This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The first home game after an extended road trip is known in the NBA to be a difficult one. The legs are weary. Even though it's a home game, it's still a different building. Mustering the energy needed to win can be a chore.
In that sense, the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers — as good as they are — may have been the perfect opponent for the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
Utah was 48 hours removed from losing to the Memphis Grizzlies. Against the Cavaliers and LeBron James, however, they played what may have been their best all-around game of the season.
The result was a 100-92 win before a frenzied sellout crowd. It may count as just one win in January, but it was big in the sense of beating a quality opponent ahead of the next two weeks in which the Jazz schedule has a favorable look to it.
"I can certainly appreciate the logic," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "It's Cleveland. It's tough for anyone in the NBA to not be ready to play. They have the best player in the league (James), they won the whole thing last year. So if this isn't a game you can get up for, you probably don't know what's going on."
The last time the Jazz went to the East Coast for a five-game road trip, they lost their first game at home to Memphis. They had none of those issues against Cleveland on Tuesday, instead looking like a rested team.
Gordon Hayward had perhaps his best game of the season, as the star forward scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds. More importantly, he matched James shot-for shot and carried the offense through crucial stretches by shooting 10 of 12 from the field, his most efficient outing in weeks.
The win also featured a breakout performance from Rodney Hood, who had been in his worst shooting slump of the season. Hood scored 18 points, knocking down four 3-pointers — including a huge 3 with 2:06 remaining in the game that put the Jazz up 99-90 and ended Cleveland's comeback hopes.
"I think because we dropped some on the road, it was good to come home and get a win like this," Hayward said. "We were playing the world champs, so it was natural for us to come out and play with energy. The crowd could feel it, and anytime you can beat LeBron, it's a good win."
Utah's win was notable for how the Jazz were able to achieve it. They dominated the second quarter to take a 56-41 halftime lead, only to see the Cavaliers go on a 19-2 run to start the second half and lead 60-58 midway through the third quarter.
At that point, Snyder had already taken two timeouts. James had scored 13 of his eventual game-high 29 points and was dominating as the Jazz were staggered.
Then, the Jazz answered with a 16-0 run to take a 74-60 lead of their own. They did it by going small with the insertion of Joe Ingles into the lineup. The third-year forward scored five points but his presence defensively, and his ability to foster ball-movement offensively, made him a key to much of Utah's success.
"He's been great for us, not just tonight but throughout the season," Hayward said. "He's shown why coach has trusted him in so many spots. He makes the right plays. He's a competitor, he's a playmaker. He did a great job of battling LeBron. His defense has stepped up another notch this year."
The Jazz (24-16) had contributions from everyone, with six players in double figures. Along with Hayward and Hood's starring turns, George Hill scored 13 points and handed out seven assists. Rudy Gobert scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and both Derrick Favors and Trey Lyles scored 12 points.
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Storylines
R LeBron James loses to the Jazz in Salt Lake City for the sixth straight time.
• The Jazz move to 9-1 on the season when Gordon Hayward and George Hill play.
• Utah outscores Cleveland 40-32 in the paint.