The Utah Jazz (8-7) finished the week with two wins over the L.A. Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans after addressing second quarter issues in their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Jazz beat the Clippers 102-91 Wednesday, Nov. 25 and the Pelicans 101-87 Saturday, Nov. 28 after a loss to the Thunder 111-89 on Monday, Nov. 23.
Utah trailed Oklahoma City by three at the end of the first quarter but the Thunder built an early lead and held on in their 111-89 victory. Kevin Durrant scored 27 points with six rebounds after missing the previous six games due to a hamstring injury. Russell Westbrook had 20 points, seven rebounds and nine assists as the Thunder shot an impressive 54.5 percent.
“The second quarter really deflated us a little bit,” guard Rodney Hood said in a post-game interview. “We just weren’t hitting enough. We’ve played from behind a lot, but it felt like they were just hitting shots and got in a groove, and it’s hard to come back against a team that’s been together so long.”
Forward Gordon Hayward had 19 points while forward Derrick Favors and center Rudy Gobert scored 11 and 10, respectively.
Two days later the Jazz beat the Clippers 102-91. The score was tied 45-45 at halftime and both teams shot 50 percent, but the difference can be found in 3-pointers. The Jazz made 46.2 percent of their 3-pointers, compared to the Clippers’ 33.6 percent. Hayward’s 71.4 percent 3-point shooting was key in Utah’s 3-point effort.
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder overcame second quarter troubles by switching up substitutions and taking Hayward out just six minutes into the first quarter. Hayward played much of the second quarter and his presence was felt as the Jazz played strong that quarter. Hayward had a breakout game, scoring a season-high 33 points and five-of-seven 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds on the night.
“Any [criticism] that Gordon has been taking is misplaced,” Snyder said. “He hasn’t played as well as he can, and when I say that, it doesn’t mean he’s played poorly. We have high expectations for him on a lot of levels. For him to produce the way he did offensively and still defend the way he did and make baskets at crucial times [was huge for us tonight].”
.@GordonHayward led the Jazz to a 102-91 win over the Clippers – scoring a season-high 33 points. #UTAatLAChttps://t.co/IgLAOx8NoC
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 26, 2015
Favors did not play against the New Orleans Pelicans for personal reasons, but the Jazz managed to get the 101-87 win without him. Utah led by as many as 21 points but lost some composure and momentum in the second half as New Orleans battled back within six points. Alec Burks led the Jazz with 21 points off the bench. Hayward and Hood scored 17 and 16 points, respectively. Booker came up big with 13 points and 15 rebounds in place of Favors. This is the second time he has scored in the double-digits this season.
Forward Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 36 points and 11 rebounds.
The Jazz has played 10 of its first 14 games on the road but that dynamic will soon change as they play 11 of their next 15 games at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah will host the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Nov. 30, the Orlando Magic on Thursday, Nov. 3 and the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Nov. 5. All games begin at 7 p.m. (MST).
