Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Jefferson leads Jazz past Bobcats

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Charlotte, NC – Al Jefferson poured in a game-high 26 points and pulled down eight rebounds and Paul Millsap added 19 points as the Utah Jazz stomped the Charlotte Bobcats, 112-102, on Wednesday.

Gordon Hayward chipped in with 14 points, Alec Burks scored 12 and DeMarre Carroll and Derrick Favors added 10 points apiece for the Jazz, winners in four of their last five.

"We have to continue to use this momentum, we have two more tough games (coming up)," Hayward said. "We have to come out with the same energy tonight, do the things we did well and move forward."

Ben Gordon scored 20, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist dropped in 15 and Kemba Walker added 14 points and six assists for the Bobcats, losers in 20 of their last 22 games.

Gerald Henderson and Ramon Sessions also tallied 14 points in the setback.

"We have to pick up our defense," Henderson said "We just gave up too many points and it is tough to try to come back on a team like that."

After trading blows over the opening five minutes, Utah reeled off a 16-6 run to take a 24-14 lead. Charlotte, though, was able to cut it to 27-20 entering the second.

Hakim Warrick's slam capped a 9-0 run in the opening minutes of the second to knot the game at 29-29, but the Jazz countered with a 23-6 swing to go up 52-35 with just over two minutes left in the half.

The teams traded blows until a 6-0 burst from Millsap and Jefferson gave Utah a 63-42 cushion before a pair of Sessions free throws made it 63-44 at the break.

Charlotte opened the second half with a 9-4 run to make it 67-53. Jefferson's layup gave the Jazz a 74-55 lead two minutes later, but the Bobcats used a 11-2 run of their own to cut it to 76-66.

The Jazz closed the frame on a 14-7 burst to take a 90-73 lead into the final quarter.

The Bobcats pulled within 99-87 early in the fourth, but an 11-5 burst pushed the Jazz advantage to 110-92 with just over five minutes to go.

Charlotte failed to get closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Game Notes

The Jazz shot 53.7 percent (44-for-82) from the floor ... Randy Foye and Jamaal Tinsley scored nine points apiece for Utah ... Charlotte outscored the Jazz by a 50-36 margin in the paint ... Warrick had 10 points off the bench for the Bobcats.