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Hornets crush Timberwolves

Jan 20, 2015 - 7:36 AM Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - The Charlotte Hornets used a dominant second quarter to crush the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-80 on Monday afternoon.

The Hornets shot 12-of-22 from 3-point range overall to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. Gerald Henderson and P.J. Hairston each hit three triples, and Henderson led Charlotte with 17 points.

Brian Roberts added 16 points and five assists for Charlotte, and the Hornets' reserves outscored Minnesota's by a 52-31 margin.

The Timberwolves lost for the second time in three games despite 18 points from Thaddeus Young. Andrew Wiggins added 12, but shot just 3-of-14 from the field.

An early 8-0 run for the Hornets put them ahead 10-2 four minutes into the game. Minnesota got aggressive and gradually closed the gap with a 10-of-12 performance from the line in the quarter and even took brief leads late in the period. After Zach LaVine hit 1-of-2 at the charity stripe to tie the game at 20, Hairston hit a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give Charlotte a 23-20 lead after one.

The Hornets surged to an 18-point lead when they started the second quarter on a 17-2 run, getting 10 points from Gary Neal.

"You need everybody," said Hornets coach Steve Clifford. "If you look at the best teams, they get to a place where everyone knows what their role is."

It took nearly four minutes before Minnesota finally got on the board in the second when Mo Williams' jumper briefly interrupted Charlotte's momentum. Neal answered with a triple the next trip down the court to extend the Charlotte edge to 18.

The Hornets led by as many as 22 in the first half when Henderson drained a 3 with 41 seconds remaining. They led 50-33 at the half when Gorgui Dieng scored five points in the final 10 seconds, including a buzzer-beating 3 from just inside halfcourt.

The third quarter did not go any better for Minnesota as the Hornets led 83-52 after three periods. Henderson and Roberts each went 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and Charlotte shot 12-of-21 overall.

Charlotte's entire starting lineup was able to take a seat in the final period. Al Jefferson's bucket on the first possession of the quarter gave the Hornets their biggest lead of the game at 33 points.

Game Notes

This was Jefferson's first game off the bench since Dec. 4, 2006. He returned from a nine-game absence due to a groin injury ... Charlotte has held nine straight opponents under 100 points, the longest streak in the NBA this year ... Minnesota is now 4-20 all-time in Charlotte ... Lance Stephenson added eight points and nine assists off the bench for the Hornets ... Dieng scored nine points, grabbed 10 boards and blocked four shots.