Hornets Back to .500 in Win against Jazz | IXGAMES

The New Orleans Hornets are now back as contenders for the playoffs when they ended a four-game road losing streak in a game against the Utah Jazz. This was another chance for them to regain confidence and think that they are worthy to make it to the playoffs. This is their third straight win overall and are looking to extend it further for their next game. January could be the moving month for the Orleans as they try to outdo themselves this season. Brown and Paul lead Hornets to victory The New Orleans had a poor performance in the first half as they trailed the Jazz by four points. But when the Hornets came into the 3rd quarter, everything was just going in for them. Utah was never in rhythm the whole quarter as they only shot 5 for 20. New Orleans really worked hard against the board defensively in this quarter, which was possibly the key to their win. It was all about Paul and Devin Brown in this game, with Brown setting a career high in points. Devin Brown added to the win a career-high 30 points. David West also contributed 20 points and almost made a double-double with 9 rebounds.  James Posey also added 12 points for the struggling Hornets. The Utah Jazz were outscored by the New Orleans Hornets 25-11 in the third quarter. The Jazz never regained the lead after that. The Jazz had the lead at halftime with a score of 51-47. But in the third quarter, the team’s shooting had gone bad at 1 of 13 from the field, giving the Hornets a 13-4 run and also their first lead. When Brown hit a 3-pointer, he tied the score at 53. Brown was the one responsible for the lead when he drew a foul after Deron Williams’ miss by making both free throws. The Hornets also ended the quarter with a 9-5 run, which was only at 9-2 until Williams of the Jazz hit a buzzer beater 3-pointer. During a timeout in the third quarter, Deron Williams received a standing ovation from the crowd after it was announced that he already scored 3,000 assists all in all. The Hornets had the lead in the 4th period. Chris Paul made late heroics to seal the lead for good. The Hornets’ 4-point lead was in danger before Paul stole the ball and let the clock tick for a few seconds before making a layup with 27 seconds left in regulation. Williams’ historic night ended in disappointment as they still lost the game. Williams contributed 17 points and 11 assists and had a bad pass late in the fourth, which could have been a big factor for them to win. Carlos Boozer added 18, while Andre Kirilenko and C.J. Miles both had 12 points.