HOUSTON (AP) - Jazz coach Quin Snyder kept telling Bojan Bogdanovic to keep playing despite his shooting struggles on Sunday night.
Bogdanovic ended up hitting the biggest shot of the game.
Bogdanovic’s 3-pointer as time expired gave Utah a 114-113 victory over the Houston Rockets.
“The play was designed for me to shoot a 3,” Bogdanovic said. “It’s big-time from their part to have that trust and confidence in me to make that shot after the game that I had.”
Bogdanovic finished with eight points on 2-of-7 shooting.
“You just play him, let him play,” Snyder said. “He’s such a competitor, and I tell him to keep playing. If he needs to hear that, he knows how much I trust him.”
Jordan Clarkson scored 30 points and Donovan Mitchell finished with 24 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Jazz, who won their second straight after a five-game losing streak.
“They made a heck of a shot,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We had two guys on him. I was afraid we were going to foul him (because) it was so close. Hats off to that shot.”
It came after P.J. Tucker’s 3-pointer from the corner gave Houston a two-point lead with 1.6 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, Bogdanovic came off a screen and hit a contested 29-footer to give the Jazz the win.
“I had kind of two guys on me,” Bogdanovic said. “The first moment I thought they might block me or foul me on the shot. Then, as soon as I kind of released the ball from my hand, I saw it in there.”
Tucker knew immediately it was going in.
“I knew it was good as soon as he caught it,” Tucker said. “He got a good lift on it. I could tell as soon as he shot it.”
Mike Conley added 20 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Jazz shot 49%, including 15 of 38 on 3-pointers.
“We’ll take it,” Conley said of the win. “We would have liked to have won it on the last stop. Obviously, P.J. Tucker got a good luck and made that, and that’s the league. We came down and were able to draw up a good play for Bogi, and he was able to make it. I don’t know how he did it, but we’ll take it.”
Russell Westbrook had 39 points for the Rockets. James Harden added 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Westbrook shot 18 of 33 from the floor, while Harden was 11 of 23, including 2 of 13 on 3-pointers. Robert Covington had 14 points and Danuel House Jr. had 10 for Houston. The Rockets shot 46%, including 15 of 42 on 3-pointers.
“I think we get the shots we want taken,” Westbrook said. “Open shots, open looks. Depends on what kind of defense you see every night, so we’re just trying to read and see what’s going on.”
Trailing by two, Covington hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 28 seconds left to give Houston a 110-109 lead. On the ensuing possession, Tucker fouled Mitchell, who made both free throws to give the Jazz a 111-110 lead.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Snyder was whistled for a technical foul with 7:29 remaining in the fourth. … The Jazz committed 16 turnovers, which the Rockets turned into 21 points. … Utah outrebounded Houston 48-36.
Rockets: G Eric Gordon (left lower leg contusion) missed Sunday’s game after he was injured on Friday night. D’Antoni said Gordon was day-to-day, and it was up in the air if Gordon would play on Tuesday night. … Thabo Sefolosha was whistled for a technical foul with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.
FACES IN THE CROWD
Hall of Fame first baseman Jeff Bagwell and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara sat courtside for the game.
UP NEXT
Jazz visits Mavericks on Monday.
Houston hosts Celtics on Tuesday.
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