After being one of the hottest teams in the NBA before the All-Star break, the Utah Jazz were in danger of losing more ground in the playoff race Tuesday night. Despite a hot-shooting performance, the Jazz lost a double-digit lead and came close to dropping 1 1/2 games behind the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference standings. Instead, the second-least-experienced team in the NBA did something it has struggled to do for years: winning a close game. Houston guard James Harden led all scorers with 42 points, but forward Gordon Hayward and the Jazz spoiled his big night with an important 117-114 overtime victory over the Rockets. "This was not like a real pretty game by any means, but it's a game that we won," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "We got a group that's learning how to do that." Hayward scored 28 points despite only taking seven shots from the field (and making six). He went 13-for-15 from the foul line and hit three of four 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. Hayward returned to action after being poked in the eye in the fourth quarter. "It was just hard to focus, honestly, just blurry for a good 10 minutes," he said. "I had to get back in the game, though, and had to do what I could to get back. ... (I'm) proud of this win. We needed it." Power forward Derrick Favors contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds for Utah. Favors made a key put-back bucket late in overtime, and the Rockets missed two game-tying 3-point attempts in the final seconds. The Jazz desperately needed to win after losing three of four games, including a tough 115-111 defeat at Portland on Sunday. Utah (28-28) replaced Houston (28-29) in the West's eighth and final playoff position. Utah also received key contributions from shooting guard Rodney Hood (18 points, including a pair of timely 3-pointers late in regulation and overtime), point guard Shelvin Mack (17 points in his first Jazz start) and backup point guard Trey Burke (15 points off the bench). Center Dwight Howard scored 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, forward Trevor Ariza added 18 points, and guard Patrick Beverley scored 14 in the loss. Magic 124, 76ers 115: Center Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 35 points and guard Victor Oladipo added 22 as the Orlando Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers 124-115. Vucevic, a former Sixer, made 13 of 21 shots from the floor and fell two points short of his career high. He also collected nine rebounds and four assists for the Magic, who won for the fourth time in sixth games. However, the Magic is just 6-17 since starting the season 19-13. Wizards 109, Pelicans 89: Guard John Wall registered his second triple-double of the season and the Washington Wizards collectively silenced New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis for a 109-89 win over New Orleans. Wall finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Wizards (26-29), who have won three of four since the All-Star break. Kings 114, Nuggets 110: DeMarcus Cousins had another big night against Denver with 39 points and nine rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Nuggets 114-110. Forward Rudy Gay had 16 points and 10 rebounds and forward Omri Casspi scored 14 for the Kings (24-31). Trail Blazers 112, Nets 104: Guards CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard each scored 34 points to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Moda Center. Lillard scored 22 in the second half for the Trail Blazers, who won their sixth consecutive game and 11th in the past 12 outings.
