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Favors scores 23 as Jazz beat Celtics 111-93

Feb 20, 2016 - 8:20 AM SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Derrick Favors was not happy after Utah's disappointing loss the previous night. He took it out on the Boston Celtics.

Favors had 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Jazz beat the Celtics 111-93 on Friday night in the second game of a back-to-back.

''I was just trying to be aggressive,'' Favors said. ''I had a bad game in Washington and a lot of stuff was said, so I just wanted to come out and be aggressive and play my game.''

The Jazz were coming off a 103-89 loss to the Wizards on Thursday night.

''We didn't play as good as we wanted to last night in Washington, so we just wanted to come out, set the tempo early, be aggressive and try to get a win.''

Utah, which snapped a two-game skid, pulled away midway through the third quarter with a 10-0 stretch to take a 79-62 lead. Trevor Booker's fast-break dunk and Favors' layup in traffic capped the run.

Gordon Hayward finished with 22 points for the Jazz, while Rudy Gobert had 11 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. Favors also had a career-high six assists.

''The first thing, maybe, is for (Favors) to say I'm not going to worry about someone getting me to do it,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''I'm going to focus. I'm going to keep doing that. He can do that.

''We can keep trying to encourage him, but part of his maturation as a player is just having that level of focus. ... Be precise. Because when he's precise, he's usually really forceful. That's hard to deal with as strong and as big as he is - when he plays that way and imposes his will.''

The Celtics shot poorly all night and finished at 37 percent from the field. Their last lead came at 10-9 early in the first quarter.

Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and six assists fresh off his All-Star appearance. Jae Crowder chipped in 17 points and Avery Bradley had 12. Jared Sullinger was just short of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.

The Jazz led just 54-49 at halftime despite one of their more efficient halves of the season. Utah shot 60 percent from the field and hit 9 of 13 from 3-point range. A 6-0 run, highlighted by Rodney Hood's 3, pushed the lead to 49-39.

Eight first-half turnovers kept the Jazz from extending the lead. The Celtics scored seven points off those turnovers and didn't commit one of their own in the first half.

Boston shot just 36 percent in the first half.

''There shouldn't be any rust, I don't think it was rust,'' Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. ''I just think we did not play very well. I thought they had a lot to do with that. I thought they played great.

''I thought they hit us in the mouth and kept hitting us in the mouth for 46 minutes. We reached and grabbed instead of held our ground. That is what happens.''

TIP-INS

Celtics: Boston is third in the Eastern Conference standings, one game ahead of Miami and Atlanta. ... Kelly Olynyk was inactive with a bruised right shoulder. ... Boston was outrebounded 51-34.

Jazz: Utah is tied with Houston for eighth-place in the West, one-half game behind Portland and one behind sixth-place Dallas. ... Raul Neto scored a career-high 15 points. ... Trey Burke and Celtics forward Jared Sullinger were teammates at Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio.

COLLEGE REUNION

Four members of the Butler's 2010 NCAA Tournament final team were in the building Friday - Stevens, Celtics assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry and Jazz players Hayward and Shelvin Mack. ''The one thing (Stevens) told us was he was never going to leave us to go to another college team,'' Hayward said. ''Which he didn't do. He ended up going to the NBA. He's going to be successful wherever he's at.''

NEWBIE

Mack made his debut at home after being acquired by the Jazz on Thursday, though he wasn't allowed to suit up. He can't practice until all the physicals for everyone involved in the trade - Kirk Hinrich and Justin Holliday - have been completed. Mack adds depth to the roster that has carried just two healthy point guards all season.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

The Jazz PR team presented Celtics forward Jae Crowder with a pair of his father Corey Crowder's game-worn shoes. The elder Crowder played for the Jazz during the 1991-92 season.

QUOTABLE

''We can't make excuses, everyone had a lay off,'' Thomas said. ''We were just slow to everything offensively and defensively we just weren't there. Every time we play like that we end up losing and somehow we have to change that.''

UP NEXT

Celtics: At Denver on Sunday.

Jazz: At Portland on Sunday.