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 Hayward scored a season-high 20 points, forward Trevor Booker had 13
points and nine rebounds, and the Jazz beat the Denver Nuggets 96-84
Thursday night.
Hayward scored in double figures in all five games but was hitting
just 35 percent of his shots in before Wednesday. He was 7-for-13
from the field against the Nuggets to help the Jazz overcome center
Derrick Favor's short night due to illness.
"It was good to kind of get out of it," Hayward said of his slump.
"Still not there at all with where I want to be but the rhythm is
starting to get there."
Guards Trey Burke and Alec Burks had 12 points each off the bench
for Utah, which rebounded from a tough loss 24 hours earlier. Burks
added a game-high eight assists as the Jazz finished with a
season-best 23 overall.
The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Jazz by 16 in Utah's home opener
on Wednesday.
"(We) played a bad game last night, and we'll probably play a few
more," Utah coach Quinn Buckner.
It didn't happen against a Denver team that has lost both of its
home games this season. Forward Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets
with 18 points, and forward Will Barton had 12 points.
"The energy was not there, especially when you play a team like that
that's on the second night of a back to back," Gallinari said. "They
might stay with you in the first two quarters but if you keep the
same energy they will not stay with you the whole game. We didn't do
that and they had a lot more energy than us for sure."
The Nuggets (2-3) have road wins against the Houston Rockets and the
Los Angeles Lakers but haven't figured out how to duplicate that
success at Pepsi Center. They were blown out by the Minnesota
Timberwolves six days earlier and then let the tired Jazz pull away
in the final 10 minutes Thursday.
All three of Denver's losses are by 12 or more points.
Utah (3-2) trailed by one early in the fourth quarter before Burke
scored five quick points on two free throws and a 3-pointer. Booker
added a dunk to give the Jazz a 72-66 lead.
Booker also had a rebound game. He hit 6-of-9 shots against Denver
after missing all six of his attempts against Portland.
"I was pretty down on myself," he said. "I couldn't sleep
(Wednesday) night. I just needed to step up with Fave out. I wanted
to step up last night and I didn't have the game I wanted so I knew
I had to step up tonight."
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Denver guard Randy Foye's third 3-pointer of the second half cut it
to 72-69 but the Jazz began to pull away.
Booker fed Burke cutting through the lane for a layup, guard Rodney
Hood and Hayward hit consecutive 3-pointers, and center Rudy Gobert,
who had a game-high 16 rebounds, had a dunk during an 12-0 run that
gave the Jazz an 90-73 lead with 4:17 left.
"We always talk about fourth-quarter defense and tonight's
fourth-quarter defense (gave up) 31 points," Nuggets coach Michael
Malone said. "That can't happen."
Guard Gary Harris gave Denver brief hope with five quick points, but
the lead never left double digits.
The Nuggets led by 13 late in the first quarter, but Utah rallied to
pull within 42-40 at intermission. The Jazz continued to hang close
until Hood's 3-pointer gave them a 56-54 lead late in the third
quarter. It was their first lead since early in the game.
NOTES: The Nuggets signed F Kostas Papanikolauo and waived G Erick
Green. Papanikolauo was acquired from Houston over the summer but
waived before training camp. He was in uniform Thursday night. ...
Utah C Derrick Favors played while battling the flu. He was held to
six points Wednesday at Portland and six points Thursday at Denver.
... Nuggets C Joffrey Lauvergne missed his second consecutive game
with a lower back strain. ... Utah is starting the season with 10 of
its 14 games on the road. The Jazz do not play consecutive home
games until hosting New Orleans and Golden State on Nov. 28 and Nov.
30.
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