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SALT LAKE CITY -- Several shrewd trades during the summer brought improved depth to the Utah Jazz and positioned the team to be a rising star in the NBAs Western Conference this season. After one game, that depth is already being tested.Utah opened the season with usual starting forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors sidelined with injuries. Hayward is out through at least mid-November after fracturing his left finger in the preseason. Favors missed the opener against Portland on Tuesday because of lingering knee and IT band issues. He practiced with the team on Thursday, but remains questionable.The Jazz missed both players in a 113-104 loss to the Blazers. Utahs offense went ice cold over the final 3 1/2 minutes -- despite an outstanding individual effort from Joe Johnson, who is starting in place of Hayward and finished with a team-high 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting.Learning how to play without a pair of key players is something Utah coach Quin Snyder said the team must do if it wants to live up to preseason expectations.We cant wake up every morning wondering when theyll be back, Snyder said. Theyll be back when theyre back. We cant let that be a distraction. We need to lock in and just compete with who we have.Facing the Los Angeles Lakers in Friday nights home opener should present much less of a challenge for the Jazz. The Lakers are coming off a franchise-worst 17-65 season and enter their post-Kobe Bryant era with talented and raw building blocks such as Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, DAngelo Russell and rookie Brandon Ingram.Los Angeles got off to a good start Wednesday night, winning in coach Luke Waltons debut. The Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter, beating the Houston Rockets 120-114 behind Clarksons 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 20 points from RussellFor a team that tasted victory so infrequently a year ago, rallying against a quality opponent felt like a welcome change of pace. Los Angeles struggled at times before halftime, but played with a degree of energy and enthusiasm not seen during much of the 2015-16 season.Walton said the offense is ahead of the defense at this point because his team played unselfish basketball against Houston. Players shared the ball and worked it around to whoever had an open shot. It paid off in terms of execution.I know it sounds basic but I think its something that it is hard to buy into because if one guys doing it then you dont want to give the ball up because you might not get it back, Walton said. But as soon as multiple people start buying in and the ball can move side to side youre going to get good shots.Utah is the first stop in a four-game road swing for Los Angeles. The Lakers also travel to Oklahoma City, Indiana and Atlanta over a six-day stretch before returning home to face Golden State. After Friday, the Jazz head out for a pair of road games against the Clippers and Spurs over a three-day stretch.Utah won the season series 3-1 a year ago and hasnt lost at home to Los Angeles since falling 100-97 on February 25, 2015. The Lakers lone victory came on April 13 in Bryants final game of his NBA career when he totaled 60 points to lead his team to a 101-96 victory. Elgton Jenkins Packers Jersey . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Ray Nitschke Jersey . 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SAN FRANCISCO -- Jeff Samardzija had a simple game plan against the Atlanta Braves that helped him earn a much-needed win and moved the slumping-but-still-surviving San Francisco Giants closer to first place in the NL West.Just made them hit it to (shortstop Brandon) Crawford mostly, Samardzija said, referring to his Gold Glove teammate.The plan couldnt have worked out much better for Samardzija or the Giants.Sparked by a handful of defensive gems by Crawford, Samardzija and two relievers combined on a seven-hitter, and San Francisco beat Atlanta 7-0 on Friday night.Samardzija (11-9) had an uneven outing and had to pitch out of two early jams to win for only the fourth time since May 30. He got plenty of help from Crawford, who threw out a runner at third in the first inning, snared a liner to end the second with the bases loaded then made a nifty bare-handed grab to throw out Dansby Swanson to end the sixth.I like getting groundballs so Im glad that (Samardzija) feels confident in me to make those plays for him, Crawford said.Samardzija allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out six. He also doubled and scored in the fourth.Atlanta failed to score in the first after putting runners at second and third with one out. The Braves also came up empty after the first three batters reached base in the second, then ran themselves out of another opportunity in the fourth when Jace Peterson was called out after getting hit by the ball on pitcher Joel De La Cruzs single.Rocky start but he did a great job of getting out of those jams, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Samardzija. He just kept his concentration and his poise. Saved the game probably at that point for us.Angel Pagan homered while Brandon Belt, Denard Span and Buster Posey added two hits apiece for the Giants. San Francisco scored six runs on two-out hits and benefited from three Atlanta errors.Freddie Freeman had two hits for Atlanta, one day after taking a hard fall while flipping over a railing chasing a foul ball.Hunter Strickland and Cory Gearrin retired three battters apiece for San Francisco.ddddddddddddThe Giants benefited from the Braves shaky defense to give Samardzija an early cushion.San Francisco had four consecutive two-out hits off De La Cruz (0-7) in the first inning following a throwing error by Atlanta shortstop Swanson.We go up early and its a whole different game, really, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. We just couldnt score and it looked like (Samardzija) got locked in pretty good.San Francisco went up 5-0 in the second on Pagans ninth home run, three batters after Gorkys Hernandez reached on second baseman Petersons fielding error.Belt, who had an RBI single and scored in the first inning, doubled in Posey in the fifth.The Braves couldnt keep up.NO HELP FOR THE PITCHERDe La Cruz remained winless after allowing seven runs in four innings but he cant shoulder all the blame for his record. The Braves have failed to score in five of the eight games started by the right-hander and he is receiving just 1.3 runs of support per start. I thought he threw the ball OK but (your teammates) make some miscues and you need to get the next guy out and he wasnt able to do that, Snitker said. It wasnt real good, really.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: Freeman showed no lingering effects after hurting his back during Thursdays game in Arizona. Freeman doubled in the first inning and reached on an infield single in the fifth.Giants: Outfielder Hunter Pence was held out after straining his right hamstring a day earlier. Pence is hopeful of returning to the lineup Saturday.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (6-5) faces the Giants for the second time this season Saturday night. Foltynewicz, who beat San Francisco on May 30, is winless in his last two starts overall.Giants: RHP Jake Peavy (5-9) returns to the rotation for the first time since being demoted to the bullpen following the trade for Matt Moore on Aug. 1. Peavy last started on May 30 against Washington. ' ' '