Jazz Pass Rockets In NBA Standings With OT Win

Gordon Hayward scored 28 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 117-114 overtime home victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night in a game with significant playoff implications.

Jazz Pass Rockets In NBA Standings With OT Win

With the win, the Jazz moved into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff race, a half-game ahead of the Rockets. The Rockets fell to 2-1 against the Jazz this season, and are now ranked 9th.

James Harden led Houston with 42 points, and Jason Terry hit a 3-pointer with 10.8 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 106 and force overtime.

Rodney Hood scored a 3 over Dwight Howard with 51.9 seconds left in OT to give the Jazz a 115-112 lead. Harden followed with a layup, but Derrick Favors’ put-back pushed the margin to 117-114 with 11.8 seconds left.

Utah gained a 34-23 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 15-2 run.

“It is huge. This was a tiebreaker opportunity for us,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We have them one more time. Whenever you play a team that you are matched up with, those are important games.

“But, our focus is on us right now. We are not worried about the other teams. We are not worried about the playoff race.”

The Rockets will next visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, while the Jazz will host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Caption: HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 10: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz and Corey Brewer #33 of the Houston Rockets battle for a loose ball during their game at the Toyota Center on January 10, 2015 in Houston, Texas.