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Hornets fight off Timberwolves

Mar 23, 2015 - 3:10 AM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Mo Williams scored 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting to lead the Charlotte Hornets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-98 on Sunday.

Seven Hornets scored at least eight points to help the team snap a three-game skid and slip into the eighth position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Al Jefferson totaled 18 points and 11 rebounds, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 18 and nine, and Kemba Walker totaled 16 points, eight assists and six steals for the victors.

"It felt good. The locker room felt good. We needed to win a game," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said of the win.

The injury-ridden Timberwolves again only dressed eight players and were led by Gorgui Dieng's 16 points. They were coming off an overtime win over the Knicks on Thursday but have dropped seven of eight overall.

Charlotte trailed the entire first half before taking its first lead, 64-63, on a Kidd-Gilchrist dunk early in the third quarter.

"We didn't come out (in the second half) with the same energy, the same pace," said Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders.

The Hornets forced seven turnovers in the quarter, took an 82-78 lead into the fourth and never relinquished it. It was a two-possession game coming down the stretch before Charlotte scored nine of the final 11 points.

The Timberwolves shot 60.0 percent from the field in the first half and led 59-54 at the break. They were ahead by as many as 13 late in the second quarter before the Hornets ended the half on a 10-2 run.

Game Notes

Charlotte is 13-4 in the last 17 meetings ... Kevin Martin finished with 15 points and nine assists for Minnesota, which was outscored in the paint 52-22.