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Like too many two-wheel drive vehicles around Utah this week, the Jazz find themselves in a slide.

Utah entered the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's game with a six-point lead thanks to a 16-point outburst from forward Derrick Favors in the third. But needing a win to snap a losing spell, the Jazz hit the skids in the fourth quarter of a 104-94 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

"Kind of let that one slip away from us," said Favors, who finished with a team-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. "Just got to be better. We had them and it slipped away."

In two close losses to Oklahoma City, the Jazz could point to the disparity between talent and experience. Even Monday's 37-point blowout loss at San Antonio could be explained away some by a tough stretch of scheduling.

But the Pelicans, who came into Salt Lake with a woeful 1-12 road record, looked like a perfect cure for a losing streak.

Not. So. Fast.

New Orleans outscored the Jazz 31-15 in the fourth quarter, a period in which Utah shot 31 percent from the floor and 0-for-6 from behind the 3-point line.

The Jazz and Pelicans were tied at 89 with 5:05 left in the game. But Utah went 1-for-6 from the field and committed three turnovers the rest of the way.

"We had a hard time scoring," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "That was the main thing. We're in positions where we have to be able to make plays. … I thought they were very physical with us and we didn't respond real well."

Jazz forward Gordon Hayward scored 20 points in the loss. Point guard Trey Burke, who finished the night 4 for 13 from the floor, was the only other Jazzman to hit double-figures with 12 off the bench.

New Orleans shooting guard Eric Gordon got things going for the Pelicans. He hit four of his six attempts from 3-point territory in the first quarter, giving the Pelicans a 27-24 lead after one. Gordon finished with 19 points.

New Orleans was on a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter when Raul Neto checked in for the first time. The point guard, known for his defensive effort, drilled back-to-back 3s — one from each corner — in less than a minute on the court to tie the game at 39.

In the third quarter, however, Favors looked to have things under control as he scored 16 points, a personal high for scoring in one period. Favors converted on seven of his eight attempts in the period, at one point backing down All-Star Anthony Davis and flushing a two-handed dunk that ignited the announced crowd of 17,899.

But the Jazz couldn't take advantage of the minutes Davis spent on the bench to start the fourth quarter and the forward quickly tied the game upon reentering.

Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson, meanwhile, scored a game-high 24 points thanks in no small part to a 13-for-13 night from the free throw line. Overall, the Pelicans were able to convert 26 of their 28 free throws.

Snyder made some changes to his starting five on Wednesday, inserting center Jeff Withey next to Favors and the three-wing look of Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Hayward.

But that wasn't enough to get the Jazz on track.

"Our team didn't play well," said Snyder, who declined to assess the new-look unit. "As a group, this is not about a starting lineup or a go-to guy or a match-up situation. This is about our group as a whole needing to compete more at the right times and make plays."

Twitter: @tribjazz —

Storylines

R Derrick Favors had a season-high 22 points, including a 16-point third quarter, and tied a career-high with five assists.

• Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson scored 24 points thanks in large part to a 13-for-13 night from the free throw line.

• Jazz lose their fourth game in a row, a season-high.