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 Forward Gordon Hayward scored 24 points, and the Jazz won
consecutive games for the first time in December with a 110-89 rout
of the Suns.
"The guys that started the game today came ready to play," Jazz
coach Quin Snyder said. "There is no magic behind this lineup or
that lineup. They just came ready. It's about us coming out and
playing hard, and that's what those guys did tonight."
Hayward opened the game with a 3-pointer and scored 12 points in the
first quarter to put the Jazz in control from the beginning. The
Jazz (12-14) never trailed en route to their second straight
wire-to-wire win.
"We started out the game really well," Hayward said. "I think
because of that -- they were on a back-to-back -- it kind of was
deflating for them and set the tone for us the rest of the game."
Hayward hit eight of 16 shots and also finished with four assists,
three rebounds and two steals. Center Derrick Favors contributed 18
points and nine rebounds, while guard Rodney Hood added 14 points.
Utah guard Alec Burks had the highlight of the game with a late
throw-down that brought fans and teammates off their feet. Burks
finished with 13 points.
The Jazz hadn't won consecutive games since beating the Los Angeles
Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 25 and 28. Utah beat
Denver on Friday to snap a four-game losing streak.
Guard Brandon Knight, playing a reserve role as Devin Booker
started, had a huge game for the Suns. He led all scorers with 26
points. However, guard Eric Bledsoe only had eight points.
"We just thought maybe those young guys could get in there and give
a little emotion and a little action in the beginning," Suns coach
Jeff Hornacek said. "And it didn't happen."
Phoenix (12-18) dropped its second game in a row after losing to
Milwaukee on Sunday.
Forward Mirza Teletovic also gave the Suns some spark off the bench
with 17 points and seven rebounds, but Phoenix shot 39.2 percent
from the field.
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Utah shot 45.6 percent overall and was 9-for-25 from 3-point
territory.
The Jazz established themselves with runs at the beginning of each
half.
Utah scored the game's first seven points and took an early 14-2
lead before going ahead by as many as 18 in the opening half.
The Jazz had an even bigger start to the second half, bursting out
to an 11-0 spurt to seize a 20-point lead.
Knight gave Phoenix its first points of the second half with a
jumper four-plus minutes into the third quarter.
"I'm just here to play basketball," Knight said. "Whatever I'm asked
to do, I'll do it. I'm just here to try to win games."
NOTES: The Suns pulled a surprise with the starting lineup,
inserting rookie G Devin Booker for G Brandon Knight. Booker became
the youngest Sun to ever start on Nov. 23 (19 years, 24 days), and
he scored six points in 13 minutes. ... Jazz players Alec Burks,
Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Joe Ingles bought 60 tickets
apiece for the remaining home games to be donated to local youths
and charities. Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey also bought a block of tickets
to give to school teachers and staff. In all, 11,000-plus people
will get to watch Jazz games through their generosity. ... F/C
Derrick Favors, on playing against the Suns, who have multiple
former Jazz guys in their organization, including coaches Jeff
Hornacek and Earl Watson: "Now they know a lot of stuff about your
game (and) they can go in there and tell the team, 'OK, he likes to
do this, he likes to do that. Take away this, take away that.' I
don't like it."
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