Kemba Walker scores franchise-record 52 to save Hornets from 2OT collapse

Kemba Walker simply refused to allow the Charlotte Hornets to lose on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Walker scored a Hornets franchise-high 52 points, with six threes, nine rebounds, eight assists, and two steals to lead his Hornets over the Utah Jazz, 124-119 in double overtime.

He joins elite company in Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and James Harden as the only players to reach the 50-point plateau this season.

The 25-year-old Walker caught fire right out of the gate. He drained three pull-up treys in a stretch of two minutes to finish the first quarter with 18 points.

The Hornets, however, could not gain separation from the Jazz, who were buoyed by the individual brilliance of Gordon Hayward. He connected on his first seven field goals and had 16 of his own in the first quarter to offset Walker's tally.

Hayward would eventually cool off and finish with 36, but Walker just kept on scoring.

Utah, ordinarily a stout defensive outfit, had no answer for Walker. They tried Raul Neto on him early, but the stocky Brazilian had neither the quickness nor the length to stay with Walker. Trey Burke, another pint-sized guard, had similar problems.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder eventually opted for the bigger Rodney Hood to cover Walker, but that didn't work either. Walker would operate as a shooting guard with Jeremy Lin taking over the point, and he'd spot up for looks around the perimeter.

Despite Walker's individual brilliance, the Jazz refused to concede. Burke nailed a three to send the game to overtime, and a defensive breakdown saw Rudy Gobert throw down an uncontested dunk to extend it once more. This despite Walker scoring eight points - including a layup after a wicked crossover - in the first overtime.

The Jazz would eventually run out of magic tricks, while Walker's enchanted night continued. He grabbed a putback and hit a three to put the Hornets up six with three minutes remaining, then iced it with four free throws down the stretch.