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 Utah entered Monday tied with Dallas for ninth place in the Western Conference, two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who had a late game against the Golden State Warriors.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Jazz (35-36), who had dropped 12 of their previous 15 to fall behind the Lakers. Utah plays seven of its final 11 games at home, where the Jazz are 25-9.
Dorell Wright scored 19 for the Sixers (27-43), who closed out a four-game Western road trip.
Derrick Favors added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Utah.
Utah held Philadelphia to just 39 percent shooting and 4 of 14 on 3-pointers.
The Jazz were 6 of 10 from beyond the arc in the first half in taking a 58-42 lead.
The Sixers played Utah even after that but it was too little, too late.
Utah jumped on the Sixers early, leading 10-0 and 16-6. Philadelphia rallied within 45-40 only to see the Jazz go on a 13-0 second-quarter run.
The Jazz had balanced scoring, with all the starters shooting 50 percent or better.
Hayward, who moved back into the starting lineup just recently, shot 6 of 9.
The Sixers went to the bench early, with Arnett Moultrie adding 14 points of 6-of-11 shooting, with eight rebounds.
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Wright was just 2 of 8 from 3-point range and 5 of 12 overall.
After falling behind so far early, Philadelphia fought back within 27-23 at the end of the first quarter on a hook shot by Spencer Hawes.
Utah opened the second quarter on a 15-6 run to bump its lead to 42-29 with 7:21 left in the half. Philadelphia was within five with 3:19 remaining after a layup by Lavoy Allen before Utah's 13-0 run, fueled by 3-pointers from Foye and Mo Williams and a diving play out of bounds by Williams, who was on his back when he pushed the ball ahead to Hayward at midcourt for an easy dunk.
The Sixers shot just 38 percent in the first half and had only three assists. Utah also turned eight Philadelphia turnovers into 16 points and held a 14-3 edge on the fast-break points in the first half.
NOTES: The Sixers scored just 19 points in the second quarter. ... Sixers coach Doug Collins only half-jokingly before the game said the future of the NBA is headed toward 30 percent of possessions being 3-point shots. "The game has changed. ... Teams are too good defensively. ... It almost has to be where your 4-man has to be able to shoot the corner 3," he said. The Jazz are on pace to shatter the franchise mark for made 3-pointers in a season ... Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the Sixers' 9-73 season in which Roy Rubin (4-47) and Kevin Loughery (5-26) split the coaching chores.
[Associated
Press; By LYNN DeBRUIN]
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