Jazz 88, Pistons 85
Derrick Favors had 26 points and four blocked shots as host Utah held off Detroit for its fifth straight win.
Rudy Gobert collected 19 rebounds while scoring 10 points for the Jazz, who have won 10 of their last 12 games. Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood added 12 points apiece.
Greg Monroe had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Anthony Tolliver scored 14 for the Pistons, who lost standout center Andre Drummond to a concussion in the first half while suffering their 10th straight loss. Detroit had a chance to tie in the closing seconds but Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-point attempt with 3.9 seconds to play.
Two 3-pointers by Tayshaun Prince helped Detroit take a 71-69 lead with 7:16 left in the contest before Utah rattled off the next nine points to take a seven-point lead. The Pistons rallied to within one before Gobert fed Hayward for a dunk with 37.5 seconds left and the Pistons again made it a one-point deficit on Monroe’s basket with 32 seconds to play before Trey Burke floated in a bank shot with 13.1 seconds left to give Utah an 88-85 lead.
Both teams scored 18 points in the opening quarter before Utah scored 31 in the second to take a 49-43 lead into the break. Putting the ball in the basket was again a problem in the third quarter when each team made four field goals – Utah outscored Detroit 13-12 – as the Jazz took a 62-55 lead into the final quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Drummond had four points and two rebounds in 11 minutes before exiting. … The double-double is Gobert’s 16th of the campaign. … Detroit has lost 12 of its last 13 road games.