Kemba Walker scores Charlotte Hornets franchise-record 52 in victory over Utah Jazz

Maybe the Charlotte Hornets should consider playing more of their games at Time Warner Cable Arena in the afternoon.

It’s not a realistic plan for the Hornets – the NBA has a lot to say about scheduling – or something that would be especially popular with the players.

But after their 124-119 double-overtime victory Monday afternoon over the Utah Jazz, it’s something to think about.

Kemba Walker scored a franchise-record 52 points, and four other players finished in double figures for Charlotte, which blew a 15-point lead in the second half to force overtime.

“I’m not a big fan of these afternoon games, not at all,” Walker said. “The only good thing about this being an afternoon game is that I can go home and get some rest.

“I just tried to make the best plays possible. When I had my shot, I tried to be aggressive, take them and make them.”

Walker made 16 of 34 shots from the field, including 6 of 11 3-pointers, and 14 of 15 free throws. That allowed him to break the record of 48 points, set by Glen Rice in an overtime win against the Boston Celtics on March 6, 1997.

It was also a much-needed win for the Hornets, who had lost two straight and nine of their past 10 games.

How it came about was equally important.

Charlotte led 65-50 with 6:11 remaining in the third quarter, only to see Utah rally and take two-point leads twice in the fourth quarter. Trey Burke forced overtime with his 3-pointer with 13.1 seconds remaining.

The Jazz also led early in the first overtime, only to see Walker lead the Hornets back for a 108-103 lead with 22.5 seconds left. But Utah forced a second overtime thanks to Joe Ingles’ 3-pointer with 15.7 seconds left, and Rudy Gobert’s dunk 8.3 seconds later.

However, in the second OT, Marvin Williams hit a 3-pointer to open the period and give Charlotte a lead it would not relinquish.

Three who mattered

Kemba Walker: Had 23 points in the first half (18 in the first quarter alone) in giving the Hornets a 52-43 lead. But he made his biggest plays in overtime, scoring 17 points in the two extra periods.

Marvin Williams: Predicted a big night by Walker but also had a big night himself – a season-best 19 points, including a 3-pointer early in the second overtime that put the Hornets ahead.

Gordon Hayward: Kept the Jazz in the game, scoring 21 points in the first half and 36 in the game. Made 12 of 24 from the field, including 6 of 12 3-pointers, and 6 of 6 free throws.

Observations

▪ The Hornets were without guard Jeremy Lamb for a third straight game as he continues to recover from a right great toe strain.

▪ Charlotte’s recent struggles, especially on defense, prompted coach Steve Clifford to shake up his substitution rotation Monday. Frank Kaminsky was the first off the bench, subbing for P.J. Hairston at the 4:49 mark, and Jeremy Lin came in for Nicholas Batum a minute later. At the start of the second quarter, Spencer Hawes subbed for Cody Zeller, while Batum came in for Walker and Hairston for Williams. Troy Daniels came in for Hairston at the 8:22 mark.

▪ The earlier-than-normal game time forced both teams to change their game day schedules. The Hornets had a morning walk-through instead of their usual early-afternoon shoot-around, while the Jazz – who flew in from Utah on Sunday – skipped the shoot-around altogether.

▪ The first quarter turned into a shooting contest between Walker and Hayward. Walker had 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting (including three 3-pointers), while Hayward had 16 on 7 of 8 shooting (including a pair of 3s).

Worth mentioning

▪ Players for both teams were sporting “MLK” T-shirts during warmups, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Even the referees were wearing special MLK warmup jackets.

▪ The Hornets have three more games with afternoon start times remaining this season, all of them on the road. They have 3:30 p.m. starts against the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 28 and the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 3, and a 1 p.m. start against the Washington Wizards on April 10.

▪ The Jazz have a lot of ACC connections – head coach Quin Snyder and assistant Antonio Lang both played at Duke, as did guard Rodney Hood; forward-center Derrick Favors played at Georgia Tech and forward Trevor Booker at Clemson.

▪ The Hornets get a day off, then travel to New York on Wednesday to play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

They said it

“Marvin told me, ‘You’re going to get a 50-ball tonight.’ I didn’t pay no attention actually until he told me again after the game. He was right. He called it.” – Walker about teammate Marvin Williams.

“We made a lot of mistakes at the end, but we were also down in the first overtime, and we could’ve given in. … The guys fought hard, so that’s a good win.” – Clifford.

“When you get going like that, the basket gets awful big. We did a better job on him as the game went on, but he’s one of those guys that even if you are doing a good job on him, he’s capable of scoring. He had a big night, obviously.” – Snyder.

This story was originally published January 18, 2016 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Kemba Walker scores Charlotte Hornets franchise-record 52 in victory over Utah Jazz."