Utah 94, Phoenix 81

Jazz 94, Suns 81: Al Jefferson had 27 points and 14 rebounds while Paul Millsap added 18 and 13 to help host Utah dispatch Phoenix.

Gordon Hayward scored 18 points and the Jazz had a 52-37 rebounding edge en route to beating the Suns for only the second time in the last nine meetings.

Luis Scola had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Jared Dudley scored 16 points and Goran Dragic tallied 13 for Phoenix.

Utah led 77-55 late in the third quarter and took a 16-point lead into the final stanza. But the Suns, who rallied from 26 points down to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, used a 19-2 spurt to whittle the Jazz’s lead to 79-74 on Michael Beasley’s put-back with 5:24 remaining.

Millsap and Jefferson hit baskets and Marvin Williams drained a 3-pointer to boost Utah’s lead back to 12 with 3:02 remaining as the Jazz staved off the comeback attempt.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jamaal Tinsley posted a season-high 14 assists for the Jazz. … Phoenix sub Shannon Brown had just four points on 1-of-9 shooting after scoring 20 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. … Utah guard Mo Williams missed the contest with a strained groin.

• Utah will play their next game on the road against Toronto. The Jazz have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .500 after a loss.
• Phoenix will play their next game at home against Denver. The Suns have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .667 after a loss.