Kemba Walker scorched the Jazz for a franchise-record 52 points
He also saved the Hornets from an embarrassing loss.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Anytime a player scores more than a point per minute, it’s impressive. But when someone does so in a game in which he played 47 minutes, that’s on a different level.
Kemba Walker was at a different level Monday against the Jazz. He finished with a career-high and franchise best 52 points to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists. He was 16-34 from the field and scored in a variety of ways. There were plenty of pull-up jumpers, the type we've become accustomed to seeing from him. There were also moves like this one.
What a move by Kemba Walker on Rudy Gobert. pic.twitter.com/c02upu8DUY
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) January 18, 2016 And the Hornets needed every one of these points to pull off the 124-119 double overtime win over the Jazz. After leading by 15 points in the third quarter, Charlotte allowed Utah to climb back. Then, in the fourth quarter, things got worse.
First the Hornets allowed Trey Burke to attempt a wide-open three-pointer from the right corner with 14 seconds left in regulation. He canned it to tie the game at 95.
Then, in the first overtime period, Charlotte allowed Gordon Hayward, who finished with 36 points, to steal an inbounds pass with his team trailing by two and just 13 seconds left.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Steve Clifford’s crew then decided that there was no need to guard Rudy Gobert under the hoop.
But lucky for them, the Jazz had no answer for Walker all night. His 52 points were enough to give the Hornets the win and snap a two-game losing streak, though afterwards he was hearing none of that.
Kemba Walker, after scoring 52 points. pic.twitter.com/stBSAvS0F0
— Joshua B. Priemski (@HoopPlusTheHarm) January 18, 2016 Kemba is being way too hard on himself.
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