Jazz 108, Nets 86
NEW YORK -- Forward Gordon Hayward scored 21 points and the Utah Jazz rallied from a pair of early double-digit deficits before pulling away in the third quarter of a 108-86 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Hayward helped the Jazz rebound from a pair of tough overtime losses in Charlotte and New York by making 8 of 12 shots and adding nine assists in 31 minutes.
The Jazz (19-24) won for the fourth time in 12 games and only the second time in 12 road games by placing all five starters in double figures, controlling the paint by a 54-42 margin and getting 11 dunks.
Guard Rodney Hood added 16 points, reserve forward Trevor Booker added 13 while center Rudy Gobert dunked five times for 10 points. Guard Raul Neto and rookie forward Trey Lyles also had 10 as Utah shot a season-best 57.3 percent (43--of-75) and a season-high 56 percent (9-of-16) from 3-point range.
The Nets actually held first quarter leads of 12-2 and 19-8 but lost their 11th game when holding a double digit lead at some point. Brooklyn was outscored 100-67 over the final 41 minutes and lost for the 10th time in 11 games and 13th time in 14 home games.
Reserve guard Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with 14 points while center Willie Reed had 12 points. Brooklyn's frontcourt duo of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young were held to combined 18 points and five rebounds.
Utah avoided playing a third straight overtime game for the first time in team history by gradually coming back. The Jazz outscored the Nets 14-5 over the final 5:02 of the first to get within 23-22 after 12 minutes and never trailed after Hood coasted in for a layup with 7:29 left in the second and a 32-30 lead.
After taking a 48-40 lead at halftime, the Jazz shot an astounding 72 percent (16-of-22) and scored 37 points during the third. Twenty four of those were in the paint and the Jazz finished off the Nets by getting 10 layups or dunks.
Hayward was involved in three of the more noteworthy inside baskets during the third.
With 4:23 remaining, he went around a Gobert screen, breezed past Brooklyn center Willie Reed and guard Donald Sloan for a reverse layup which extended the lead to 71-50. Less than a minute later, he recorded his final assist with a bounce pass to center Jeff Withey for dunk and a 73-50 and finally he had a running dunk with 2:15 left, upping the lead to 80-55.
NOTES: Quin Snyder is the 17th-longest tenured NBA coach since taking the Utah job on June 6, 2014. He took the position two weeks before David Blatt was hired in Cleveland. Asked about the coaching change with the Cavaliers, Snyder said: "I think it speaks to the volatility of the profession. You get in with eyes open. Obviously there's a level of camaraderie that I think people in the coaching business feel for one another." ... The Nets reportedly hired David Nurse as a shooting coach. Nurse grew up with Atlanta Hawks F Kyle Korver and is being brought in to help some of the team's younger players, especially injured rookie swingman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, "I don't know him personally, I just know the name," interim coach Tony Brown said. "Clearly there's an area that we can use help at, especially with our young players. ... Utah F Derrick Favors missed his 15th game with a back injury. He is around the team on road trips getting treatment but there is not a timetable for his return.