LaMelo Ball scored 17 points and made five 3-pointers to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 150-95 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Charlotte made 24 3-pointers while shooting 41% from 3-point range. The Hornets led wire-to-wire to earn their fifth straight win over Utah.
Tre Mann led Charlotte with 20 points and Brandon Miller added 18. Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton chipped in 15 points apiece. Nine players scored in double figures for the Hornets.
Brice Sensabaugh led the Jazz with 26 points. Isaiah Collier chipped in 17 points and nine assists. Cody Williams added 15 points.
Utah shot 41% from the field and went 7-of-31 (23%) from 3-point range.
The Hornets made nine 3-pointers over the first nine minutes to race out to a 39-8 lead. They scored 45 points in the first quarter, tying the most points in the opening quarter for a Jazz opponent this season. Ball led the way with three long-distance baskets. Miles Bridges and Grant Williams each contributed a pair of baskets from beyond the arc.
Charlotte shot 53% from the perimeter overall during the first quarter. Defensively, the Hornets allowed just six baskets and held Utah to 6-of-24 (25%) shooting from the floor. The Jazz went 0-of-7 from 3-point range.
The Hornets kept the gas pedal down throughout the second quarter as well. Charlotte led by as many as 47 points before halftime, going up 77-30 on another 3-pointer from Bridges. His basket capped a 14-2 run for the Hornets.
Charlotte made 16 3-pointers in the first half — equaling Utah’s total field goals over the first two quarters.
The Hornets built up a 56-point lead in the third quarter, going up 113-57 following a 21-4 run. Sexton fueled the run with a pair of baskets and three free throws.
