Gordon Hayward erupts as Utah Jazz win a crucial tie against Houston Rockets – NBA Recap
On Wednesday night, Utah Jazz were able to hold off the Houston Rockets charge and defeat them 103-91 here at the Toyota Center.
Gordon Hayward added a season high 29 points for Utah, as 5 Jazz players put up double figure points. Houston came into this game having won their last 4, and placed 6th in the Western Conference. The Jazz, on the other
hand, were at 10th place but only 1 and a half game behind 8th placed Denver.
The first quarter was tightly contested between the two teams, with 3 lead exchanges. No team led by more than 6 points and both teams kept coming at each other, answering play with play. Houston put the first point on the board
but Utah quickly took the lead with 2 free throws by Al Jefferson, followed by a 3 pointer by Gordon Hayward.
The Rockets came back to take the lead with a layup-and-one by Chandler Parsons. A jump shot by Goran Dragic extended the Houston lead to 17-11 with 6:53 left in the period. The Jazz then came back to tie the game with two free
throws by DeMarre Carroll, and then took the lead with two free throws by Hayward. The quarter ended with Utah leading 30-26.
Jazz scored the first 8 points of the second quarter to extend their lead to 38-26, their highest in the game till that point. Houston responded right back with a 10-0 run, capped off by a 3 pointer by Chase Budinger, to reduce
the Utah lead to 38-36. Utah, however, recovered their lead with a 3 pointer by Jamaal Tinsley followed by a layup from Paul Millsap. They went into the second half leading 56-46.
A reverse jam by Derrick Favors extended the Jazz lead to 18 in the third quarter with only 2:02 remaining in the period. This was the largest lead of the night for Utah, who kept a comfortable lead throughout the 3rd
quarter. The Rockets closed the quarter with 4 free throws to cut the lead to 67-80 as both teams headed into the final period.
The Rockets opened the final quarter with a 13-5 run to make it a five point game at 80-85. However, a dunk by Hayward followed by a jumper-and-one ensured the Jazz did not lose their lead.
Utah were back up by 10, and did not let Houston come close to them throughout the remaining game to win 103-91.
"We seemed to make the right play at the right time down the stretch," said Jazz Coach Tyrone Corbin.
Gordon Hayward had 29 points and was assisted by Paul Millsap, who had 21 points and 7 rebounds for the Jazz. Al Jefferson added 15 points and 8 rebounds for his team. Goran Dragic was the leading scorer for the Rockets with 19
points and 7 assists. Kyle Lowry added 15 off the bench and Chandler Parsons had 13.
The difference maker in the match was the shooting of both teams. Utah shot 51.3% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Houston, in comparison, were pale at 35.6% from the field and a dismal 20% from the 3 point line. Houston
did shoot better from the foul line at 86.2%. Utah also outscored the Rockets 54-36 in points within the paint.
With this loss, Houston have fallen to 8th place in the Western Conference, now having the same win-loss record as Dallas and Denver at 32-26. Utah are 1 and a half game behind at 31-28. It is turning out to be a spectacular
end to the season in the West, with the last 3 spots in the playoffs still up for grabs.
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