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LOS ANGELES — After falling to the Washington Wizards at home Wednesday, the Utah Jazz were focused on getting back to their winning ways in Los Angeles.
Coming into a game against the Lakers, the Jazz were 11-3 since the All-Star break, with the worst loss coming against the Lakers at home in February.
Make that two reasons why the Jazz were motivated to get a win, above the normal ones of pride and improvement.
Those motivating factors paid off for Utah, as the Jazz picked up an 80-73 win over the Lakers.
Trey Burke scored five points in the final two minutes, showcasing his newly improved floater. Burke previously hit the shot to clinch a home win over the Detroit Pistons Saturday, and a floater with 1:45 left gave Utah a 76-71 lead they would never relinquish.
While every win is a good win for the Jazz, especially after a frustrating loss for the players two Washington, it was far from perfect.
A few points stood out as Utah’s road record moved to 14-20.
Both teams probably spent the day watching college basketball, because the offensive performances from the teams resembled something from a college game. The Lakers held a 36-33 halftime lead, as the Jazz scored just 15 points in the second quarter. Three-point shooting for either team was suspect, as Los Angeles made just 3-of-11.
The Jazz had an excuse for a slow offensive start, as they got in to Southern California late after a late finish in Salt Lake on Wednesday. However, the Lakers had two off days and played a game Monday at home.
In spite of the offensive struggles, the team’s power players still performed in critical moments. Jazz forward Gordon Hayward finished with 22 points, including 18 points in the second half. He also made 11-of-13 free throws. Also, Derrick Favors finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Burke finished with 17 points, including the fourth-quarter spurt that pushed the Jazz ahead.
With the Jazz lead 72-69 with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, Gordon Hayward drove to the basket to try and get a foul call on the Lakers. Instead, Tarik Black defended him, and promptly sent him to the floor after Hayward initiated contact. Hayward bounced hard off the floor, and walked off the court gingerly.
However, Hayward returned to the game after a timeout, scoring four points over the final minutes for the Jazz
