The Utah Jazz beat the Milwaukee Bucks 107-95 at Fiserv Forum on Sunday, avoiding back-to-back losses.

Mike Conley returned for the Jazz in this game and contributed 20 points and four triples. He and Donovan Mitchell shot a combined 8-16 from downtown. With Conley running the offense, Mitchell was able to save enough strength to explode in the fourth quarter, during which he shot 4-5 from the field for 11 points, including a solo 5-0 run.

"That was a pivotal point in the game, that's really my job to go out there and have that imprint at that moment. For us, I hit a few shots, and we got some stops. Being able to push the lead out and put our foot on the gas a bit more, I did that, we all did that as a group," said Mitchell after the game.

The Jazz were very invested in protecting the paint too, delivering a total of 10 blocks, four of which came from Rudy Gobert. As a result, the Bucks were only 22-43 under the rim.

"We just want to keep getting better. Enjoy the season, enjoy the journey. … Just get better every night," said Gobert.

After three straight losses, the Bucks' record fell to 3-4 and ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference. Without Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo was overloaded having to carry both the offense and defense. He had 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks but missed eight 3-point attempts. The only reliable help Antetokounmpo could get was from Grayson Allen, who went 5-10 from beyond the arc to get 18 points and six rebounds.

"We've had a lot of different combinations and we got a decent amount of new guys this year, so how do we find that chemistry, how do we find that continuity, how do we find ways to get guys into rhythm?" said Pat Connaughton. "I think for us, we're still in kind of a learning process of it. It feels a little bit similar to last year when we struggled a little bit at the beginning of the season, middle of the season, because the continuity doesn't really happen overnight."

Holiday suffered a bruised right heel; Lopez had a back problem; Middleton missed Saturday's game because of illness.

Experienced Lakers toy with green Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 95-85 at Staples Center on Saturday, achieving their second straight win.

Dwight Howard sat out due to neck injury, so the purple and gold decided to use a small-ball starting lineup centered by Anthony Davis. Avery Bradley was the other new face on the squad.

It seemed like a well-thought decision because the Rockets are a fast-paced team and lack a powerful offensive weapon in the low post. That makes Davis the perfect defensive weapon against them while Bradley has been a reliable defender against ball-handlers.

The above changes worked well as the Lakers led in each of the first three quarters, establishing a 21-point lead before Q4. Davis had a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive glass. Both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook dropped universal numbers of 15 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and 20 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, respectively.

But Carmelo Anthony, again, was the best-performing Laker on the floor after draining five triples to net 23 points off the bench. He even delivered four blocks, one of them on Jalen Green, who is 18 years younger and much more athletic.

"I think people don't really understand me. I think there's a misconception out there about me and not being able to adapt to situations. But I'm easily adaptable, man, to any situation," said Anthony, who had a very unpleasant time with the Rockets in the 2018-19 season.

To be fair, the Lakers did not shoot well overall in Saturday's game, but the Rockets were 10 times worse. For example, the team committed a total of 25 turnovers, 13 of which happened by the middle of the second quarter. Those sloppy plays gave the purple and gold 32 points off turnovers.

Green was taught a painful lesson by the loss after going 2-8 in field goals and 0-4 from downtown to get only seven points, five rebounds, five assists and four turnovers.

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Sacramento Kings 99-105 Dallas Mavericks

Portland Trail Blazers 113-125 Charlotte Hornets

Detroit Pistons 91-117 Brooklyn Nets