National Basketball Association
Phoenix 111, Charlotte 102
When: 9:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Officials: #56 Mark Ayotte, #6 Tony Brown, #71 Rodney Mott
Attendance: 16910

PHOENIX -- Forward Mirza Teletovic scored 19 points including five of Phoenix's season-high 19 3-pointers and the Suns needed them all to snap a nine-game losing streak with a 111-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday.

Brandon Knight added 18 points for the Suns (13-25), who hit 19 of 33 3-pointers (57.6 percent) and won for the first time since beating the New Orleans Pelicans here on Dec. 18. It was also the 100th NBA coaching win for Phoenix's Jeff Hornacek.

Teletovic and Knight were two of five Phoenix players with at least three 3-pointers in the game and the Suns had 25 assists.

Kemba Walker had a game-high 25 points for the Hornets (17-18), who lost their fifth straight game, their longest losing streak of the season. Charlotte is under .500 for the first time since Nov. 17.

The Suns led by 11 at 102-91 after Teletovic's fifth 3-pointer with 6:48 left. But the Hornets rallied and inched within 106-102) on an 8-footer by forward Marvin Williams with 1:30 to go. Walker had a chance to get Charlotte closer but missed a layup with 1:15 left and Phoenix forward P.J. Tucker sealed the game on Phoenix's 19th and final 3-pointer with 54.2 seconds left.

Guards Devin Booker and T.J. Warren added 17 each for the Suns, Jon Leuer had 14 and Tucker, who left the game in the third period with a right thigh contusion, returned to add 10 points.

Williams and guard Jeremy Lin had 15 points and guard Troy Daniels and forward Cody Zeller each had 13 for the Hornets.

Phoenix hit 10 of 16 3-pointers in the first half, including two each by Teletovic, Booker and guard Ronnie Price.

The Suns hit eight of their first nine shots to open the game, and then missed six shots in a row while the Hornets took the lead with a 7-0 run. Walker tied the game with a 3-pointer and guard Jeremy Lin made it 24-20 Hornets with another 3-pointer with 3:23 left. Both teams had five 3-pointers in the quarter.

Phoenix closed with 11 points in the final 2:32 and took a 34-32 lead on T.J. Warren jumper to end the quarter.

Phoenix kept the momentum going in the second period, holding the Hornets to just four points in the first seven minutes and opening a 13-point lead at 52-39 on a turnaround jumper by Leuer, who had 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting in the half.

Lin had 13 points in the first half and Hairston added 11 for Charlotte, who trailed 60-52 at the half.

The Hornets controlled the third quarter, taking the lead with a 12-2 run late. Walker followed a Daniels 3-pointer with a 12-footer to give Charlotte an 85-80 lead with 41 seconds left.

NOTES: The Suns started veteran PG Ronnie Price in place of Devin Booker, allowing Brandon Knight to start the game at shooting guard. ... The Hornets played without F Nicolas Batum (toe sprain) and C Al Jefferson (knee), but nicked-up G Jeremy Lamb (wrist/hip) and G Jeremy Lin (ankle) were OK to play. ... Despite Phoenix's nine-game losing streak, Charlotte coach Steve Clifford didn't think his team was catching the Suns at the right time. "I actually would rather play teams coming off wins," he said. "These are all good players, great players, and prideful guys. You're going to get their best when they've lost a couple in a row, and that goes both ways for them with us." ... Suns coach Jeff Hornacek took his struggling team to a bowling alley across the street from Talking Stick Arena after practice for a team-building session on Tuesday. "We tried to get their minds off basketball a little bit," he said. "I thought they had a good time. They were high-fiving each other after strikes and stuff like that. So maybe it carries over."
Top Game Performances
 
Charlotte   Phoenix
Kemba Walker 25 Scoring Mirza Teletovic 19
Kemba Walker 6 Assists Brandon Knight 7
Cody Zeller 11 Rebounds Devin Booker 10
Kemba Walker 5 Free Throws Made Tyson Chandler 3
Cody Zeller 3 Steals P.J Tucker 4
Frank Kaminsky 1 Blocks Brandon Knight 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Charlotte 102 43.7 11-28 15-22 20 44 5 9 13
Phoenix 111 48.8 19-33 10-13 25 39 2 11 12
Upcoming Games
  • Phoenix will play their next game at home against Miami. The Suns have a W/L % of .308 after a win and .360 after a loss.
  • Charlotte will play their next game on the road against L.A. Clippers. The Hornets have a W/L % of .529 after a win and .444 after a loss.
?>