Pelicans 90 - 94 Jazz
Final
  for this game

Jazz host Hornets in Salt Lake City

Jan 2, 2012 - 3:52 PM (Sports Network) - The cold-shooting New Orleans Hornets arrive in Salt Lake City hoping to halt a two-game losing streak when they face off with the Utah Jazz.

After taking their first two games of the young season New Orleans has hit the skids and fell in Sacramento on New Year's Day, 96-80. Tyreke Evans scored a game-high 27 points in that one as the Kings snapped a three-game skid of their own despite the absence of disgruntled big man DeMarcus Cousins.

Trevor Ariza scored 17 to lead New Orleans while Chris Kaman added 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds off the bench. The Hornets just shot 40.4 percent two days after making just 28.9 percent -- the second-lowest mark in franchise history -- in a 93-78 setback to Phoenix.

"We have to keep grinding. We don't have three or four All-Stars on this team," Hornets forward Carl Landry said. "We have guys who are hungry and want to win. We have to do what's right on the defensive end."

Getting star guard Eric Gordon back in the lineup will almost certainly help some of New Orleans' offensive woes. The Indiana product, who was acquired in the deal that sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers, missed his third straight game against the Kings with a bruised knee and is listed as day-to- day.

The Jazz haven't exactly been lighting it up either and fell to 1-3 on Saturday in San Antonio when Manu Ginobili hit five three-pointers and scored 23 points, leading the Spurs to a 104-89 victory over Utah at AT&T Center.

Al Jefferson returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle to pace the Jazz with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Josh Howard finished with 18 points and seven boards off the bench for Utah, which was unable to carry momentum from a 102-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

"It's a tough loss today, but you just got to get ready to turn the page and get ready for the next game," Jefferson said.

Utah has won nine of its past 12 meetings with NOLA.






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