boards , dishing out three assists , and recording a steal and two blocks . Trevor Booker also made a significant contribution off the bench with 12 points , eight rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block . Utah fell to 18 - 23 and remains in second place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division . They head to New York to take on the Knicks on Wednesday . Walker almost added a triple - double to his spectacular afternoon , supplementing his eye - popping scoring numbers with nine rebounds and eight assists . He also threw in a pair of thefts . Marvin Williams was a distant second to him in scoring , but still turned in a solid effort with 19 points , seven rebounds , an assist and a steal . Cody Zeller managed 14 points , six rebounds , an assist and a block , while Nicolas Batum was a rebound short of a double - double with 10 points , nine boards , four assists and a steal . Rookie Frank Kaminsky III paced the Charlotte bench with 17 points , seven rebounds and a block . The Hornets improved to 19 - 22 but remain in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on Wednesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 21 - 23 ) defeated the New York Knicks ( 22 - 24 ) on Saturday , 97 - 84 , to improve to 16 - 8 at home . For Charlotte , a promising week ended on a high note , as the team won its third of four games since Monday and now sits just two games shy of .500 . The week went even better for point guard Kemba Walker , who set a franchise record with 52 points against Utah to kick off the week , only to drop 40 two games later . Walker was once again the team 's top scorer against New York , scoring 26 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists . Backcourt partner Jeremy Lin nearly matched Walker 's outputs , scoring 26 points and recording five rebounds and five assists . Charlotte converted on just 34 percent of attempts from the field on Saturday , but were able to win comfortably by holding their opponents to 38 percent and by holding an enormous advantage at the free - throw line . Charlotte hit 32 of 37 free - throw attempts , while New York went an abysmal 19 for 32 . The Knicks are now on a two - game slide , losing both matchups by double - digits . Rookie Kristaps Porzingis bounced back from a poor 4 - for - 17 performance on Friday , posting 13 points on 4 for 9 shooting and recording three blocks . All-Star starter Carmelo Anthony , however , struggled mightily , tallying just nine points , six rebounds , and two assists . New York will have two days to rest after completing a back - to - back . They play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday . Charlotte , meanwhile , will visit the Sacramento Kings on Monday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 24 - 25 ) dealt the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers ( 35 - 13 ) their second loss under coach Tyronn Lue on Wednesday , winning 106 - 97 in Charlotte . Despite a severe slide to start the new year , Charlotte remains in the mix for the Eastern Conference playoffs . The team has now won five or their last seven games , including a 101 - 82 blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers . The Hornets hold one of the largest disparities between home and road record in the league , as they are now 17 - 8 at Time Warner Cable Arena but just 7 - 17 away from their home court . On Wednesday , guard Jeremy Lin earned props from owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan for his strong performance . Lin delivered 24 points , five rebounds and eight assists , leading the team in both scoring and dimes dished . Recently returned defensive anchor Michael Kidd-Gilchrist delivered an 11 - point , 13 - rebound double double , while rookie lottery pick Frank Kaminsky provided a spark off the bench with 15 points . Cleveland , meanwhile , struggled to move the ball , recording just 16 team assists . Power forward Kevin Love was held to a paltry 4 - for - 12 from the field , while shooting guard JR Smith also went cold , going just 5 - for - 14 on the night . The non - Love members of the big three still put up a strong fight , however , with Kyrie Irving scoring a team - high 26 points and LeBron James going for 23 points , six rebounds , and six assists . The Cavaliers will host the Celtics on Friday . Charlotte will also see action on Friday , as they play host to the Miami Heat .


The Miami Heat ( 29 - 22 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 24 - 26 ) 98 - 95 on the back of a 10 - point , 10 - rebound , 10 - block triple - double from center Hassan Whiteside . Miami has now won six of its last seven games . The Heat have slowly but surely worked their way up to tied for first in the Southeast Division , largely due to the play of All-Star starter and reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Dwyane Wade . Wade delivered on Saturday with a team - leading 22 points . The real story , however , was defensive anchor Hassan Whiteside 's rare points - rebounds - blocks triple - double . The recently - returned star provided a huge defensive spark off the bench for the Heat . Charlotte , despite the loss , has begun to turn things around after a horrendous start to the new year . The Hornets have now won five of their last eight despite the absence of center Al Jefferson . The team came close to a win on Friday , rolling with Miami to the very end of the fourth . Power forward Marvin Williams exploded for a game - high 27 points , leading the Hornets ' scoring effort . Meanwhile , forward Nicolas Batum delivered 21 points to go with six rebounds and seven assists . The impressive efforts were not enough , however , to trump Miami . The Hornets will host Washinton on Saturday . Miami , meanwhile , does not see action again until Sunday , when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 25 - 26 ) defeated the visiting Washington Wizards ( 22 - 27 ) 108 - 104 , Saturday night at Time Warner Cable Arena . This division - rival contest meant even more considering the Hornets came into this game one game ahead of the tenth place Wizards . This was also the second night of a back - to - back for both teams who nonetheless fought for the full 48 minutes . Charlotte was down by 10 heading into halftime but came back with a 30 - 17 third quarter , which put them up by three , entering the final quarter . The teams went back - and - forth until Jeremy Lin hit a dagger three - pointer to put Charlotte up by four with 29 seconds remaining . Despite the Wizards ' best efforts to extend the game with free throws , Charlotte took care of business and earned the victory at home . Nicolas Batum showed no signs of an injured toe that had been plaguing him recently , as he led the Hornets with 26 points ( 9 - 20 FG , 3 - 9 3Pt , 5 - 6 FT ) , 11 rebounds , nine assists , in 43 minutes . Kemba Walker added 23 points ( 8 - 20 FG,4 - 10 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) five rebounds and five assists , in 35 minutes . Marvin Williams notched a double - double with 13 points ( 5 - 6 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and 10 rebounds , in 28 minutes . The Hornets hit 12 - of - 27 from distance and 20 - of - 25 free throws as they closed - out the Wizards . Three players scored 20 or more for the Wizards , including John Wall who led the team with 23 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 7 - 8 FT ) , 10 assists , six rebounds and two steals , in 39 minutes . Otto Porter Jr. tallied 20 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) , along with eight rebounds and four steals , in 39 minutes . Bradley Beal provided a big lift in just 20 minutes off the bench , as he finished with 22 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 3 - 4 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , three assists and two rebounds . The Wizards are 3 - 7 in their last 10 games and need to find some consistency if they hope to make ground in the East . The Wizards will be in New York on Wednesday to face the Knicks , in what will be their second of a three - game road trip . The Hornets host the Bulls on Tuesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 26 - 26 ) picked up an Eastern Conference home win Monday night at Time Warner Cable Arena over the Chicago Bulls ( 27 - 24 ) , 108 - 91 . The Hornets never trailed as they jumped out to an 18 - point first quarter lead behind a brilliant offensive display , as they poured in 38 points in the period . Charlotte sustained its offense with the three - point shot , as they made a blistering 14 of 36 attempts ( 39 percent ) from behind the arc . It marks the 11th time the Hornets have sunk at least 14 threes in a game , and they improved to 7 - 4 in those contests . Kemba Walker hit four of those three - pointers en route to scoring a game - high 30 points ( 8 - 19 FG , 4 - 9 3PT , 10 - 13 FT ) , and he added eight assists . Nicolas Batum had a fantastic all - around game , as he scored 19 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 3 - 6 3PT ) , grabbed 13 rebounds , and dished eight assists . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist poured in a season - high 20 points , grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots in just his sixth game back from a shoulder injury that sidelined him to begin the season . Pau Gasol notched his eighth double - double in the past 10 games as he scored a team - high 22 points for the Bulls and added 10 rebounds to go with seven assists , two steals and three blocks . No other starter for the Bulls scored more than 12 points , although Doug McDermott scored 14 points ( 6 - 11 FG ) off the bench and has scored in double - digits in three of the past four games . The Bulls shot a sharp 40 percent ( 10 - 25 ) from three but managed to hit just 38 percent of their two - point shots ( 25 - 65 ) . The Bulls return home Wednesday to face the Hawks . The Hornets take to the road for a Wednesday matchup against the Pacers .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 31 - 28 ) defeated the Phoenix Suns ( 15 - 45 ) 126 - 92 on Tuesday . A lost season for the Suns only got worse , as the 34 - point defeat marked their 16th consecutive road loss and 11th straight by double digits , with the latter representing the longest such streak by a team since the 1992 - 93 campaign . The debacle Tuesday was also their second defeat by more than 30 points in the last four contests . The two bright spots in recent games for Phoenix have been at the power forward spot , with Alex Len and Mirza Teletovic forming a formidable 1 - 2 punch . Such was the case again Tuesday , as the pair of big men combined for 35 points , nearly 40 percent of the team 's total scoring on the night . Precious few other players , be they starters or reserves , found the net with any consistency for the Suns , who shot 36 percent from the field and 22 percent from three - point range in the lopsided loss . Len 's 18 - point , 12 - rebound double - double spearheaded the Phoenix offense , and he added an assist as well . Teletovic followed with the second - highest scoring tally on the team in his 20 minutes on the court , amassing 17 points , a rebound , an assist and a block . Devin Booker was the only other starter besides Len to manage double - digit scoring for the visitors , collecting 13 points , two rebounds , an assist and a steal . John Jenkins also contributed 11 points , a rebound and an assist in an efficient 14 minutes off the bench , while former starter Archie Goodwin supplied 10 points , four rebounds and two assists in a reserve role as well . The Suns remain in fourth place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They head to Miami to take on the Heat on Thursday night . With a 68 - 42 advantage by halftime , the Hornets did n't exactly need an overabundance of minutes from their starters , but Kemba Walker still managed to total 26 points , nine assists , six rebounds and a steal . Al Jefferson was the second - highest scorer in a point - per - minute performance off the bench , as he tallied 19 on the scorebard , and added seven rebounds and a block in just 19 minutes of court time . Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb followed with a pair of 15 - point efforts . Batum made his contribution as a member of the starting five and added nine rebounds , four assists and a steal to his stat line , while Lamb also hauled in six boards in just 15 minutes as a reserve . While the other three members of the first unit - - Marvin Williams , Cody Zeller and Courtney Lee - - failed to score in double digits , they also all played under 30 minutes . The Hornets are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division are now in possession of the sixth seed in the conference as well . They head to Philadelphia to face off with the Sixers on Wednesday night .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 33 - 28 ) defeated the visiting Indiana Pacers ( 32 - 30 ) 108 - 101 , on Friday night at Time Warner Cable Arena . The Hornets came into this game ranked sixth in the East , half a game ahead of the seventh place Pacers , whom they recently overtook in the standings . After a tight three quarters Charlotte pulled away thanks to a 26 - 8 run to end the third and begin the fourth quarter . The Hornets started out shooting 10 - 15 from distance but cooled off and finished the game 13 - 31 from beyond the arc . With this win Charlotte sweeps the season series against Indiana ( 30 ) , for the first time in franchise history . The Hornets have now won 11 of their last 14 and three in a row as they continue to push ahead in the East , while their home record improves to an impressive 21 - 9 . Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum led the way for Charlotte , combining for 64 points . Walker dished 10 assists along with his 33 points ( 9 - 17 FG , 4 - 10 3Pt , 11 - 11 FT ) , while Batum tallied seven rebounds , four assists and two blocked shots along with his 31 points ( 12 - 22 , 4 - 10 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) . The only other player to score double figures for Charlotte was Al Jefferson , who chipped in 13 points , in 20 minutes off the bench . The Hornets shot 48 percent from the field and held the Pacers to only 41 percent , on their way to the statement victory . Paul George has averaged 27 points in the last two meetings with the Hornets this season . He topped that in this game as he finished with a game - high 35 points ( 11 - 23 FG , 4 - 9 3Pt , 9 - 10 FT ) , along with seven assists , seven rebounds and five steals , in 36 minutes . Ian Mahinmi tallied a double - double with 10 points and 14 rebounds , in 32 minutes , while Monta Ellis added 15 points , four assists , three rebounds and two steals , in 37 minutes . The Pacers now fall to 2 - 5 in their last seven games and are in danger of losing grip on their playoff position . The Pacers will head straight to Washington to play the final game of their current four - game road trip , on Saturday . The Hornets host the Timberwolves on Monday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 34 - 28 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 23 - 44 ) 108 - 103 on Monday . The back - and - forth affair saw the two clubs alternate winning periods , with the Hornets besting the visitors in the first and third quarters , and Minnesota enjoying the advantage in the second and fourth . The Timberwolves also saw all five starters tally double - digit point totals , while outscoring the Hornets 54 - 36 in the paint and outrunning them on fast breaks by a margin of 24 - 7 . However , Kemba Walker continued his excellent recent stretch of play , scoring 21 of his 34 points in a pivotal third period that allowed the home team to gain some distance after they 'd trailed 49 - 47 at halftime . The lead they built was enough to sustain them in the fourth quarter , and send the Hornets home as winners of their fourth straight game . Minnesota was led by standout rookie Karl-Anthony Towns , who managed a 28 - point , 14 - rebound double - double that also included two assists , two blocks and a steal . Andrew Wiggins was right behind him with 25 points , five rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block . The second - year pro now has 51 points over his last two contests . Zach LaVine continued to play well in his starting opportunities , amassing 19 points , four rebounds , two assists and two steals . Gorgui Dieng had a near double - double with 12 points , nine boards , an assist , four steals and a pair of blocks . Ricky Rubio pitched in with 10 points , 10 assists , five rebounds , a steal and a block . The Timberwolves remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division . They 're home against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night . Walker added seven rebounds and six assists to his team - high scoring total . Marvin Williams checked in as a distant second with 15 points , seven rebounds , an assist , a steal and three blocks . Nicolas Batum finished with 11 points , five rebounds , four assists , two steals and three blocks as the only other starter with double - digit scoring . Al Jefferson paced the reserves with 20 points , six rebounds and two assists over 26 minutes , his highest allotment of playing time since returning from injury nine games ago . The Hornets remain in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and are currently in possession of the sixth seed in the conference . They 're home again on Wednesday night versus the New Orleans Pelicans .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 35 - 28 ) defeated the visiting New Orleans Pelicans ( 24 - 39 ) on Wenesday 122 - 113 . Kemba Walker led the team with 35 points , his fourth straight outing of 30 or more points . Walker has been on an absolute tear of late , averaging 32 points per game over the duration of Charlotte 's current five - game win streak . The point guard has also knocked down an average of four three - pointers per game on 51 percent from beyond the arc during this stretch , and has been shooting 53 percent from the field as a whole . He is now just the second player in Charlotte 's history to score 30 or more in four consecutive contests . Even excluding Kemba Walker , the Hornets had a strong showing on the floor . Seven Charlotte players scored in double - digits , with all five starters reaching at least 13 . The team shot 46 percent from the floor , but even more importantly had just five team turnovers on the night . The Hornets have been a model of safety and efficiency over the course of their win streak , only proving their ability to make wise decisions in Wednesday 's contest . 40 points from Anthony Davis and 38 from Jrue Holiday were not enough to earn New Orleans the win . Davis was the unequivocal focal point for the Pels on Wednesday , taking a team - high 26 shots and pulling down 13 rebounds . Holiday , meanwhile , was lights - out from deep , hitting five three - pointers en route to 13 field goals made . The issue for New Orleans was team play , as the rest of the Pelicans shot just 36 percent from the field on the night . Charlotte held a major advantage in turnovers , as New Orleans committed 13 . The Pelicans will visit the Grizzlies on Friday . The Hornets will look to extend their win streak on Friday as they host the Pistons .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 36 - 28 ) defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons ( 33 - 32 ) 118 - 103 , Friday evening at Time Warner Cable Arena . The Hornets led the whole way in this one , after a very strong , 69 - 53 first half . The Pistons fought back , bringing it to a five - point game late in the third , but could never gain the lead . With this win the Hornets have now won six in a row for the first time in six seasons , and have also won seven in a row at home , where their record is now a solid 24 - 9 . The Pistons came into this one winners of their last two games but had their win streak cut short , and their grip on eighth in the East loosened , as they came in only half a game ahead of Chicago . Kemba Walker was relatively quiet as he failed to record 30 points , a feat which he accomplished in his four previous games . Instead , Walker finished with 16 points ( 3 - 11 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 9 - 9 FT ) , eight assists , one rebound and one steal , in 32 minutes . Six other players scored in double digits for the Hornets , more than compensating for Walker 's quiet game . Marvin Williams was the high - point man for Charlotte , as he finished with 22 points ( 7 - 12 FG , 5 - 8 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , along with six rebounds , in 25 minutes . Nicolas Batum logged a double - double as he added 17 points and 11 assists , along with five rebounds and two steals , in 37 minutes . The Hornets did a good job at the foul line , hitting 24 - 29 free throws and shot a solid 51 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep . Reggie Jackson had a strong game for Detroit , finishing with 20 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 2 - 9 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , 10 assists and two rebounds , in 31 minutes . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 24 points ( 9 - 16 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , in 38 minutes , while Tobias Harris chipped in 20 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) , five rebounds , three steals and one assist , in 34 minutes . Stanley Johnson made his return to the lineup after being out with a shoulder injury that he suffered on February 22nd . Johnson logged nine minutes , during which he contributed three points ( 1 - 1 3Pt ) . Next , the Pistons head straight to Philly to play the third game of their current four - game road trip , on Saturday . The Hornets will look to extend their overall win streak and also their home win streak as they host the Rockets on Saturday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 37 - 28 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 33 - 33 ) 125 - 109 on Saturday . The Hornets came into the game riding a six - game win streak , and came out of the gate against Houston looking like it . They raced out to a 34 - 19 lead after one period on the strength of solid first quarters from their stalwart trio of Kemba Walker , Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams . The Rockets woke from their slumber in the middle periods , winning the second and third quarters by a margin of 68 - 56 , but Charlotte managed to regain their grip on the game in the fourth and pull away for their 25th home victory of the season . The shooting made all the difference for the Hornets , who tallied 55 and 48 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . Meanwhile , their defense managed to completely stifle James Harden 's lethal long - range game , and limited the Rockets to a 19 percent figure from beyond the arc overall . Corey Brewer was actually the scoring leader for Houston on the night , and he accomplished the feat off the bench . Brewer managed 21 points , three rebounds , a steal and a block over 27 minutes . Dwight Howard was next in line while pacing the starters with 16 points , 13 rebounds and four assists . Michael Beasley followed with a second impressive outing , totaling 15 points , two rebounds and a block in just 15 minutes on the court . Harden was held to just 12 points , and was 0 - for - 5 from three - point range . He did dish out 10 assists and also hauled in three rebounds and a pair of steals . The Rockets remain in third place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division and hold the seventh seed in the conference as well . They head back home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night . Walker paced the Hornets with 26 points , six assists and five rebounds . Williams followed closely behind with 25 points , four rebounds and two steals . Batum tallied 14 points , eight rebounds , eight assists , a steal and a block . Courtney Lee pitched in with 12 points , two boards and an assist , while Jeremy Lin paced the reserves with 16 points , four rebounds , four assists and a steal . Charlotte is in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and had a hold of the fifth seed in the conference as well . They 're home again on Monday night versus the Mavericks .


The Dallas Mavericks ( 34 - 33 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 37 - 29 ) 107 - 96 on Monday . In the midst of a five - game losing streak and with their grip on a Western Conference seed growing increasingly tenuous , Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle decided to call an audible with his starting five against one of the hottest teams in the league . In to the first unit stepped Raymond Felton , sending Zaza Pachulia to the bench for the night . The rather unusual move worked , as Felton hauled in 12 rebounds in addition to contributing nine points , helping to lead Dallas to a much - needed victory that snapped the Hornets ' seven - game winning streak . The Mavericks played stingy defense against a Charlotte team that had been essentially hitting on all cylinders , holding them to a 42 percent success rate from the field , and a 30 percent figure from three - point range . They also elicited 15 turnovers on the night from the home squad , and hung on for the win despite a furious Hornets comeback in the third quarter . Chandler Parsons led the way for Dallas with 24 points , nine rebounds , four assists , three steals and a block . Dirk Nowitzki was right behind him with a 23 - point , 11 - rebound double - double against the Hornets ' vulernable frontcourt . He also added an assist and two blocks . Deron Williams pitched in 15 points , five assists , a steal and a block . Devin Harris and David Lee paced the bench with a pair of 12 - point efforts . The former also supplied two rebounds , an assist and a steal , while the latter pitched in with seven rebounds and a block . The Mavericks remain in third place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division , and have a hold of the seventh seed in the conference as well . They head to Cleveland to face off against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night . As customary , Kemba Walker spearheaded the Hornets ' attack , tallying 25 points , nine assists , four rebounds , two steals and a block . He did , however , commit five turnovers , the sole blemish on an otherwise typically remarkable performance . Nicolas Batum followed with 20 points , seven assists , three rebounds , two steals and two blocks , although he also was guilty of four miscues . Marvin Williams continued his stretch of productive play at power forward , contributing 19 points , seven rebounds and a block . Courtney Lee registered 12 points , three rebounds and two steals . The Hornets are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and are presently slotted in the sixth seed in the conference . They 're home again on Wednesday night for a date with the Orlando Magic .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 38 - 29 ) defeated the Orlando Magic ( 29 - 38 ) on Wednesday , 107 - 99 . The Hornets have now won eight of their last nine games , quickly rising up the Eastern Conference standings . A large part of Charlotte 's push has been due to the play of point guard Kemba Walker , who is averaging 26 points and 7 assists over the team 's last 10 contests . Walker made another big contribution on Wednesday , scoring 16 and pulling down a surprising eight rebounds . He was upstaged , however , by forwards Marvin Williams and Nic Batum , who posted 26 points apiece . Batum also facilitated the offense nicely , dishing out a team - high nine assists . For the Magic , meanwhile , any playoff hopes are beginning to slip away , as the team now sits nine games below .500 . Guard Victor Oladipo scored 25 points in one of his stronger outings of the season . The scoring was needed , however , as the frontcourt combo of Aaron Gordon and Dewayne Dedmon combined for just one point on the night . The team struggled from the field as a whole , shooting just 42 percent . The Magic will host the Cavaliers on Friday , while the Hornets will visit Miami on Thursday .


The Denver Nuggets ( 29 - 41 ) defeated the host Charlotte Hornets ( 39 - 30 ) 101 - 93 , at Time Warner Cable Arena , Saturday . The Nuggets snapped a three - game losing streak with this win despite playing in Charlotte , where the Hornets had won 13 of their last 15 games prior to this one . The Nuggets were locked in from the start as they out - scored the Hornets 57 - 40 in the first half . The Hornets battled back from a 22 - point third quarter deficit to make it a five - point game with four minutes to go , but Denver did not falter , thanks in large part to D.J . Augustin 's 14 - point fourth quarter . Seven players scored in double digits for the Nuggets as a solid team effort led to an impressive road victory for the young squad . D.J . Augustin was automatic as he tallied a game - high 24 points on very good shooting ( 8 - 11 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 5 - 7 FT ) , along with three assists , one rebound and one steal , in 23 minutes off the bench . Nikola Jokic finished with a double - double including 11 points and 14 rebounds , as well as four assists and one block , before fouling out in 25 minutes . Emmanuel Mudiay struggled shooting but still had a nice game with 11 points , seven rebounds , four assists and one steal , in 34 minutes . The Nuggets did a good job rebounding and also shot 50 percent from deep , en route to their 13th win on the road . Charlotte managed to put together a huge run late in the game to get within striking distance but could not finish the job as the Nuggets remained relentless . Cody Zeller tallied a career - high five blocked shots , along with 10 points and two rebounds in 29 minutes . Nicolas Batum led the Hornets in scoring , with 24 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 5 - 10 3Pt . 1 - 2 FT ) , along with nine assists , eight rebounds , one steal and one block , in 40 minutes . , while Kemba Walker added 15 points , seven rebounds , five assists and two steals , in 36 minutes . The Hornets shot 9 - 32 from deep and 42 percent from the field overall . The Hornets are now 26 - 11 at Time Warner Cable Arena . Next , the Hornets will have to try defend their home court against the San Antonio Spurs , on Monday . The Nuggets will finish up their current five - game road trip with a contest in Cleveland on Monday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 40 - 30 ) upset the San Antonio Spurs ( 59 - 11 ) 91 - 88 on Monday . Considering the way the game started , Monday night 's outcome could well be one of the unlikeliest of the season . San Antonio , riding high after an 87 - 79 suffocation of the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night , thoroughly dominated the Hornets over the first 12 minutes . The Spurs led by the remarkable margin of 28 - 7 after one quarter , holding their hosts to 3 - for - 21 shooting and forcing five turnovers . However , Charlotte mounted a steady comeback throughout the rest of the game with Jeremy Lin , Courtney Lee and Nicolas Batum all playing key roles . Ultimately , the Hornets saw Lin score 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter , and they withstood two three - point attempts from Patty Mills and Danny Green at the end of regulation to hold on for the victory . The Spurs were led by Tony Parker 's 19 points , which he complemented with seven assists , five rebounds , a steal and two blocks . LaMarcus Aldridge was right behind with 18 points , 12 rebounds , five assists and a block . Tim Duncan was excellent in his return to the starting lineup , posting a 16 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists , two steals and four blocks . Kawhi Leonard pitched in with 15 points , six rebounds and two steals . The Spurs remain atop the Western Conference 's Southwest Division , and currently hold the second seed in the conference as well . They 'll be back home Wednesday to face off against the Miami Heat . Lin added seven rebounds , two assists and a steal to his game - high scoring total , which included four three - pointers . Lee was next with 17 points , two assists , two rebounds and four steals . Batum registered 15 points , six rebounds , three assists , a steal and a block . Cody Zeller could only contribute a modest six points , but did haul in 14 boards and dished out three assists . He also recorded a steal . The Hornets are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and have a hold of the sixth seed in the conference as well . They head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on Tuesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 44 - 31 ) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 9 - 67 ) 100 - 91 on Friday . Despite their lamentable record , Philadelphia can take some solace in how competitive they 've managed to be against a number of playoff teams , even in the latter stages of the season . They were facing even longer odds than usual Friday , with the contest taking place at Time Warner Cable Arena , where Charlotte had amassed an impressive 27 - 11 record coming into the night . The Sixers ' frontcourt also continued to find itself in an injury - riddled state , as Nerlens Noel ( knee ) and Richaun Holmes ( Achilles ) were forced to miss the game with their respective injuries . However , Jerami Grant stepped in at power forward and acquitted himself well once again , while Carl Landry continued to provide some veteran leadership while manning the center position . Although they were unable to secure the victory , Philadelphia received encouraging efforts from across their roster . The Sixers ' effort was spearheaded by a pair of 17 - point efforts from Hollis Thompson and Grant . The former also added two rebounds , an assist and a steal , while the latter contributed a pair of rebounds , an assist and two steals . Landry was next with 16 points , eight rebounds and four assists . Elton Brand got plenty of playing time off the bench due to the decimated state of the Philadelphia frontcourt , and tallied a 13 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included an assist , a steal and a block . Nik Stauskas was productive in a reserve role as well , compiling 11 points , three rebounds and a pair of assists . The Sixers remain in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head back home to face the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night . Charlotte was led by Kemba Walker 's 27 points , which he supplemented with 11 rebounds , four assists and a steal . Nicolas Batum followed with 19 points , seven assists and four rebounds . No other starter managed double - digit scoring , but Cody Zeller did fill out the stat sheet with eight points , nine rebounds , two assists and three steals . Al Jefferson paced the reserves with 13 points , seven rebounds , a pair of blocks and a steal . The Hornets are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and are slotted in the fourth seed in the conference . They head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Sunday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 46 - 33 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 21 - 58 ) 113 - 99 on Friday . Charlotte came into the night with their playoff berth long sewn up , but with eyes on a division title and improvement in their overall playoff seeding . They took care of business by handling the revamped Nets , who provided Chris McCullough with his first career start . The Hornets benefited from the return to the starting lineup of Nicolas Batum , who had missed the last two games with a left knee strain , and also saw their second unit contribute 54 points on the night , with three players hitting double - digit scoring . The Nets were paced by Wayne Ellington , who managed 21 points , a rebound and an assist . Thomas Robinson turned in another outstanding effort at power forward , tallying 16 points , 17 rebounds and a steal . McCullough totaled 12 points , three rebounds , an assist and three steals . Sean Kilpatrick paced the bench with 16 points , two rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Nets are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head to Indiana to take on the Pacers on Sunday . The Hornets were spearheaded by Kemba Walker 's 22 points , which he supplemented with four rebounds , four assists , three blocks and a steal . Batum managed 14 points , six rebounds , six assists and a block . Marvin Williams supplied 12 points , three boards , an assist , three steals and a block . Troy Daniels paced the bench with 17 points , three rebounds and a steal . Frank Kaminsky III was next with 12 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal . Jeremy Lin was the third player in double figures on the second unit , registering 11 points , five rebounds , three assists and a block . The Hornets are in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and currently slotted in the sixth seed as well . They head to Washington for a Sunday matchup against the Wizards .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 48 - 34 ) closed out the season with their fourth win in five games , this time an easy 117 - 103 win over the Orlando Magic ( 35 - 47 ) . With less than a game separating the third and sixth seed in the Eastern Conference headed into Wednesday , Charlotte 's fate has yet to be sealed . However , the Hornets have been in high gear of late , finishing out the season as one of the hottest teams in basketball . Veteran big man Al Jefferson delivered a vintage perfromance on Wednesday , dropping in 26 points on 11 - for - 15 shooting and showcasing a wide array of post moves . Everything seemed to work for the Hornets , as the team hit 55 percent of its shots , 11 three - pointers , and dished out 32 total assists . Orlando , meanwhile , closed out another quiet lottery - bound season in disappointing fashion . While breakout guard Evan Fournier dropped 22 points , a figure matched by sophomore Aaron Gordon , the team could simply not do the job against its divisional rival . The Magic were out - rebounded 46 - 39 and could not find the net nearly as well as their opponents , shooting only 46 percent . The Hornets will take on either the Hawks , Celtics , or Heat in the first round of the playoffs .


The Portland Trail Blazers ( 3 - 2 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 2 - 2 ) on Wednesday by a score of 108 - 92 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City . The Trail Blazers , as they have been all season , were led by their backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J . McCollum , who combined for 62 of the team 's 108 points . Lillard led the way , scoring 35 points ( 14 - 27 FG , 5 - 11 3Pt ) on top of four rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes . McCollum added 27 points on an efficient 10 - of - 13 shooting from the field in 35 minutes . Mason Plumlee recorded his first double - double of the season , recording 12 points and a game - high 16 rebounds in 35 minutes , while Maurice Harkless ( 15 ) and Al-Farouq Aminu ( 13 ) rounded out the five Portland players who scored in double figures . The Jazz 's offensive was abysmal Wednesday , as the team shot 38 percent from the field and hit on just 21 percent of their attempts from behind the arc . Alec Burks still managed to stay effective coming off the bench , finishing with a team - high 21 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 11 - 15 FT ) in 32 minutes . While Gordon Hayward 's shooting struggles continued Wednesday ( he went 7 - of - 20 from the field ) , he still managed a season - high 19 points . Derrick Favors , who was questionable heading into the game due to a case of the flu , grabbed 10 rebounds , but only managed six points in 25 minutes . Trey Burke had his best outing of the season , scoring 17 points in 26 minutes off the bench . Up next , the Trail Blazers will head home Thursday to take on Memphis , while the Jazz will head to Denver to go up against the Nuggets .


The Utah Jazz ( 4 - 2 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzles ( 3 - 4 ) 89 - 79 on Saturday . This was the defensive struggle that everyone anticipated , as it was a true grind fest . There were 15 combined steals , 11 combined blocks and the two teams combined to shoot under 37 percent from the field . This was a battle of dominant frontcourts and the Jazz appeared to win the battle , as they out - rebounded Memphis 49 - 44 while out - blocking them 10 - 1 . The teams also did a great job of not allowing the other to get to the free - throw line , as there were only 32 free - throw attempts all game long . While this was a tough loss for the Grizzlies , they did show some fight in the fourth quarter . Trailing 77 - 57 after the end of the third quarter , Memphis decided to turn on the defensive jets and held Utah to just 12 points in the final 12 minutes . They still could n't prevail , but at least the Grizzlies showed some fight . This has been a scary trend for the Grizzlies this season , as their four losses have been by a combined 109 points . This is one of the worst offensive teams in the league right now and they 'll have to figure something out on that end of the floor if they want to dig out of this hole . Memphis will have another tough matchup in their next game on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers . The Jazz defense is down right dominant right now , as they lowered their average of points allowed per game in this victory . They have now allowed under 84 points in four of their last five games and that can be attributed to their huge frontcourt . Rudy Gobert had 11 rebounds and four blocks in the game , while Derrick Favors added 12 points , 16 rebounds and three steals in the victory . The key to the win was a huge performance off the bench from Trey Burke , who scored a game - high 24 points while going 6 - for - 8 from three - point range . Utah will face another dominant defense in their net game when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Tuesday .


The Utah Jazz ( 6 - 5 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 7 - 6 ) Wednesday 93 - 89 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City . While it was the Raptors that entered the final quarter with a five - point lead , a Jazz run ultimately put them ahead . Toronto could n't climb out of the hole and Utah ultimately walked away with a win that put them back over .500 . It was a balanced offensive attack from the Jazz , who had five players finish in double figures . Derrick Favors led the way , recording a double - double of 18 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes , with Gordon Hayward not too far behind , recording 17 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes . Rodney Hood ( 16 ) was the only other starter to reach double figures , while Alex Burks and Trey Burke scored 13 and 10 points respectively off the bench . Luis Scola led the way for Toronto in the losing effort , recording 22 points ( 10 - 15 FG ) and five rebounds in 30 minutes . Kyle Lowry was close behind , scoring 20 points and recording six assists and three steals in 37 minutes . It was the starters carrying the load for the Raptors , as their bench managed to score just 15 total points . Up next , the Jazz will travel to Dallas to go up against the Mavericks Friday , while the Raptors will head to Los Angeles Friday and play the Lakers .


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 9 - 6 ) showed the up and coming Utah Jazz ( 6 - 7 ) who is boss , with a definitive 111 - 89 victory on Monday night . The Thunder had control most of the way as they held the lead from the beginning of the second quater until the final whistle . They scored 40 points in the second quarter to establish a sustainable cushion and lead to a solid win . Kevin Durant was back in the line up for the Thunder after sitting out a few games with a hamstring injury . He looked great in his return as he finished with 27 points on 10 - 13 shooting , including 3 - 6 from deep and 4 - 4 free throw shooting . Durant also added six rebounds and four steals in 30 minutes . Russell Westbrook dropped 20 points , including 10 - 10 from the free throw line , along with nine assists and seven rebounds in 27 minutes . Anthony Morrow was efficient off the bench , shooting 6 - 8 from the field , 3 - 4 from deep and fininshing with 15 points . Dion Waiters chipped in 12 points , six assists , four steals and three rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench . As a team the Jazz shot a poor 38 percent from the field and only managed 15 assists . Utah only had three players score double digits and no one score over 20 points . Gordon Hayward was the high point man with 19 points , four assists , three rebounds and two steals . Derrick Favours finished with 11 points , seven rebounds , two steals and two blocks in 29 minutes . Rudy Gobert was quiet with 10 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes . Next up for Utah will be a visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday , where they will look to take advantage of the troubled Clippers . The Thunder will be at home Wednesday to host Brooklyn .


The Utah Jazz ( 8 - 7 ) held off the New Orleans Pelicans ( 4 - 13 ) 101 - 87 on Saturday . Utah had a 16 - point lead going into the fourth quarter and it 's nearly impossible to beat this stingy defense with that sort of deficit . The rebounding was the big difference in the game , as the Jazz snatched 49 boards compared to 35 for the Pelicans . These are teams going in opposite directions and the Jazz proved tonight that good defense will always prevail . New Orleans came into this game as the worst defense in the NBA and the 101 points allowed is a significant improvement on those ugly numbers . It 's still not good enough to win and it does n't look that great when you notice that Utah currently has one of the three - worst offenses in the league . New Orleans got a fantastic game out of Anthony Davis though , as he tallied 36 points , 11 rebounds , three blocks and two steals in the loss . The more amazing part about that game is that it 's one night after being carried off the floor with a knee injury . What hurt the Pelicans on this night was the rest of the starters , as the four others combined for just 14 points , six rebounds , and five assists . That 's almost a nearly identical line to what Ish Smith provided off the bench on Saturday as well , and the Pelicans simply need more from their other starters . New Orleans will have to take on another potent defense when they play the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday . The Jazz played this game without Derrick Favors and they did n't miss a beat . Favors missed the game for an unknown personal reason , but Trevor Booker filled - in spectacularly . Booker amassed 13 points , 15 rebounds , three assists , three blocks and two steals in the win . Alec Burks was also fantastic off the bench , as he led the team with 21 points and provided an additional five rebounds and four assists . This is a dominant defense , so when players like Booker and Burks can produce like this , they 'll be tough to beat . Utah will play the undefeated Golden State Warriors on Monday in their next scheduled game and it should be a great test for this defense against the best offense in the NBA .


The Utah Jazz ( 8 - 8 ) came very close to toppling the Golden State Warriors ( 190 ) but the multi - pronged attack of the Warriors had the answer as they earned the victory and stayed perfect by beating the Jazz 106 - 103 . Utah took the lead with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter after an 11 - 2 run but that is when Stephen Curry and the Warriors kicked it into another gear . Curry seemed to have an answer for almost every Utah bucket and when he missed a contested lay - up in the last minutes Draymond Green was there to clean up the mess . Derrick Favors had a great game for the Jazz and was clutch in the last few minutes . He finished with 23 points on 9 - 15 shooting , including 5 - 5 free throws , 10 rebounds , two assists and two steals . Gordon Hayward also performed well , totalling a team - high 24 points , along with six assists and four rebounds , in 37 minutes . Rudy Gobert posted a double - double with 13 points and 11 rebounds , while throwing down some monster alley - oops . Alec Burks was big 28 minutes off the bench , with 19 points on 8 - 15 shooting , two rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Warriors were forced to play this one right down to the wire and would have lost if Utah had hit their last second open shot attempt . Stephen Curry led the way in scoring for Golden State with 26 points on 9 - 20 shooting , 4 - 8 from downtown , six rebounds , five assists and two steals . Draymond Green contributed in many ways including 20 points , nine rebounds , seven assists and immeasurable hustle and energy . Klay Thompson shot 8 - 15 from the field and finished with 20 points , five rebounds , two assists and two blocks . Harrison Barnes sat out with an ankle injury . Next up Golden State will be in Charlotte Wednesday to play the second game of a seven game road trip , during which their epic run will surely be challenged . Utah will have a couple of days off before hosting Orlando on Thursday .


The Orlando Magic ( 11 - 8 ) tallied their fifth straight victory on Thursday , defeating the Utah Jazz ( 8 - 9 ) 103 - 94 . The Magic continued to surprise the NBA in Salt Lake City , advancing their record to three games above .500 . The young and up - and - coming team has been winning with a balanced offensive approach , as they shot 45 percent from the field and saw six players score at least 14 points . Third-year shooting guard Victor Oladipo continues to shine in a reserve role , as he posted 14 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes . Sophomore point guard Elfrid Payton , meanwhile , helped to bring a spark to the starting five , posting 14 points and seven assists to go along with two steals . Overall , the Magic have been seeing everything click on both sides of the ball , and have been seeing contributions across the roster . The Jazz , meanwhile , felt the absence of star center Rudy Gobert ( MCL ) . The defensive powerhouse was ruled out indefinitely following an MCL sprain suffered during Wednesday 's practice . In lieu of the dominant big , power forward Derrick Favors slid over to center , making room for forward Trevor Booker to enter the starting five . Despite an impressive 24 - point outing from small forward Gordon Hayward , the rest of the team simply could not get the job done against the Magic at home . The team will hope for a speedy return from their highly - valued center . Orlando is on one of the biggest hot streaks in the NBA , and will hope to continue that trend as they visit the Clippers on Saturday . The Jazz , meanwhile , dipped below .500 with the loss to Orlando . They will seek to even out their record as they take on Paul George and the red - hot Pacers on Saturday .


The Utah Jazz ( 9 - 9 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 12 - 7 ) 122 - 119 on Saturday . The Pacers trailed by 17 points in the 3rd quarter , but a red hot Paul George sparked a sharpshooting comeback in the final period . George finished the night with a career high 48 points on 15 - of - 27 shooting , to go along with eight rebounds and three assists . The No . 10 overall pick from the 2010 draft added eight 3 - pointers in the effort , and matched up against Gordon Hayward , who was taken ninth overall in that same draft , which made for a competitive one - on - one battle throughout the evening . Rodney Stuckey finished second in scoring for the Pacers , contributing 23 points off the bench , including a clutch jump shot with just over a minute remaining in regulation to extend the Pacers lead by three . Jordan Hill and George Hill added 10 points each , while starters Ian Mahinmi and Monta Ellis finished with six points a piece . While Paul George could not be contained , the Jazz answered with Derrick Favors , who contributed 35 points and 13 rebounds , including the game tying layup with 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter . Favors extended the momentum into the overtime period by making his way to the free throw line and playing a physical game underneath the rim . The Jazz were without Rudy Gobert ( knee ) and missed out on his defensive efficiency , specifically in the blocks category . Gordon Hayward finished with 22 points , five rebounds and five assists on 5 - of - 14 shooting . Trey Burke is becoming more confident in his jump shot , evidenced by his eight buckets in 33 minutes off the bench , as he finished with 19 points and seven assists . Raul Neto may find himself on the highlight reel after making a ridiculous circus shot , after contact , in the first half and contributed 13 points in 18 minutes . Both teams play on Tuesday , with the Pacers returning home to face the undefeated Golden State Warriors ( 210 ) , while the Jazz visit the Sacramento Kings ( 7 - 14 ) .


The Utah Jazz ( 10 - 10 ) dismantled the New York Knicks ( 10 - 13 ) to the tune of a 106 - 85 scoreline on Wednesday . The Jazz took care of this game early and never allowed the Knicks to fight their way back in it . In fact , Utah was up 49 - 18 in the first 15 minutes and took a 25 - point lead into the half . Utah shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half and amazingly did not commit a turnover until 28 minutes into the game . The Jazz held the Knicks to under 40 percent shooting in the win as well . The Jazz have been playing horrible defense since Rudy Gobert got injured , but they were great here . They held the Knicks starters to just 31 points in the win and allowed just 11 points in the opening quarter . Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors carried the load once again . Hayward tallied 24 points , four rebounds and five assists in the victory . Favors recorded 20 points and eight boards to fall just shy of his fourth - straight double - double . Utah had allowed an average over 110 points per game without Gobert in the lineup , so this defensive performance is a great sign going forward . The Jazz have a much tougher test in their next game , when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday . The Knicks were stifled in this game and really did n't muster up anything until it was too late . No player scored more than 12 points and that 's simply a bad recipe to win a game . Carmelo Anthony led the team with 12 points and five rebounds . Phenom rookie Kristaps Porzingis had one of his worst games of his short career , as he could only provide four points and three rebounds on 2 - for - 8 shooting . This is just one of those game for the Knicks and they can just chalk it up to playing in a tough environment against a stifling defense . They 'll look to bounce - back when they take on the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in the second half of a back - to - back set


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 15 - 8 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 10 - 11 ) 94 - 90 on Friday night . The Thunder took a 27 - 15 lead after the first quarter and did n't relinquish the lead after that . Not only did they outrebound the Jazz , they shot 47 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free - throw line . The starters were the big difference , as the Oklahoma City starters scored 64 points to Utah 's 43 points . Oklahoma City did n't play the cleanest game , but they came away with a hard fought win in a tough environment . That now gives them eight wins in their last 10 games and they appear to be back at full - force . Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook carried the load once again , as they totaled 45 points , 15 rebounds , 10 assists and four steals in the win . No other player had more than 11 , but this is one of the few teams in the NBA who can live off just two players . The Thunder will look to keep this hot stretch going when they take on these same Jazz on Sunday . Utah did a great job of climbing back in this game , but just could n't pull it out late . They got it down to a two - point lead late in the fourth quarter , but did n't get any help from OKC . Gordon Hayward led the team with 19 points , eight rebounds and three assists in the loss . Alec Burks and Trey Burke also had nice games off the bench , as they each recorded at least 15 points , three rebounds and four assists . They needed more from their other starters though , as they combined for just 11 points outside of Hayward and Derrick Favors . The Jazz will look to avenge this loss when they get a rematch against these same Thunder on Sunday .


The Pelicans ( 7 - 18 ) notched a rare road win Wednesday at the Vivint Smart Home Arena , 104 - 94 over the Utah Jazz ( 10 - 14 ) . Down three to open the fourth quarter , the Pelicans completely stifled the Jazz down the stretch and allowed only __ fourth quarter points to run away with the game in the final minutes . The Pelicans got hot from three - point land , as they knocked down 10 of their 21 attempts , led by Eric Gordon 's 4 - 7 shooting effort from deep . Gordon led Pelicans starters with 19 points , but the game 's high scorer was Ryan Anderson off the bench with 24 points , fueled by a perfect 13 - 13 night from the free throw line . Anthony Davis scored 17 on 7 - 15 shooting and ripped down a game high 13 rebounds to complete his third double - double in the past four games . Derrick Favors paced the Jazz with 22 points on an efficient 10 - 15 shooting night . Gordon Hayward added 20 points and shot 3 - 7 from three - point land . Trey Burke led all Jazz bench sscorers with 12 points , and he dished out five assists . The Jazz just could n't get out in transition , as they scored just six fast break points , and they could n't generate second chances either , as they managed only five offensive rebounds . The Pelicans will look to win consecutive games for the first time since November with their next contest Friday night in Phoenix . The Jazz have now lost four straight and will look to reverse things at home Friday night against the Nuggets .


The Utah Jazz ( 11 - 14 ) held down the Denver Nuggets ( 11 - 15 ) in a 97 - 88 win on Friday , The Jazz are known as one of the best defensive teams in the league and that carried them on Friday . They held the Nuggets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter and to 6 - for - 28 shooting from three - point range in the game . Utah went on a 70 run in the middle of the fourth quarter and that really set the teams apart to give the Jazz the win . That snapped a four - game losing streak for Utah and a hot six - game stretch for Denver Denver came into this game winning five of their last six and played well enough to win here . They just could n't hit jumpers , as they shot below 25 percent on shots outside of the key . Will Barton led the team with 16 points scored off the bench and continues to show his versatility and growth . Joffrey Lauvergne also played well , as he recorded a 12 points - 13 rebound double - double in the loss . This team has been playing better lately and this is a tough task playing in Utah against a hungry Jazz team . The Nuggets will look to bounce - back when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday . Utah had lost four - straight coming into this , so it was a much needed win . Gordon Hayward was the star in the game , as he tallied 26 points , five rebounds and four assists in the win . No other player scored more than 13 points , but they did have nine players score at least five points . The offense has really been struggling this season , but they 'll hope a 47 percent shooting night will get the team going . Utah will look to keep this momentum going on Monday against the Phoenix Suns , another poor defensive team .


The Utah Jazz ( 12 - 14 ) defeated the Phoenix Suns ( 12 - 18 ) Monday 107 - 81 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City . The Jazz maintained control of the game from the very start , opening up a 12 - point lead at the end of the first quarter and never looking back . They were led by Gordon Hayward 's game - high 24 points , and the small forward has now recorded at least 20 points in three straight games . Derrick Favors was also effective , recording 18 points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes . Rodney Hood scored 14 points in 35 minutes , while Alex Burks ( 13 ) and Trey Burke ( 11 ) each reached double figures off the bench . It was a disastrous night from the Suns ' starters , as the unit combined to score just 30 points , with Eric Bledsoe scoring just eight points on 2 - of - 10 shooting in 26 minutes . The only reason the team put up a somewhat respectable point total was Brandon Knight 's effort in his new role off the bench , as he scored a game - high 26 points in 35 minutes as a reserve . Mirza Teletovic scored 17 points in 21 minutes off the bench and was the only other Phoenix player to score in double figures . Overall , it was simply too inefficient of a night for the Suns , as they shot under 40 percent from the field and recorded just 12 assists to 13 turnovers . Up next , the Jazz will travel to Oakland Wednesday to take on the Warriors , while the Suns will head home Wednesday to play the Nuggets .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 18 - 13 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 12 - 16 ) 109 - 104 on Saturday . The Clippers came into Saturday 's matchup as part of the second game of a back - to - back , and utilized the 3 - point shot to make up for defensive breakdowns early in the game . Los Angeles was without Blake Griffin ( quad ) , who is amongst the league 's best with 23 points per game and 9 rebounds per game , but that did not stop Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan from running the pick and roll at an efficient rate . Add that to J.J. Reddick and Paul Pierce 's sharp shooting from deep and the equation resulted in a second straight win . Reddick led all Clippers ' with 25 points on 5 - of - 7 3 - point shooting , including a streak of three straight deep balls on consecutive possessions in the second half . Paul Pierce was equally impressive , finishing with 20 points on 5 - of - 7 behind the arc . Pure point guard Chris Paul added 19 points and 11 assists , while DeAndre Jordan completed another double - double , with 14 points and 13 rebounds . The first half defensive inefficiencies need to be addressed by the Clippers , but the team shot 50 percent from deep as a unit , which made up for the slow , turnover ridden start . Los Angeles will continue their road trip and face the Washington Wizards ( 14 - 14 ) on Monday . Utah stormed out to a strong 1st quarter , but were unable to capitalize on the momentum going forward . Gordon Hayward led all scorers with 28 points , to go along with six rebounds and five assists on 7 - of - 13 shooting . The backcourt duo of Alec Burks and Trey Burke , who currently combine for the best scoring bench duo in the league , thrived in the first half before going cold later in the latter quarters . Burks finished with 11 points on a perfect 5 - of - 5 shooting in 18 minutes , while Michigan product Burke , added five points in the same amount of time . Rudy Gobert ( knee ) continues to miss games with a knee injury , and the absence of their shot blocking big man has caused the Jazz to run a small lineup . The lack of size and rim protection allowed DeAndre Jordan to take advantage for the inopportune , easy basket . Utah 's biggest strength in the first period was their pace , but as that died out in the second half , so did the team as a whole . Utah will look to bounce back when they host the Philadelphia 76ers ( 2 - 30 ) on Monday .


The Utah Jazz ( 13 - 16 ) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 2 - 31 ) 95 - 91 on Monday . The Philadelphia 76ers may only have two wins on their lowly season , but recently acquired point guard Ish Smith has provided a spark in the backcourt for the NBA 's last place team . A semblance of offense looks to be in motion with Smith at the helm , as the 76ers overcame a 58 - 45 halftime deficit , and were competitive through the last possessions of the game . Smith finished with 22 points and dished out 11 assists on 8 - of - 21 shooting in 32 minutes . The Wake Forest product made a beautiful move to get a solid look to tie the game with the shot clock turned off in the 4th quarter , but the shot did not fall . JaKarr Sampson got the start in favor of the injured Jahlil Okafor ( knee ) and provided six points and five rebounds in 19 minutes . Nerlens Noel was effective under the rim , as the big man blocked five shots , to go along with 18 points and six rebounds . Richaun Holmes also contributed 18 points in the losing effort . Philadelphia could not find a rhythm from 3 - point territory , shooting 24 percent as a unit . The 76ers will visit the Sacramento Kings ( 12 - 18 ) on Wednesday . The Jazz earned a tough win , even after storming out to a 21 point lead in the first half . Gordon Hayward put forth a volume effort , and although his percentage was not in the realm of efficiency , his 3 - pointer in the final :30 gave Utah the lead , and eventually , the win . Hayward led all scorers with 24 points , to go along with six rebounds and four assists on 6 - of - 21 shooting . Jeff Withey drew the start , as Derrick Favors ( back ) sat his second consecutive game . Withey added a double - double in the win , scoring 11 points and bringing in 12 rebounds in 23 minutes . Utah did the majority of their damage from the free throw line , nailing 32 - of - 36 from the charity stripe , which made up for the horrid 33 percent shooting from the field . Trey Burke led the bench with 14 points . The Jazz head to Minnesota to face the struggling Timberwolves ( 11 - 20 ) on Wednesday .


The Utah Jazz ( 14 - 17 ) picked up the 109 - 96 win at home against division - rival , Portland Trail Blazers ( 14 - 21 ) , on Thursday night . Both teams came into this game injury - riddled and on the second night of a back - to - back . The Blazers were riding a three - game winning streak and a win could have got them all tied up with the Jazz for the eighth spot in the West . However , the Jazz managed to muster up some offense and retain their superior position in the standings . Trey Burke picked up the slack in a huge way for the Jazz , who were missing Derrick Favors ( back spasms ) , Rudy Gobert ( MCL strain ) and Alec Burks ( fractured fibula ) . Burke dropped a hot 27 points on 12 - 19 shooting from the field , in 29 minutes off the bench . Gordon Hayward chipped in 23 points ( 8 - 19 FG , 4 - 12 3Pt , 3 - 3 FT ) , along with 10 rebounds , one assist and one steal , in 33 minutes . Rodney Hood contributed a complete game with 18 points , seven rebounds and six assists , in 29 minutes . The Jazz shot 50 percent from the field and kept the turnovers to a minimum , with only six . Damian Lillard sat this one out , making it six games that he has missed due to plantar fasciitis . C.J . McCollum has been playing well and was at it again in this one , as he finished with a game - high 32 points ( 13 - 26 FG , 6 - 11 3Pt ) , along with seven rebounds and six assists , in 40 long minutes . Meyers Leonard was strong in 33 minutes off the bench . Leonard finished with 17 points , three rebounds and two assists . The only other player to score double digits for the Blazers was Allen Crabbe , who dropped 15 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt ) , three rebounds and two assists . Next the Trail Blazers will head to Denver for a game on Sunday . That will be another important division match - up for Portland , as the Nuggets are just one game behind them in the standings . The Jazz will host the Grizzlies on Saturday .


The Utah Jazz ( 15 - 17 ) held off the Memphis Grizzlies ( 18 - 17 ) 92 - 87 in an overtime grinder Saturday night . The strength of these two teams is defense and that was evident on Saturday . It 's not just good defense though , as both teams have some of the worst offenses in the NBA . There were still only 156 combined shots in an overtime game , which is indicative of the slow - paced nature of this matchup . The major difference in the game was the free - throw shooting , as the Grizzlies hit just 54 percent of their free - throws on 26 attempts , while the Jazz made 75 percent on 28 attempts . Memphis has had a rough season on the offensive end and this was as much of a struggle as any game thus far . The bench really let the team down , as Zach Randolph 's eight points were the only points from the bench players . Marc Gasol missed some crucial open shots that could have won the game , but he was still Memphis ' best player on the night . Gasol tallied 20 points , seven rebounds and four assists in the loss . These offensive struggles are simply too hard to overcome right now and it seems evident that something needs to change if this team will compete this season . In any case , they 'll look to find some offense against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday in their next game . The Jazz have had an equally bad season on the offensive end , but they got a career game from an unlikely source . Rodney Hood scored a career - high 32 points in the win and snatched down eight rebounds . They 'll need him to continue playing like this with how thin they are at the shooting guard position right now . Gordon Hayward also has a good game , as he tallied 14 points , five rebounds and four assists in a good all - around effort . With all the injuries Utah has right now , they have to be somewhat satisfied still hanging around the .500 mark with players due back sooner rather than later . They 'll look to build off this win against the Houston Rockets on Monday .


The Houston Rockets ( 17 - 19 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 15 - 18 ) 93 - 91 on Monday . The Rockets looked like two entirely different teams during the first and second halves while visiting Utah . Down 58 - 48 at halftime and surrendering 37 second quarter points , the defensive breakdowns and sloppy fouls began to bury the Rockets early on . James Harden provided a major spark to the offense during the second half , combined with Montrezl Harrell 's boost on defense , and the result was a Rockets win . Harden finished with 30 points , five rebounds and seven assists on 9 - of - 25 shooting . Dwight Howard added 16 points and 13 rebounds , while Harrell 's defensive prowess was only highlighted statistically by his plus/minus of nine . The Rockets were dealing with an onslaught of injuries heading into the game . Ty Lawson ( ankle ) , Donatas Motiejunas ( back ) and Marcus Thornton ( personal reasons ) were unavailable for Houston in the win . The Jazz were unable to execute their second half game plan down the stretch , and once James Harden got going , there was not much any defense can do to stop the current second best scorer in the league . Injuries also riddled Utah heading into Monday , as Derrick Favors ( back ) was sidelined . The bright side to Favors ' injury is the playing time that Trey Lyles has been seeing in his absence . The Kentucky product and No . 12 pick in the draft , Lyles finished with 13 points in 20 minutes on 6 - of - 10 shooting . Utah continued to find Rodney Hood around the perimeter and the starting guard turned in 23 points on 5 - of - 6 3 - point shooting . Gordon Hayward continues to regress in 2015 - 2016 , as the max contract forward added 20 points on 39 percent shooting , to go along with seven rebounds and three assists . The Jazz and Rockets will meet again on Thursday in Houston .