Poor shooting dooms Cavs in upset loss to Jazz
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Rodney Hood scored 28 points and the Utah Jazz, playing without leading scorer Gordon Hayward, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 94-85 on Monday night.
The Jazz remained two games behind the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks for the last Western Conference playoff spot, while the Cavaliers stayed 2 1/2 games ahead of Toronto in the East.
The Jazz led most of the game, but went into the fourth quarter tied at 66. Utah went on a 16-2 run midway through the period, led by 10 points from Trey Lyles, to take an 86-73 lead.
The Cavs never recovered.
Hayward missed his first game of the season with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but Hood picked up the slack.
LeBron James had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, and Kyrie Irving chipped in 15 points.