Jazz get to Pacers early for fourth straight win

[March 08, 2018]  Rudy Gobert scored 23 points and collected 14 rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to a 104-84 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Gobert earned his fourth straight double-double in leading Utah to its fourth straight win and ninth straight road victory. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points and six assists. Ricky Rubio had 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Jae Crowder added 16 points off the bench, and Joe Ingles chipped in 11 points and a career-high 10 assists.

Myles Turner had 24 points to lead Indiana while Victor Oladipo and Bojan Bogdanovic added 13 points apiece. The Pacers shot just 3-of-23 (13 percent) from the perimeter.

The Jazz shot 13-of-23 (59.1 percent) from the field in the first quarter -- including five 3-pointers. It opened the door for Utah to take control before the quarter ended.

Utah used a 23-6 run to stake out a commanding lead early in the second quarter. The Jazz scored baskets on four straight possessions -- highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Ingles -- to surge ahead of Indiana. Mitchell buried back-to-back 3-pointers to give Utah its first double-digit lead at 30-20.

Derrick Favors finally finished off the run with a dunk to give the Jazz a 34-20 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.

Indiana had a tough time cutting into the deficit because the Pacers struggled to find a rhythm on the perimeter. They went 0-of-8 from outside in the first half and missed 11 straight 3-pointers overall before Cory Joseph finally broke the ice in the third quarter.

 

Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) is guard by Utah Jazz center Rudy Robert (27) during the first quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Pacers trimmed Utah's lead to 72-65 late in the third quarter on a basket from Oladipo. That's as close as Indiana would get.

Mitchell hit a couple of free throws and made a 3-pointer to push the Jazz lead back to double digits before the third quarter ended. Then Utah opened the fourth quarter with a 15-2 run and took a 94-71 lead with 8:34 remaining. Gobert converted a pair of three-point plays and also hit a jumper to fuel much of the run.

--Field Level Media

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