Hornets’ Historic 47-Point First Half Stuns Jazz in Unbelievable 150-95 Blowout

Never in a million years did I expect to see a basketball team carve up the court the way the Charlotte Hornets did against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Picture this: a dazzling display that left the scoreboard flashing a bewildering 150-95 by the final buzzer. Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball weren’t just contributors; they were the maestros orchestrating a symphony of dominance, piling on 18 and 17 points respectively, as Charlotte surged ahead to a jaw-dropping 47-point lead at halftime. Coming off the back of two razor-thin losses — one to Toronto by a single point and another by a measly two against Indiana — the Hornets clearly had a statement to make, and boy, did they deliver. This wasn’t just a win; it was a proclamation, a theatrical slam dunk on the court to remind everyone that this buzzing team is far from done with this season. Want to dive deeper into this spectacular game and all the juicy details? LEARN MORE

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets’ largest victory of the season.

Tre Mann led the Hornets with 20 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton each scored 15 in a game Charlotte led by 57 in the second half.

Ryan Kalbrenner and Grant Williams returned from injuries for Charlotte, which outscored Utah by 45 points behind the 3-point line in the first half. The Hornets were 16 for 36 while the Jazz hit one of their 12 attempts.

Brice Sensabaugh scored 26 points for the Jazz, who rested leading scorer Lauri Markkanen and were without injured starting center Jusuf Nurkic.

Williams, playing for the first time since November 2024 after recovering from right knee surgery, hit consecutive 3-pointers to cap a 23-2 run that made it 39-8. The Jazz went scoreless for more than five minutes as Charlotte scored 17 straight points.

It was 45-14 after one and the Hornets extended it to 77-30 on Bridges’ 3-pointer with 1:41 left in the half. Utah scored the final eight points of the half.

Kalkbrenner had 12 points and nine rebounds after missing 10 games with a sprained left elbow.

Up next

Hornets: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Jazz: Visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

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AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA