HOUSTON — It may not have been the best birthday he’s ever had, but it’s certainly the second-best basketball-related birthday Gordon Hayward’s has enjoyed.
Hayward celebrated his 26th birthday Wednesday by helping lead a second-half Jazz comeback that resulted in an 89-87 victory over the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.
The sixth-year Jazzman scored 22 points and came up with four steals, the biggest coming with 42 seconds left when he stepped in front of a Patrick Beverly pass intended for James Harden when the score was tied at 85.
At the other end, Hayward was fouled and made two free throws to put the Jazz up by two before the Rockets tied it again and the Jazz won it on a Derrick Favors dunk with 1.