The host Charlotte Hornets defeated the Utah Jazz 104 - 98 at Spectrum Center on Wednesday. In a battle between two defensive - minded teams, there was n't much to differentiate the two in the box score. Both teams went exactly 38 - of - 82 from the field and they both hit eight three - pointers in the tightly contested battle. The key for Charlotte was their bench, as they got 41 points from their four bench players to the 20 points from Utah's five bench players. There were 10 lead changes and eight ties, as the Hornets pulled away late. Utah actually led this game for over 30 minutes, but the beginning of the first quarter and end of the fourth helped Charlotte escape with a win. A 12 - 3 run in the middle of the fourth is when the Hornets put their stamp on their win. Utah (5 - 4) continues to play well, but they could n't quite pull out a road upset against one of the best teams in the league here. Gordon Hayward played great yet again, as he led the team with 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Rodney Hood was second on the team, with his 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. Derrick Favors recorded a double - double, as he totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds in a season - high 34 minutes. Utah will travel to Orlando on Friday to face the Magic for their next game. Charlotte (6 - 1) is establishing themselves as an elite team right now and wins like this only improve their stock. Kemba Walker carried the load, as he accumulated 21 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals in the win. Marvin Williams fell two rebounds shy of a double - double with his 19 points and eight boards. Marco Belinelli, Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes each scored in double figures off the bench, as they combined for 36 points. The Hornets will look to keep things rolling on Friday, as they host the Toronto Raptors for their next game.
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 "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 16 Assists ,has 10 Points ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Hood') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 19 Assists ,has 8 Points ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 6 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 4 Steals ."]