DALLAS – Gordon Hayward and the Utah Jazz now have a win that coach Quin Snyder views as validation for the hot streak his young team is enjoying.
DALLAS – Gordon Hayward and the Utah Jazz now have a win that coach Quin Snyder views as validation for the hot streak his young team is enjoying.
Hayward hit the winning jumper at the buzzer in overtime after Rodney Hood’s tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, and the Jazz extended their season-best winning streak to seven games with a 121-119 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Snyder didn’t want to discredit his team’s run before the game, but said it was mostly at home, not to mention almost all against losing teams.
But this one was in Dallas, where the Jazz had lost 10 straight going back to Jan. 9, 2010. And it was against a Western Conference playoff contender, albeit one that could be fighting for one of the final spots if the Mavericks’ up-and-down play continues.
“I think we are learning more and more how to make winning plays,” said Snyder, whose team finishes a back-to-back in New Orleans on Wednesday night before the All-Star break. “Gordon made the right play, and he made the shot.”
Hood finished with 29 points — three shy of his career high about a month earlier against Memphis — and Hayward had 20, including 13 in the second half and overtime.
Chandler Parsons led Dallas with 24 points but missed an open 3-pointer for the lead with 24 seconds left in the Mavericks’ second straight overtime game and NBA-high eighth of the season.
“We had a couple of opportunities to step in to really good shots and they just didn’t go down,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s a make-or-miss league.”
With the Jazz down 110-107 in regulation, Hood took a handoff coming around a screen and hit a leaning shot from the left corner over Parsons, who scrambled over on a switch.
Hood’s tying shot was the only made 3-pointer of the second half for either team after Dallas took a 29-21 first-quarter lead without making a two-pointer. The Mavericks were 6 of 12 from long range and made all 11 of their free throws in the opening quarter.
Hayward’s winner from the left baseline over Dallas center Zaza Pachulia came off an inbounds pass with 4.2 seconds left. Hayward dribbled left around the key, with Pachulia taking him on a switch and giving him just enough room to get the shot off.
“It was great playing against a veteran team like that and being able to gut one out at their place,” Hood said.
SPURS 119,
HEAT 101
MIAMI — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points, Kawhi Leonard added 23 and the San Antonio Spurs got seven points on one possession in the fourth quarter to help them beat the Miami Heat 119-101 on Tuesday night.
Danny Green added 15 for the Spurs, who have won six straight over the Heat going back to the 2014 NBA Finals.
Dwyane Wade scored 20 points on 9 for 12 shooting for Miami, which goes into the All-Star break on a two-game slide. Chris Bosh scored 18 and Hassan Whiteside added 14 points and six rebounds before getting ejected in that pivotal possession in the fourth.
Whiteside was assessed a flagrant-2 for elbowing the Spurs’ Boban Marjanovic as they tried to get position for a rebound. That was part of a seven-point trip for the Spurs, who pushed an 87-80 lead to 94-80 in 16 seconds and weren’t threatened again.
WIZARDS 111,
KNICKS 108
NEW YORK — John Wall had 28 points and 17 assists, Bradley Beal scored 26, and Washington beat New York in the Knicks’ first game under Kurt Rambis.
Wall made four free throws in the final 6.6 seconds and the Wizards held on when Langston Galloway’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was just short.
Carmelo Anthony had 33 points and 13 rebounds, but the Knicks lost their sixth straight in their first game since firing Derek Fisher on Monday. They have dropped 10 of 11 and started Rambis’ era the same way Fisher’s ended, by quickly falling in a huge early hole.
Rookie Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points, but just two after his 14-point third quarter.
BUCKS 112,
CELTICS 111
MILWAUKEE — Khris Middleton made one of two free throws with 0.6 seconds left and Milwaukee defeated Boston.
Middleton drew a foul on Avery Bradley to get to the line. Boston had tied the game when Kelly Olynyk made two free throws with one second remaining.
Milwaukee appeared to have won the game on Greg Monroe’s last-second hook shot, giving the Bucks a 111-109 lead. Olynyk then drew the foul with no time expiring off the clock.
Monroe, who was removed from the starting lineup, had 29 points and 12 rebounds as the Bucks ended a five-game losing streak. Middleton had 20 points and Michael Carter-Williams, who also was benched, added 16.
Crowder and Bradley had 18 points each for the Celtics.
WARRIORS 123,
ROCKETS 110
OAKLAND, Calif. – Stephen Curry had 35 points, nine assists and six rebounds and the Golden State Warriors relied on a signature putaway fourth quarter to hold off the Houston Rockets 123-110 on Tuesday night.
Andrew Bogut added 13 points, 11 rebounds, a season-high six blocked shots — three in the fourth — and three steals in one of his best games yet.
Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the fourth to get the defending champions going after the game was tied at 93 after the third.
Golden State won its 42nd straight regular-season home game and is 24-0 at Oracle Arena this season. The Warriors are within two home victories of matching the Chicago Bulls’ NBA-record home winning streak of 44 games from March 30, 1995-April 4, 1996.
James Harden overcame a scoreless first quarter to finish with 37 points, five assists and five rebounds in Houston’s eighth straight loss to Golden State.