Hornets vs. Jazz Recap: The good, the bad and the LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball’s career-high 34 points, 15 of those coming in the fourth, was not enough for Charlotte on Friday as they fell to the Jazz 138-121.
In a game that seemed destined to be a blowout from the second quarter on, a late run by the Hornets in the third period began to close the gap before Ball took over in the fourth.
A 25-point deficit closed to as little as nine points at 125-116 after a Biyombo free throw but Utah ended the game with a 13-5 run to put the contest away for good.
Gordon Hayward added 25 points, though all of his points came in the first three periods. Biyombo had 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field and Terry Rozier had 15 in his return to the starting lineup.
The Good: New-look starting lineup
The Hornets flew out of the gates to start Friday's game. With a new-look lineup that featured the three guards in Terry Rozier, Devonte' Graham and LaMelo Ball, the Hornets shot out of the gate and led 11-2 before Utah's first timeout. The lead grew to as big as 24-12 as Charlotte set the tone early. Unfortunately, an injury to Graham in the second quarter meant the lineup was only short-lived on the night. Honorable mentions: Gordon Hayward, Bismack Biyombo
The Bad: 3-point defense
The Hornets are as explosive an offense as any in the league. Coming into Friday, they were fourth in offensive rating and third in 3-point shooting percentage. Against Charlotte, Utah hit 26-of-50 from 3-point territory, breaking the franchise's single-game record for 3-pointers in the game. When it seemed like a blowout was inevitable, this felt like a small note in a long list of things that went wrong. When the game came down to the wire as it did in the fourth, all of those open looks really stung in the long run.
The LaMelo Ball: Magical fourth quarter
Ball's career night came largely due to a huge fourth quarter. Ball scored 15 points in the final period, single-handedly pulling Charlotte back into the game. Ball scored or assisted on 24 of the first 27 points of the fourth for Charlotte, scoring 15 and setting up seven other points. He finished the night with 34 points, his first 30-point game, on 14-of-27 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point territory. He added eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes of action. It was a magical fourth quarter that made a blowout a far more interesting game late.
