National Basketball Association

Jazz finally end young fan's misery

Published Nov. 13, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

How hard to handle was the Utah Jazz's 0-8 start — its worst in 39 years?

Don't ask the players, ask this young fan right here:

Dry those eyes, young man. The Jazz snapped the skid Wednesday night with a 111-105 win over the Pelicans.

''It's been tough to sleep at night as a member of the only NBA team without a win. I hate losing and maybe I'll finally sleep well tonight,'' said Gordon Hayward, who had a team-high had 27 points and 10 assists.

As the most experienced player on the team, veteran Richard Jefferson took a strong stand in a third-quarter timeout after the Jazz fell down by 16.

''There is no more 'Let's get it next time.' This is unacceptable! This is our time right now,'' he told his teammates, according to Hayward. Jefferson led the rally and finished with 22 points.

Diante Garrett was set to play for Iowa of the D-League but arrived in Salt Lake City on Tuesday and ended up playing 22 minutes for the Jazz, who need a point guard while they await the debut of lottery pick Trey Burke, who's a few weeks from playing while recovering from a fractured finger.

''I was shopping at Wal-Mart two nights ago when I got the call,'' said Garrett, who had seven points and five assists and was running the point in crunch time. ''I haven't even had a practice yet but the coach was just drawing up plays on the white board in timeouts for me.''

That should dry a few eyes in Utah. And if the losses start to stack up again, remember: There's plenty of help coming in the 2014 draft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.