Triple-OT win puts Jazz back in playoff picture
The Jazz survived quite a bit in Monday night to put themselves smack dab in the playoff race yet again.
They overcame Dirk Nowitzki's 40-point explosion and 27 points from Jason Terry.
They got away with missing free throws and making untimely turnovers.
They outlasted the defending NBA champions in their second marathon match of the season, outdueling and outlasting the Mavericks for three overtimes.
If their 123-121 triple-OT game wasn't wild enough, they also experienced one of the weirdest technical fouls ever, when Delonte West stuck his finger in Gordon Hayward's ear after being called for a foul in the second quarter.
"We needed that one. We needed that one desperately. It was fun out there," Hayward said. "I am proud of the guys. We fought our way through some mistakes, kept battling all the way through the overtimes and got the win."
A much-needed victory that helped the Jazz, now 32-30, move to within one-half game of a playoff position behind Phoenix and Houston, who are each 32-29.
"Tell you what, the guys really did a great job, man," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said, "just fighting through whatever was happening in the game."
The Jazz arguably have the most favorable schedule of the other playoff contenders, with three home games following Wednesday's road finale in Portland.
