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Hornets beat Jazz, snap eight-game skid

Feb 14, 2012 - 5:34 AM New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Chris Kaman had 27 points and 13 rebounds and the New Orleans Hornets overcame a late Utah rally to down the Jazz, 86-80, on Monday.

Gustavo Ayon netted 13 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks while Greivis Vasquez added 12 points and 10 assists for the Hornets, who snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Al Jefferson had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Derrick Favors also scored 14 for the Jazz, who have lost six of their last eight games.

"I thought we came out and played pretty well early. Surprisingly, it fell apart on us," Jazz guard Raja Bell said.

The Jazz trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but a 15-5 run in the closing minutes of the fourth gave Utah an opportunity to steal the win.

Down 78-65 midway through the frame, The Jazz for two Alec Burks foul shots to start the surge.

A bit later, with the shot clock running down, Earl Watson banked in a three- point heave from well beyond the arc to make it 81-76 with 2:11 to play.

Ayon's dunk upped the lead back to seven, but Burks' driving layup and Favors' putback made it a one-possession game, 83-80, with 21.6 left.

But Kaman sunk 1-of-2 free throws and Burks' miss at the other end sealed the win for the Hornets.

"They dug in and we made some bone head plays, including myself, but it came down to the end and we got our stops, made our free throws, and got a W," Kaman said.

The Jazz took a slim 21-20 lead after one and the contest remained close as the Hornets had a 41-36 advantage heading into the break.

An 18-1 Hornets run in the third proved to be the difference.

Kaman had six points during the surge, which included back-to-back buckets to cap the lengthy run.

Game Notes

The Jazz turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 23 Hornets points...The Jazz outrebounded the Hornets 45-37...New Orleans had 15 fastbreak points, 14 steals and 23 assists.