Utah on Tuesday took a share of the NBA Northwest Division lead with a 120-101 win against Houston, with Gordon Hayward scoring a season-high 31 points to lead the Jazz to their fourth straight victory.
While the Jazz pulled level with Oklahoma City, two other division leaders had setbacks, with Cleveland losing against Milwaukee and San Antonio suffering a rare home defeat against Orlando, ending the Spurs’ nine-game streak.
Utah trailed 16-9 in early going against the Rockets, but Rodney Hood had 10 points during a 20-5 first-quarter run that turned the game around and the Jazz led from then on. Hood finished with 19 points, while Utah set their highest points total of the season.
Photo: AP
Rudy Gobert recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
James Harden scored 26 points to lead Houston, but was an inefficient 8 for 23 from the field.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo tied a career high with 34 points as the Bucks had a surprisingly comfortable 118-101 win against Cleveland.
Antetokounmpo added 12 rebounds, while Jabari Parker had 18 points for Milwaukee, who led by as much as 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland accepted defeat at that point, resting their starters.
LeBron James had 22 points for the Cavaliers, who led by 14 points in the first period, but by only two at the end of the quarter. The Bucks turned that into a four-point lead at halftime and 18 at the last break.
Orlando capitalized on a sloppy performance by hosts San Antonio, beating the Spurs 95-83.
San Antonio committed a season-worst 19 turnovers, which led to 19 Orlando points, and had their lowest score of the season. The Spurs have four home losses in the first two months of the season after falling just once at AT&T Center in 2015-2016.
Serge Ibaka had 18 points for the Magic, who were coming off four straight defeats.
Kawhi Leonard had 21 points for San Antonio.
Brooklyn’s Sean Kilpatrick scored 31 of his career-high 38 points across the fourth quarter and double-overtime to steer the Nets past the Los Angeles Clippers 127-122, ending a seven-game losing sequence.
Detroit shot 49 percent from the field to win 112-89 in Charlotte, led by 24 points from Tobias Harris.
New Orleans’ Anthony Davis had 41 points and 16 rebounds, helping the Pelicans dominate the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers 105-88.
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