After losing in double overtime in Charlotte last week, the Utah Jazz got their revenge Wednesday night, blowing out the Hornets 102-73 at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Rodney Hood scored a game-high 24 points, while Gordon Hayward added 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Rudy Gobert finished with six points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Derrick Favors (12 points), Trey Burke (11 points) and Chris Johnson (10 points) scored in double figures off the bench for the Jazz (20-25).
Kemba Walker, who scored a franchise-record 52 points against the Jazz last week, led Charlotte (22-24) with 15 points. Brian Roberts (13 points) was the only other Charlotte player to score in double figures.
Wednesday’s Best
Hood started off with a bang by drilling two straight 3-pointers early in the first quarter, and he finished with 20+ points for the third time in his last four games. He went 8-for-16 from the field, made all four of his free throws, and added four rebounds, four assists and a steal. The second-year wing has now gone 32-for-33 from the line over his last 12 games.
Key Stretch
Utah held a 12-point lead at halftime, but Charlotte started the third quarter on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to seven. From that point on, the Jazz outscored the Hornets by 22 points the rest of the way.
Hood beat the shot-clock buzzer with a 3-pointer. Gobert swatted a dunk attempt by P.J. Hairston into the crowd. Trevor Booker put in a reverse layup. Burke entered the game and drilled three 3-pointers in a minute and a half. A steal and short stop-and-pop jumper by Hayward and a turnaround push shot by Favors capped a 20-6 Jazz run that put the game away midway through the third quarter.
Significant Stat
Led by Hood (4-for-9), Hayward (3-for-4) and Burke (3-for-7), the Jazz shot 12-for-31 (38.7 percent) from 3-point range. Charlotte went only 6-for-25 from beyond the arc.
Coach’s Quote of the Night
“We’ve talked about trying to be aggressive–that’s a big thing for us, when we’re active and take space up and try to get deflections. I think in general, our defense was more aggressive. … From a mental standpoint, we were locked in. ”
–Jazz head coach Quin Snyder
Notable
Raul Neto, who missed most of Monday’s game with a concussion, was back in the starting lineup for the Jazz. … Booker filled the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, two steals and three blocks in 20 minutes. … Charlotte’s Nicolas Batum (toe) returned from a three-game absence, finishing with six points, 10 rebounds and two assists. … Jeremy Lin sprained his ankle late in the third quarter and did not return to the game.
Up Next
The Jazz will continue their homestand when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.
