The Charlotte Hornets (30 - 38) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (15 - 55) 109 - 98 on Sunday in Minneapolis. The Hornets used a dominating second half to pull away and were led by Mo Williams off the bench. Against his old team, Williams scored 24 points on 10 - of - 16 shooting to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes as a reserve. Williams has been moved to the bench since Kemba Walker returned from injury, but it is clear that he remains a key contributor for the Hornets even when coming off the bench. Al Jefferson posted a double - double of 18 points on 9 - of - 20 shooting and 11 rebounds in 33 minutes. Michael Kidd-Gilcrhist came close to a double - double of his own, recording 18 points on 8 - of - 10 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Kemba Walker was effective on both ends of the floor, as he had 16 points on 4 - of - 11 shooting, 8 assists and six steals in 34 minutes. Gerald Henderson scored 17 points and rounds out the five Hornets who scored in double figures. The win was a big one for the Hornets, as with it and the Celtics' loss, Charlotte now has a hold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but only by a half - game. The Timberwolves may have reached the lowest point of their very low season, as they only had eight active players for Sunday's matchup with the likes of Kevin Garnett (knee), Ricky Rubio (ankle) and Nikola Pekovic (ankle) all out. However, although it was not enough, seven of those eight players scored in double figures. Gorgui Dieng led the team in scoring, putting up 16 points on 5 - of - 8 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds in 36 minutes. Kevin Martin struggled with his shot, but still managed 15 points on 7 - of - 19 shooting, nine assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes. Gary Neal also left the game with a sprained left ankle and did not return. Up next, the Hornets will travel to Chicago Monday to take on the Bulls, while the Timberwolves will head to Utah Monday and play the Jazz.
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