After a big home win over Miami on Saturday, the Utah Jazz traveled to Los Angeles and came away with a 86-74 win over the Lakers Sunday night.
Utah (17-20) led by as many as 18 in the first half before holding on for the victory.
Gordon Hayward scored a team-high 25 points for the Jazz, while Rodney Hood–who missed Saturday’s game with a sprained ankle–finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 32 minutes.
Rudy Gobert had 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes.
Lou Williams led the Lakers with 18 points, though he shot just 5-for-17 from the field. Jordan Clarkson (14 points), Julius Randle (11 points) and Larry Nance Jr. (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Lakers (8-31).
Sunday’s Best
Hayward scored 20+ points for the 18th time this season, and he hit several big shots down the stretch to help the Jazz finish off the Lakers. He drove to the left and then sank a step-back jumper with just under two minutes left to push Utah’s lead back to 10, and then–after two free throws by Williams–he drove to the right and darted toward the baseline, lofting up a fadeaway over three Los Angeles defenders that hit nothing but net.
Hayward added a season-high three blocks in the win.
Key Stretch
The teams combined for only 29 points in the first quarter (Utah led 15-14), but the Jazz turned it on in the second, opening the quarter on a 19-4 run to take control of the game. The Jazz went 5-for-6 from the field and 5-for-5 from the line during that stretch, which was highlighted by six points from Jeff Withey, a three-point play by Hood, and a 3-pointer by Trey Burke.
The Lakers, meanwhile, went 2-for-7 with two turnovers over the same period.
Significant Stat
The teams played to a draw in the first, third and fourth quarters, but Utah’s 12-point advantage in the second quarter mirrored that of the final score. The Jazz shot 10-for-21 (47.6 percent) from the field and 7-for-8 from the line during the second quarter, while the Lakers went 6-for-17 (35.3 percent) from the field and 3-for-4 from the line.
Coach’s Quote of the Night
“[The Lakers] play really hard, and I felt like we’d have to match that intensity–and I think our guys did. We made some plays at the end of the game, which is always nice.”
–Jazz head coach Quin Snyder
Notable
Utah’s win broke a seven-game road losing streak. … Kobe Bryant (Achilles strain) and D’Angelo Russell (sprained ankle) did not play for the Lakers. … After going 4-for-10 from the free-throw line on Saturday, Hayward went 4-for-6 tonight. … The Lakers are now 0-29 when they trail after three quarters. … The Jazz currently hold a two-game lead over Sacramento for the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings.
Up Next
The Jazz don’t play again until Wednesday when they’ll travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. MT.
