This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Cleveland • Mo Williams nearly won it for the Jazz in a building he had plenty of experience winning games.
But in his first game back following thumb surgery, the Jazz point guard's layup with 5 seconds left rattled out of the basket and the Cavaliers escaped with a 104-101 victory.
The Jazz led by as many as 14 in the third quarter, but thanks in part to a pair of 3-pointers by former Jazz swingman C.J. Miles, the Cavaliers climbed back and took a 102-101 lead on a dunk by Wayne Ellington.
The Jazz had led 101-95 after Gordon Hayward made a pair of free throws, but the Cavs closed the game on a 12-1 run.
The loss spoiled a terrific game from Hayward, who led all scorers with 25 points and added 7 assists.
Hayward scored 15 of his points in the second quarter.
The Jazz played their third game without Al Jefferson, who remains sidelined with a sprained left ankle.
Mo Williams started in place of Marvin Williams, who was moved to the bench after a horrid stretch, which included a scoreless effort in Monday's overtime loss in Milwaukee.
boram@sltrib.com
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