The Charlotte Hornets stole a win on the road against the Utah Jazz, 117-112. This win was powered by what fans and media like to call the core four. The group featuring LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and Miles Bridges combined for 103 points.
Mark Williams reacts to Hornets' win over Jazz
After the game, Williams reflects on the core four's performance.
“Yeah, I think the four of us, well I mean everybody really, is capable of having a night like that. Obviously, the four of us were able to do it in the scoring column, but I think everybody is capable of doing whatever it takes to win. Tonight it just happened to be the four of us. I'm just glad we got the win tonight.”
Williams dropped a career-high 31 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, two steals, and a blocked shot. He was impacting the game on both ends of the floor for the Hornets. This was his encore after he scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a win over the Phoenix Suns. Seems like his play is peaking at the right time.
Mark Williams credits his teammates for his big night

Of course, when it comes down to big individual performances, the right thing to do is to give your teammates the credit. Just like Williams did here.
“I think it's just my teammates,” Williams said about his career night in Utah. “I'm setting some good screens and when I'm rolling they're finding me. I'm able to finish around the rim or create good shots for them and we did enough to get the win tonight. I'm in the right spot and they're finding me.”
What the Core Four means to the Hornets
The Core Four nickname is a nod to the late 1990s New York Yankees' “Core Four” of Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera, and it's obvious when Ball, Miller, Williams, and Bridges are healthy, this Hornets team has huge potential.
Ball is going to the All-Star as a potential starter out in the Eastern Conference and Miller is elite two-way player in the making. Most nights, these two will be the most consistent guys on the Hornets roster, but whenever everyone chips in, the game will come easier.
All the emphasis is just on health. The Core Four has played in four straight games and has gone 2-2. That's something positive to build off as the Hornets continue to try and stack wins as the season continues to wane. The win over Utah was Charlotte's ninth win of the season.
The Hornets' reality the rest of the season
Charlotte would need to go on a tear to get themselves into the Play-In tournament window. So at this point in the season for them, evaluating their young talent is the goal. It's been hard to grasp how good this team could be if they have all their lead horses, so over the course of the next couple months the front office has the opportunity to see how those guys mesh together.
As long as they experience a good stretch of health, there is enough to evaluate and see what they can add to the team in the future.