Booker, Jazz down Blazers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - Trevor Booker entered Saturday's game averaging just 6.7 points, but the Utah forward took advantage of his chance to start for only the fourth time this season.
Booker scored a career-high 36 points and pulled down nine rebounds to power the Jazz to a 111-105 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
With Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors resting, Booker made the most of his playing time. He knocked down all four of hits 3-point attempts and went 12- of-15 from the field to help the Jazz to their third win in four games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"My teammates did a good job of penetration and kicking out to me," Booker said.
Rodney Hood totaled 21 points and eight assists for Utah and Bryce Cotton came up big with 11 fourth-quarter points.
Damian Lillard had 28 points and C.J. McCollum added 26 for the Trail Blazers, who have lost back-to-back games. Robin Lopez scored 21 for the Northwest Division champions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It was kind of a disappointing effort by us," Lillard said. "I think we played hard, but basically I think the focus just wasn't there."
Portland led by as many as five early in the fourth, but the Jazz scored 13 in a row to move to a 94-86 lead. Chris Johnson's layup capped the burst with 6:54 left. Cotton supplied seven points in the flurry.
A layup from Lopez tied the game at 101-101 with 2:33 left, but Hood hit the go-ahead bank shot on the next possession. The Jazz made eight foul shots down the stretch.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Booker had 19 points in the first quarter, when the Jazz raced to a 32-19 lead after 12 minutes. He scored nine of Utah's points during a game-opening 11-2 run.
Portland trailed to tie the game at 15-15 before Utah regained control thanks to Booker, who notched the last five points for his team in the period.
McCollum's 3-pointer had the hosts within 44-42 with 3:52 left until halftime, but Johnson hit a 3 to start an 8-0 burst for the Jazz, who led 56-46 at the half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Lopez three-point play moved Portland to a 59-58 edge, and it was a back- and-forth battle the remainder of the quarter before the Blazers went into the fourth with an 80-77 cushion.
Game Notes
Portland was 6-of-30 from 3-point range ... Utah went 33-of-42 from the foul line ... Rudy Gobert had 11 rebounds for Utah ... McCollum and Meyers Leonard started in place of Arron Afflalo (right shoulder strain) and LaMarcus Aldridge (left foot sprain) for Portland.