MINNEAPOLIS — The Utah Jazz let the wounded Minnesota Timberwolves hang around for the first half Monday at Target Center. A big third quarter for Utah put that to rest.
The Jazz outscored the Timberwolves by 14 in the third quarter en route to a lopsided 104-84 victory at Target Center.
Utah forward Gordon Hayward led all scorers with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and he was one of four Jazz players in double figures. Second-year guard Trey Burke chipped in 19 points off the bench.
Utah (33-41) started the second half on a 14-0 run to build a 24-point lead after leading 50-40 at the break. Hayward scored seven of his 22 points during that stretch.
Timberwolves rookie guard Zach LaVine snapped the Utah run with a fast-break dunk, but the damage had already been done.
The Jazz hit 10 of 32 shots from 3-point range Monday and shot 47.6 percent from the floor. Minnesota (16-58) shot just 36.8 percent.
LaVine led Minnesota with 21 points. It was his sixth game this season with 20 or more points, and the fifth time he’s led the Timberwolves in scoring. LaVine also chipped in five rebounds and six assists in the loss.
Timberwolves rookie forward Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points, but none was more memorable than the two points he scored on a second-quarter dunk. Wiggins took a pass from guard Lorenzo Brown, cut into the lane and threw down a one-handed slam over 7-foot-1 Jazz center Rudy Gobert to cut Utah’s lead to 35-34. Less than a minute later, though, Gobert got his revenge as he stuffed Wiggins on another dunk attempt. Gobert finished with three of Utah’s six blocks in addition to his 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Minnesota has now lost 15 of its last 18 games.
The Jazz have won two straight after snapping a four-game losing streak.
Utah was without its second-leading scorer in forward Derrick Favors, who did not play due to back spasms. Favors is averaging 16.4 points this season.
NOTES: Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said that C Nikola Pekovic (right ankle) will not play again this season. Pekovic played in just 31 games in 2014-15, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. … Pekovic is one of a long list of injured Minnesota players. PG Ricky Rubio (left ankle) and F Kevin Garnett (illness) sat out Monday, and C Gorgui Dieng was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms after getting hit in the head Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Minnesota used its 27th starting lineup of the season, a franchise record. … Jazz F Derrick Favors was out due to back spasms. “Backs are tricky things,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. … Saunders wouldn’t make a Final Four prediction, he but did have high praise for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, a close friend. “Of all of his years, it’s probably the best coaching job he’s done,” Saunders said.
