Jazz 94, Thunder 89
Rudy Gobert collected 13 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks and hit two free throws with 8.7 seconds left as Utah held off visiting Oklahoma City.
Trey Burke scored 22 points off the bench and Gordon Hayward added 17 points as the Jazz snapped a four-game slide. Trevor Booker had 12 points for Utah, which survived a 6-of-29 shooting effort from 3-point range.
Russell Westbrook recorded 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists but also committed nine of the Thunder’s 23 turnovers. Enes Kanter contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds in his first trip back to Utah since being traded as Oklahoma City’s lead over New Orleans for the No. 8 spot in the West was trimmed to 2 1/2 games.
Westbrook scored the final eight points of a 10-2 run that pulled the Thunder within 84-79 with 4:33 left. Chris Johnson’s 3-pointer made it 89-81 with 3:03 to play but Westbrook buried a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to cut the deficit to 91-89 before fouling Gobert on the ensuing possession, leading to the clinching free throws for Utah.
The Thunder held a 37-21 lead after Anthony Morrow’s 3-pointer less than a minute into the second quarter and Oklahoma City shot 61.3 percent in the first half but settled for a 49-47 lead at the break as the Jazz scored 19 points off 15 turnovers. Utah began the third quarter with a 9-2 run to grab the lead and extended it out to 73-61 before settling for a 10-point edge heading to the fourth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Kanter posted his eighth straight double-double and C Steven Adams grabbed 14 rebounds as Oklahoma City enjoyed a 48-42 edge on the glass. … Utah F Derrick Favors (back spasms) sat out the game. … Jazz G Rodney Hood (illness) scored seven points in 29 minutes in his return from a two-game absence.