Hayward, Jazz too strong for Magic
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Guard Gordon Hayward had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Utah Jazz to an 87-74 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at the Amway Center.
The Jazz (6-4), who outscored the Magic 27-10 in the fourth period, won for the third time in four tries on this road trip.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert had 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots and forward Derrick Favors scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Rodney Hood scored 13 points, including 11 in the fourth when he sparked their late charge.
The Magic were led Evan Fournier with 21 points and reserve D.J. Augustin had 19 points in 24 minutes. Aaron Gordon, playing as a reserve for the first time this season, had nine points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.
The Magic, who collapsed down the stretch, made only 3 of 21 shots in the fourth quarter.
Hood, who made only one of seven shots in the first three periods, sparked the Jazz to a 75-71 lead midway in the fourth when he scored seven points in a three-minute stretch.
The Magic led 64-60 going into the final period after the lead changed hands seven times in the third.
The Jazz led 42-38 at halftime, riding another good start from Hayward, who had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists by intermission.
The Jazz led by as many as nine points in the first period when Gobert scored seven points.
The Magic opened the second period with an 8-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from Augustin. They built a 34-27 lead, but failed to hold it when they missed seven consecutive shots.
The Jazz were more aggressive early, holding a 27-17 edge in rebounds in the first two periods.
Magic forward Jeff Green started his first start of the season, replacing Aaron Gordon, who played well in a reserve role in the first half. Jazz point guard Dante Exum also got his first start, replacing Shelvin Mack, who had started the past two games in place of injured George Hill.
NOTES: Jazz G George Hill, who started the season as the first Western Conference Player of the Week, missed his third consecutive game with a sprained right thumb. Hill played his previous four seasons in Indiana for coach Frank Vogel, now the Magic coach. "He's one of the nicest people I've ever been around," Vogel said. ... The Magic have struggled early in games this season, falling behind by double figures in the first half of six of the previous seven games. "If I could put my finger on it, then it wouldn't continue to snowball like it has," Vogel said. ... Magic G Evan Fournier, who is French, hosted Utah F Boris Diaw and C Rudy Gobert, also from France, at his home for dinner Thursday night. ... Diaw, a 34-year-old forward, missed his sixth consecutive game with a bone bruise in his right leg. ... The Magic lost the previous two games (to Chicago and Minnesota) by a combined 48 points. ... They came into the night shooting just 30.6 percent from 3-point range, down from 35 percent last season. ... It looked like international night at the Amway Center Friday. The Jazz have a league-high seven international players on the roster and the Magic are tied for second with six.