SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Jonas Jerebko crashed the basket and tipped in a shot against his former team with 0.3 seconds remaining to lift the Golden State Warriors to a 124-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
Kevin Durant, who scored 38 points, missed a running jumper. But Jerebko, who was let go by Utah as a free agent after last season and who was just subbed in to spread the floor with his long-range shooting ability, charged in from the right side and delivered the game-winning put-back.
The Jazz had taken their last lead when Jae Crowder scored off his own miss with 51.4 seconds left in the game.
Stephen Curry scored 31 points and Draymond Green had 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a fistful of attitude. Jerebko finished with 10 points.
Joe Ingles paced the Jazz with 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Donovan Mitchell added 19 points, but missed all six of his fourth-quarter attempts. Crowder had 17 and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Dante Exum gave the Jazz a 111-101 advantage with 8:53 left in the game. The Warriors responded with their most inspired defense of the night and went on a 13-0 run — Draymond Green’s layup made it 114-111 — to set up the game-ending fireworks.
High scores have been common in the first week of the NBA season, but the Jazz and Warriors took it to a new level, especially in the first half, which ended with Utah ahead 81-69.
In a role reversal, the Jazz were the ones letting shots fly from behind the arc with 46 3-point attempts. The Jazz made 19, while the Warriors made 10 of 19 from long range.
After the Warriors whittled their 16-point deficit down to 3, Ingles beat the third-quarter buzzer with a running, double-pump 3-pointer from 37 feet.
BUTLER LEADS T-WOLVES
In Minneapolis, Jimmy Butler’s trade request last month instantly turned him from fan favorite to scorned superstar in Minnesota.
With some hustle steals and highlight-reel baskets, he quickly had the crowd at the home opener on his side.
Butler brushed off some early jeers, scoring 33 points in 36 minutes to lead the Timberwolves past the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-123 on Friday night.
“I knew as soon as I made an effort play, it was going to turn into cheers,” Butler said. “I like it, though. Like I told you, ‘It’s OK to boo me. I’m still going to play hard. I’m still going to try to my best to help win games. Boos, cheers, silence, I’ve got a job to do.”
Andrew Wiggins pitched in with 22 points and Anthony Tolliver hit three 3-pointers off the bench to bolster a vintage all-around effort by the four-time All-Star Butler, who has told the team he won’t re-sign when his contract expires next summer. Hence the boos, which began when he was introduced during the pregame pageantry.
“That’s the NBA. He loves it,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.
