Jazz 111, Pelicans 105
Gordon Hayward had 27 points and a career-high 10 assists to help Utah beat visiting New Orleans and snap its eight-game losing streak to open the season.
Hayward was 6-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-5 on 3-pointers, and 12-of-14 from the free-throw line as the Jazz became the last NBA team to record a victory and ended the worst start in Utah history. Richard Jefferson scored 22 points, including nine during a game-tying 25-9 run in the third quarter, and Enes Kanter had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Anthony Davis recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds for his sixth double-double in nine games for the Pelicans, who lost all three games of their Western road trip. Tyreke Evans scored 19 points off the bench in his highest-scoring game since joining the team in the offseason, and Jrue Holiday also had 19 points.
The Jazz didn’t take their first second-half lead until Hayward hit a 3-pointer to make it 92-91 with 5:15 remaining. New Orleans regained the lead twice more, but Marvin Williams put Utah ahead to stay with a layup with 3:17 remaining and added a big 3-pointer two minutes later to help seal the victory.
Davis nearly had a double-double in the first quarter alone, collecting eight points and nine rebounds as the Pelicans grabbed a 29-22 lead. Evans hit his first four shots for nine points in the first six minutes of the second quarter to help increase it to a 55-45 advantage at halftime.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Jazz F Derrick Favors had 12 points and 12 rebounds. … Pelicans C Greg Stiemsma sat out the game and will undergo further testing Thursday on the left knee he sprained Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. … The Jazz, who came in averaging 18.5 turnovers, had 21.