DENVER – Gordon Hayward scored 20 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and the Utah Jazz pulled away late to beat the Denver Nuggets 96-84 on Thursday night.
Trevor Booker added 13 points and Rudy Gobert had eight points and 16 rebounds for Utah, which kept the Nuggets winless in their two home games this season. Alec Burks and Trey Burke added 12 points apiece.
Danilo Gallinari had 18 points to lead Denver while Will Barton added 12.
Utah outshot Denver 43.5 percent to 38.9 percent.
Trailing by two points at halftime, Utah took a 65-64 lead into the fourth quarter and stretched it to 78-71 on Burke’s layup with 6:49 remaining.
Denver got a jumper from Jameer Nelson but Rodney Hood and Hayward hit successive 3-pointers as part of a 12-0 run carrying the Jazz to a 90-73 lead with 4:17 left. The Jazz maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Burks hit a 3-pointer to start an 11-2 run over the last 5 1-2 minutes of the second quarter, pulling the Jazz within 42-40 after trailing by as many as 13 points earlier in the game.
Derrick Favors fought through flu-like symptoms to play for the Jazz but he was limited to just over 15 minutes and did not play in the second half.
Nuggets center Joffrey Lauvergne missed a second consecutive game because of a lower back strain. Forward Kostas Papanikolaou was signed to the roster earlier Thursday and guard Erick Green was waived.
Denver will visit Golden State on Friday night.
