Miles Bridges totaled 26 points and 14 rebounds and Grant Williams scored 24 off the bench to help the streaking Charlotte Hornets beat the Utah Jazz 115-107 on Thursday night in Salt Lake City.
The Hornets hit 20 3-pointers and used a 14-0 fourth-quarter run en route to their fourth consecutive win. It was Charlotte's sixth road win all season.
The J azz squandered a seven-point lead in the fourth while going scoreless for 5-1/2 minutes, leading to their fifth consecutive loss.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but the Jazz struggled while hitting only 9 of 39 from 3-point range in the loss.
John Collins grabbed 18 rebounds and scored nine points for Utah, while Collin Sexton added 17 points.
The Jazz went on an 8-0 run in the third quarter and snagged a 77-74 lead on a Taylor Hendricks tip shot with 4:47 left in the period.
Kris Dunn gave Utah its biggest lead of the second half, 86-79, late in the third quarter.
Tre Mann then sparked the 14-0 Hornets run early in the fourth quarter with a floating jumper. That spurt included back-to-back 3s by Davis Bertans and Bridges.
Utah missed nine straight shots and committed three turnovers in the skid, which Keyonte George finally ended with 5:03 remaining.
Charlotte didn't relent. Williams hit two 3s to help the Hornets take a pair of nine-point leads with under four minutes left.
Utah pulled within five, but Bridges made another 3 for an eight-point lead with 2:11 to go.
Charlotte used a 24-8 surge -- fueled by 3s from Mann, Seth Curry and Bridges -- to erase the Jazz's early six-point lead and take its own 10-point advantage late in the first quarter.
Dunn hit a last-second floater to make it 34-26 heading into the second quarter. Charlotte went into halftime up 56-52.
The big difference of the first half was 3-point shooting. The Hornets made 10 of their first 13 attempts beyond the arc compared to 3-for-21 by Utah.
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Happy birthday to the late Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend Kobe Bryant! Originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets out of high school in 1996, he was traded on draft night to the Lakers for big man Vlade Divac. Bryant gave the Lakers 20 seasons, making 18 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA nods, five NBA titles, two scoring titles, two Finals MVP awards and one regular season MVP. Which brings us to today's quiz. When Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season -- going out with a historic 60 points (on 50 shots from the field). With that being said, how many of the all-time leading scorers for every NBA franchise can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reshaped their running back room for the 2025 NFL season. With Najee Harris leaving in free agency and Cordarrelle Patterson released, Jaylen Warren is the lone returning back from 2024. Warren has totaled nearly 1,300 rushing yards over the past two years and is widely expected to assume the RB1 role following Harris’ departure. Competition is emerging however, as several newcomers are making strong cases for the starting job, and one running back recently sparked speculation with a cryptic post to Steelers fans on X. The Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell to a one-year deal worth $1.79 million in March. Gainwell is entering his fifth year in the NFL out of Memphis, spending his first four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles backing up Miles Sanders, De'Andre Swift, and Saquon Barkley. Gainwell has always been a serviceable backup and third-down weapon, but he wants to be more than that in Pittsburgh. Gainwell took to X on Friday morning when rumors were conveniently swirling about who will be the Steelers' RB1 when they face the New York Jets in two weeks. "They gone find out real soon!!" Gainwell said via X. It's important to remember that Gainwell could be referring to many things here. The Steelers' running game has showed promise this offseason, but many pundits would argue there's still plenty of room for improvement. Gainwell could simply be referring to the room as a whole taking the league by storm in 2025. However, it would be no surprise if he were referring to himself as being the player to look out for in the Steel City. He has shown his capability of being an impact player so far in his NFL career and has a competitive spirit. Gainwell has rushed for 1,185 yards with 12 touchdowns in his career, to go along with 102 receptions for 721 yards. During his four seasons with the Eagles, Gainwell carved out a reputation as a reliable dual-threat option. Though often used in a rotational role, Gainwell proved that he was capable of producing in high-leverage moments. Steelers fans might recall the nasty spin-move that he put on Donte Jackson during Pittsburgh's 27-13 loss at Philadelphia last December. So is Gainwell now a candidate for the Steelers' starting running back spot in 2025, that's the real question. With recent rumors swirling of Warren being in danger getting benched due to ball security issues, the idea of someone else leading the Steelers' running back room doesn't seem so unrealistic. Warren has seven fumbles in his career so far, including four in 2023 alone. In the Steelers' recent preseason win over the Panthers, Warren put the ball on the ground during Pittsburgh's opening drive. Warren might be the most talented running back that the Steelers currently have, but with turnovers being a potential issue, it might not be a terrible idea to turn elsewhere to lead the way. Even if Warren does get benched however, does Gainwell take his place? The Steelers spent a third-round draft pick on Kaleb Johnson in April, and the expectations for him are sky high. Johnson rushed for 2,779 yards in three years at Iowa, and he did show some promise during the preseason, rushing for 94 yards on 23 carries. One area of uncertainty with Johnson's game is his pass protection abilities, simply due to the fact that Iowa did not throw the ball much while Johnson was there. Pass protection is an area where Gainwell could separate himself from Johnson in terms of competition. It will be key for the Steelers to protect four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in 2025. With some uncertainty on the offensive line, the Steelers' running backs will need to be helpful in the pass protection game. Durability will also play a factor. Gainwell has remained relatively healthy throughout his career, only missing one game due to injury so far. Steelers' Gainwell Brings Experience And Success To Pittsburgh Along with pass protection and durability, Gainwell brings experience and success. The Eagles made it to two Super Bowls during Gainwell's tenure, winning one last season. The Steelers are looking to replicate the playoff success that Gainwell experienced in Philadelphia, and he could potentially help them reach that threshold.
The Cleveland Browns have a big concern on Saturday following an injury to a key part of the offensive line. The Browns played their starters against the Los Angeles Rams as a tune-up before the regular season. Per the NFL's website, center Ethan Pocic was ruled out of Saturday's game against the Rams when he suffered a knee injury. Via the NFL: "C Ethan Pocic suffered a knee injury against Los Angeles and will not return to the game. Pocic played eight snaps with starting quarterback Joe Flacco before exiting with his injury. Pocic was injured on a third-and-9 play in the first quarter when Rams defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson ran into his leg while he was engaged in a block on linebacker Brennan Jackson." Pocic's injury is a worry for the Browns ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. The 2017 second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks is a leader on Cleveland's offensive line. He's been with the Browns since 2022. Pocic has appeared in 101 games and started in 84 during his first eight years in the league. The upcoming season is important for the 30-year-old, as he's in the final year of the three-year, $18 million deal he signed in 2023. When Pocic came out of the game, the Browns inserted Luke Wypler in at center. The 2023 sixth-round pick has played in just five games in his career and has made one start. Wypler missed all of 2024 with an ankle injury that required surgery.
The New York Yankees have been having a rough couple of months, losing their once-dominant lead of the AL East. Now, both Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman are on the receiving end of some tough words by a former player, outfielder Clint Frazier. Boone has been criticized by a number of analysts (not to mention Yankees fans) for lineup and mid-game moves that range from head-scratching to downright bizarre, especially for a team that has been having a hard time securing wins. Cashman has repeatedly defended Boone, arguing that is knowledge of the players' capabilities is driving his decisions. To Frazier, Cashman's defense of Boone is self-serving because Cashman is the person who is responsible for Boone's tenure as manager. “When Cashman comes out and gives support to Boone, lowkey, I kind of feel like that’s self-preservation,” Frazier said on his podcast. “I know his resume is insane, but when he gives the confidence boost to Boone, I was saying ‘he’s got to, because Booney is the frontline of defense for him. I brought this guy in, and I have to support him, because he’s my guy.' Boone is Cashman’s shadow a little bit." Frazier, who played for the Pinstripes from 2017 to 2021, went on to discuss the Yankees' playoff chances, criticizing Boone for his lineup and mid-game decisions, which he claims will impact the team negatively during the post-season. “You need to make sure that you aren’t walking into it with bad decisions, because these are the decisions they’ll be doing in the playoffs,” he said. “They’re going to be way more under the microscope in the playoffs... You’ve got to make sure that you’re buttoned up and ready to go. If you start firing from the hip, it becomes a mockery of what every guy is trying to do.” While the Yankees are doing better now than they were at the time of Frazier's comments, surpassing the Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and securing the top spot in the AL Wild Card standings, they still aren't consistent. For New York to secure a trip to the World Series for the second year in a row, they're going to have to play better, which requires Boone to make better decisions. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees Have Advantage in Cody Bellinger Sweepstakes Former Yankees Pitchers Swap Places On NL Contender Hall of Famer Explains Leaving Red Sox for Yankees Mariano Rivera's Injury End of Yankees Old-Timer's Game? Four Yankees Among MLB's Top 25 Free Agents
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