Jazz 102, Trail Blazers 97
JAZZ 102, TRAIL BLAZERS 97: Paul Millsap had 31 points and 11 rebounds and scored the go-ahead basket as visiting Utah closed the game with an 8-0 run.
Gordon Hayward scored 20 points as the Jazz moved within one game of the eighth-place Houston Rockets for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
Wesley Matthews scored a season-best 33 points on 10-of-12 shooting and LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points for the Trail Blazers, who are three games behind the Rockets.
Portland connected on 12 of 22 3-point attempts – five by Matthews – but didn’t score over the final 2 1/2 minutes as Utah rallied to break a three-game losing skid.
Millsap’s ferocious dunk gave the Jazz a 98-97 lead with 1:12 to play. Millsap scored on another dunk with 20.3 seconds left after Jamaal Tinsley stole the ball from Raymond Felton. Portland’s Nicolas Batum missed a game-tying 3-point attempt with about 10 seconds left.
The Jazz had a 94-87 lead after Al Jefferson’s three-point play with 6:05 left before going nearly 4 1/2 minutes without scoring. Aldridge tallied back-to-back baskets to tie the score and Matthews hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:34 remaining.
Jefferson had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Derrick Favors had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Utah.
Batum had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Portland.
Portland led 35-22 after the opening quarter and had a 14-point lead midway through the second before Utah finished the half with a 20-9 run to cut its deficit to 57-54 at halftime.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Jazz improve their road mark to 9-19. … Matthews’ career high of 36 points was established last season against the Minnesota Timberwolves. … Utah was 4 of 15 from 3-point range. … Portland was 9 of 13 from 3-point range in the first half.