Jazz run away from Bucks
SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon Hayward scored 27 points and Rudy Gobert added 26 points and 15 rebounds to help the Utah Jazz run away with a 104-88 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
Gobert recorded his 33rd double-double of the season before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Joe Johnson chipped in 14 points off the bench. Utah (31-19) beat the Bucks for the fifth straight time and won its 15th consecutive home game against Milwaukee dating back to 2001.
Jabari Parker scored 17 points while Greg Monroe added 13 and Thon Maker chipped in 12 to lead the Bucks. Milwaukee (21-27) lost for the ninth time in its last 10 games.
After picking up two quick fouls in the first quarter, Gobert quickly made up for lost time in the second. He flexed his offensive muscles around the basket and Milwaukee had no answer for it. Gobert scored 15 points in the quarter.
It helped blow open a close game. The lead changed hands 10 times and featured five ties in the first quarter. Utah carved out the largest lead for either team after Jeff Withey scored a hook shot to put the Jazz up 28-24.
Milwaukee crept ahead briefly in the second quarter. The Bucks took a 31-30 lead on back-to-back baskets from Giannis Anteokounmpo and Monroe. Gobert answered with an alley-oop dunk to put Utah back in front. It marked the beginning of his second quarter surge that buried Milwaukee.
Gobert capped a 14-4 run by converting a 3-point play to give the Jazz their first double-digit lead at 51-39. Then he converted the second one to push Utah's lead to 58-41 with 58.2 seconds before halftime. Gobert hit 7-of-8 free throws during the stretch to help the Jazz keep the Bucks at arm's length.
Utah built up a 25-point lead in the third quarter. Hayward banked in a jumper, Trey Lyles drove for a reverse layup and Hayward drilled a 3-pointer over three straight possessions to put the Jazz up 75-50 with 4:35 remaining in the quarter.
NOTES: Jazz F Derrick Favors was inactive for a second straight game (rest). Favors has appeared in 33 games this season and is averaging 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game. ... Bucks C Greg Monroe has tallied 11 double-doubles this season, the third most among NBA reserves. Entering Wednesday, Monroe averaged 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds off the bench. ... Over his final five games in January, Jazz G Alec Burks averaged 13.0 points in 19.2 minutes while shooting 60.5 percent from the field. ... Bucks G Matthew Dellavedova scored in double figures four times in his final five games in January. Dellavedova averaged 13.0 points per game and shot 56.3 percent from 3-point range in that stretch.