Basketball is a game of four quarters. While the Philadelphia 76ers led the Utah Jazz 74-70 through three quarters, Gordon Hayward and his teammates stifled the Sixers, holding them to just nine points in the final 12 minutes for a 100-83 victory on Thursday night.

G-Time finished with 20 points for his fourth consecutive 20-point outing, shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and adding four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. The Jazz benefitted from the return of point guard George Hill, who tallied 21 points in the victory.

“It’s great to have [Hill] back,” Hayward said, while he rested to start the fourth quarter. “The way he was playing before, we need him to keep that up and he did that tonight.”

Philadelphia 76ers v Utah Jazz

Gordon Hayward scored the opening points of the game, making his first two free throws. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the stripe on the night and is on pace for a career-high, shooting 87.4 percent from the charity stripe this season.

It wan an impressive first quarter for Hayward, who scored six more points on two 3-pointers and added a rebound and an assist.

G-Time added three more points in the second on a layup that was capped off with a free throw after the shooting foul. Philly stayed right in it, though, claiming a 51-49 lead at the half.

The third quarter was Hayward’s highlight of the night, finishing with nine points, two assists and two rebounds. He splashed a trey at the 2:25 mark to give the Jazz a 70-69 lead, but the Sixers took a 74-70 advantage into the final frame.

Facing a pesky Philly squad and a potential upset, the Jazz went to their bread and butter in the final frame: defense. A strong bench effort on both ends of the floor, and the crafty play of Hill helped to spring the Jazz to a definitive victory.

It was a strong bench effort, and the return of George Hill, that helped the Jazz spring to victory in the fourth quarter. Utah limited Philadephia to just four field goals in the final frame. Utah went on a 21-2 run to start the fourth quarter and the 76ers were never able to claw back into the game.

Hill and Hayward have only played in six games together this season, but in those games the Jazz are 6-0. Derrick Favors was also back in the starting lineup at the four spot. Utah’s starters had played only 12 minutes together all season before this game.

“We still have to figure out our rhythm a little bit and figure out the spacing and what works. For the most part, it felt good to have the starting unit back out there,” Gordon said.

Up next, the Jazz host the Phoenix Suns on Sunday before heading East for a five-game road trip. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MT.