Jazz 100, Pelicans 96
Gordon Hayward had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as visiting Utah defeated New Orleans.
Derrick Favors scored 18 points for the Jazz, who won their second straight contest. Enes Kanter contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds and Steve Novak scored 12 points on four 3-pointers.
Eric Gordon had season-highs of 31 points and seven 3-pointers for the Pelicans, who were without All-Star power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder). Tyreke Evans had 18 points and 10 assists and Luke Babbitt scored a season-high 15 points.
The Pelicans trailed by nine points early in the fourth quarter but Gordon knocked down a jumper to push New Orleans ahead 87-86 with 4:20 remaining. Utah responded with the next six points to take a five-point lead and another Gordon basket pulled the Pelicans within 92-91 with 1:48 to play before Hayward scored eight points over the final 68 seconds to protect the Jazz’s lead.
New Orleans rattled off 14 straight points to take a 13-point advantage late in the second quarter and settled for a 52-42 lead at the break. The advantage was 14 after Evans’ basket with 6:41 left in the third quarter before the Jazz finished the period with a 21-3 burst to take a 71-67 lead into the final stanza and Novak opened the fourth with a 3-pointer to give Utah a seven-point lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Pelicans were 13-of-22 from 3-point range. … Hayward has scored 24 or more points in eight of the last 10 games. … Gordon averaged six points on 7-of-31 shooting over the last three games before the breakout game against Utah.