Jackson scores 24 and Peterson makes go-ahead FTs to lift Jazz over Pelicans

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points and 10 rebounds, rookie Darryn Peterson made the go-ahead free throws with 50.5 second left, and the Utah Jazz outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 120-119 on Friday night.

Keyonte George tallied 19 points and 10 assists and Jaxson Hayes added 17 points for Utah (1-1).

Zion Williamson scored 23 and Saddiq Bey had 20 points for the Pelicans (0-2) who gave up second-half leads in both of their games this season.

In a frantic final minute as the Pelicans tried to regain the lead they had for much of the fourth quarter, the officials upheld a charging foul on Williamson and Dejounte Murray missed a pull-up jumper just before the final buzzer.

New Orleans starting center Yves Missi injured his left knee in the second quarter and had to be helped to the locker room. He missed the rest of the game and will be re-evaluated Saturday.

With 6:30 left in the second quarter, a driving shot attempt by Williamson was blocked by Hayes and then Williamson fell into Missi’s leg.

After a scoreless first half, Murray scored his first 12 points during a 31-13 burst that erased a 15-point Jazz lead. Murray had three of the Pelicans’ eight steals in the third quarter that ended with a 90-86 Pelicans advantage.

Jackson, who only played three games last season for Utah because of surgery to remove a growth in his left knee after he was traded by Memphis, had nine of his points in the fourth quarter to go along with a big block on Williamson.

Utah’s win snapped an eight-game losing skid to the Pelicans.

Up next

Pelicans: Visit the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Jazz: Host the Los Angeles Lakers in the return of former Jazz center Walker Kessler on Sunday.

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