SALT LAKE CITY — The Brooklyn Nets dropped a 114-98 final to the Utah Jazz on Saturday night as the Jazz took control of the game with a big first half run and never let go.
Utah went up by 17 at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half, with a lead as large as 26 points in the third quarter.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 22 points and D'Angelo Russell had 20. Ed Davis grabbed 11 rebounds.
Brooklyn shot just 34.7 percent overall and was outrebounded 64-44.
The Nets trailed 59-42 at halftime as the Jazz took charge behind a 20-0 run.
As both teams struggled for offense early -- combining to make four of their first 17 shots -- the Nets loosened up first and pulled ahead 21-13 after a 9-2 burst. But Dinwiddie's two free throws with 4:49 to go in the first quarter were Brooklyn's last points for seven minutes. The Jazz closed the first quarter on a 15-0 run and extended it into a 27-2 run for a 40-23 lead.
The Nets cut the lead to 11 before the Jazz took their biggest lead of the half at 55-35 and went into halftime up by 17.
Utah pushed its lead to 26 points midway through the quarter, going up 75-49 after a 14-3 run.
The Nets responded with five 3-pointers in the next four minutes -- three from Dinwiddie, with the last cutting the Jazz lead to 79-64. But Utah's Derrick Favors knocked down two free throws and a little push shot in the lane to send the Jazz into the fourth quarter with an 83-64 lead.
UP NEXT
The Nets get another swing at impacting the Western Conference playoff race, visiting the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday for night two of a back-to-back. They'll be in Sacramento on Tuesday, then return to Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Friday.