Bridges, Hornets bounce back with 107-101 win over Jazz

Published Mar. 25, 2022 9:39 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miles Bridges had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Terry Rozier added 25 points and the Charlotte Hornets bounced back from an ugly loss to beat the Utah Jazz 107-101 on Friday night in front a sellout crowd.

LaMelo Ball added 21 points for the Hornets, who had their five-game win streak snapped Wednesday with a disappointing 15-point loss to the New York Knicks.

Charlotte (38-36) wrapped up a five-game homestand with a 4-1 record and pulled within a half-game of the Brooklyn Nets for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Donovan Mitchell had 26 points to lead Utah, but missed two key shots in the final minute. Jordan Clarkson had 19 points and Rudy Gobert added 11 points and 19 rebounds for the Jazz (45-27), who have lost three straight.

The Jazz entered the game tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with the Dallas Mavericks and in need of a win as they look to host a first-round playoff series. The Mavericks played later Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Utah led 78-77 entering the fourth quarter after Clarkson beat the buzzer by scoring off an offensive rebound.

The teams went back and forth from there with the lead changing hands a total of 17 times before Rozier knocked down a leaning 3-pointer from the right wing to put Charlotte on top for good at 102-99 with 1:08 to go.

After Mitchell answered with a jumper in the lane to cut the lead to one, Bridges drove the lane and was fouled by Gobert and made both free throws to push the lead back to three.

Mitchell missed an easy layup in the paint with 24 seconds left and the Hornets grabbed the rebound.

Rozier added two free throws with 17.6 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. Mitchell's 3-point attempt on the ensuing possession hit the top of the backboard, allowing the Hornets to escape with their fifth win in six games.

TIP INS

Jazz: Hassan Whiteside did not play after being listed as questionable earlier in the day with a sprained right foot. ... Juancho Hernangomez, who started in place of Eric Paschall, took a hard foul on a dunk attempt in the third quarter and appeared to land on his forearm. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward was slow to get up, but appeared to be fine.

Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 19th straight game with a left ankle sprain. ... Outscored the Jazz 52-40 in the paint.

UP NEXT

Jazz: At Dallas Sunday night.

Hornets: At Brooklyn Sunday night.

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