Jazz 86, Lakers 74
LOS ANGELES -- Forward Gordon Hayward scored 25 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 86-74 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center.
Guard Rodney Hood had 14 points and six rebounds for Utah (17-20), which won for the second night in a row. The Jazz defeated the Miami Heat 98-83 on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Guard Lou Williams, coming off a career-high 44 points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, had 18 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the field for the Lakers (8-31), who lost their fourth straight. Guard Jordan Clarkson added 14 points and forward Julius Randle chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
Both teams were missing key performers. Lakers forward Kobe Bryant sat out with a sore right Achilles, missing his eighth game this season, and rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell (right ankle sprain) and forward Brandon Bass (right eye corneal abrasion) also weren't available. Utah forward Derrick Favors (back spasms) was out.
The Lakers tried to make runs in the fourth quarter, but the Jazz turned them away. The closest the Lakers got was eight after a dunk by Randle cut the deficit to 78-70 with 2:08 left before Hayward hit a step-back jumper to push the advantage back to 10.
Two free throws by Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr., who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, with 1:08 left sliced the lead to eight again, but a dunk by Jazz center Rudy Gobert made it 82-72 and sealed the outcome with 49.9 seconds remaining.
The Jazz, who led by 18 points in the first half, were up 43-30 at the break. They held the Lakers to their lowest first-half point total this season. The 74 points also were a season low for Los Angeles.
The Lakers, who missed 12 of their initial 13 shots from the floor, managed just 28.6 percent shooting to 42.1 percent for the Jazz in the first two quarters.
Overall, the Jazz shot 44.9 percent from the field to 32.6 percent for the Lakers.
NOTES: The Jazz have 12 players on their roster 25 years or younger. Utah has a combined age of 24.3 years, fifth youngest in the NBA. ... The Lakers are 22-9 against the Jazz at Staples Center. ... The two clubs will meet again Saturday in Salt Lake City. ... Los Angeles has shot 90 percent or better from the foul line on five occasions this season, the last time on Friday in a 117-113 loss to Oklahoma City. The Lakers were 24 of 25 (96 percent). For the season through Saturday, the Lakers were hitting 76.9 percent of their free throws. The Jazz were shooting 75.4 percent. ... The Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday and the Jazz visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.