SALT LAKE CITY — Get off the ledge, Jazz fans, and breathe easy. There’s no need to jump — your favorite NBA team is not gonna go 0-66 this season.

Not if Friday night’s effort is any indication of things to come.

After back-to-back beatings on the road, the Utah Jazz returned home and conjured up visions of glorious victories from the past with a gritty (and much-needed) 102-99 thriller over the Philadelphia 76ers at raucous EnergySolutions Arena.

It wasn’t clear whether Friday’s drama-filled win was one which brought about great joy or simply a sense of relief. After all, in their season-opener — a 25-point loss to the Lakers — the Jazz were The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. And in Game 2 — an ugly 17-point defeat at Denver — they looked like The Gang That Couldn’t Play Defense.

But in Game 3 on Friday night, they became The Gang That Refused to Lose at Home.

With four starters — Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap — scoring in double figures, and two of them — Millsap and Favors — coming up with double-digit rebounds as well, this lineup looked much more focused and cohesive than the one that got slapped around in those lopsided losses at L.A. and Denver.

And with critical contributions off the bench from Earl Watson, C.J. Miles, Josh Howard and Enes Kanter, the Jazz gave their fans a wonderful, albeit a little late, Christmas present — hope.

Hope that this team will rise above all those preseason predictions that have them languishing among the worst teams in the league.

As for now, though, it’s doubtful that any team in NBA history has ever been happier to be 1-2.

And Utah coach Tyrone Corbin was mighty glad to that first victory.

“We needed a win, first of all,” he said. “The first two games on the road, we didn’t really feel good about how we played.

“We made some mistakes again tonight, but I thought our energy level was up on the offensive end of the floor and defensively we did a great job communicating with each other. … The guys did a good job of not falling apart but coming together more and encouraging each other and pushing each other.

“We’re growing; we’re getting better,” Corbin said. “We’re still a young group of guys, and we’ll keep getting better, keep fighting and keep trying to figure it out. And as long as we stay together as a group, we have a great chance to get this thing worked out.”

Before the game, shooting guard C.J. Miles — who, at the ripe old age of 24, is the longest-tenured member of the team — thanked the fans “for sticking with us through the lockout” and commended them for being the “best fans in the NBA.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Chalk one up for the young guys.

And while you’re doing that, mark a win down for the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz bounced back from a pair of rough road games to open the season with a riveting 102-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night in their home opener at EnergySolutions Arena.

Derrick Favors had a humongous night with 20 points and 11 rebounds after filling in for usual starting center Al Jefferson, who sat out with an inflamed right ankle.

Fellow second-year player Gordon Hayward also made a big impact in this game, hitting a clutch jumper in the final minute and scoring 15 points.

Devin Harris scored 19 points and Paul Millsap, reinserted in the first five, added a strong double-double with 14 points and 12 boards as the Jazz improved to 1-2.

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia (1-2) with 20 points.

The Jazz were in an unfamiliar position at halftime.

They actually went to the locker room with a lead — 53-51.

Harris had 14 points at the half, including 13 in the second quarter when the Jazz rallied out of a 13-point deficit.

The Jazz also received double-digit performances from Millsap (11 points) and Favors (10) in the opening half.

Both Millsap and Favors started — Millsap because he’d been put back into the opening lineup to help Utah get off to a better start, and Favors because of Jefferson’s injury.

Philly jumped out to a 29-22 edge at the end of the first quarter, and then upped its lead to as many as 13 points as the Jazz looked lost and listless.

Harris was even taken out — getting replaced by backup point Earl Watson — four minutes into the game. But the starting point guard came out with a vengeance in the second quarter.

Interestingly, Favors had eight first-quarter points on a day when he was benched and then named a starter within hours.

Rookie Enes Kanter also contributed with a strong interior defensive presence, finishing with four points and six rebounds.

C.J. Miles added 10 points, Watson scored nine and Josh Howard had eight in what was easily the Jazz’s best game of the season.

The Jazz travel to San Antonio for a New Year’s Eve showdown with the Spurs.

EMAIL: jody@desnews.com

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Derrick Favors scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds Friday night, leading the Utah Jazz to a 102-99 victory over Philadelphia in their home opener at Energy Solutions Arena.

Gordon Hayward’s 15-foot jumper with 30.2 seconds left gave the Jazz a 101-97 lead and Utah held on for its first victory of the season.

The Jazz played without center Al Jefferson, who was scratched before tipoff because of an inflamed right ankle.

The First: Sixers 29, Jazz 22

The Jazz open with more defensive energy than they exhibited in a 117-100 loss at Denver on Wednesday night. Still, Elton Brand scores seven quick points and the Sixers close on a 12-4 run.

The Second: Jazz 53, Sixers 51

Philadelphia builds a 13-point lead but, behind the aggressive play of Devin Harris, Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward, the Jazz rally. Harris earns six trips to the foul line in the final four minutes.

Story continues below

The Third: Sixers 73, Jazz 71

Hayward’s jump shot and Millsap’s free throw give Utah a 56-51 lead. But the 76ers convert four of their next five possessions during a 9-0 run, preventing the Jazz from building more momentum.

The fourth: Jazz 102, Sixers 99

Earl Watson scores five points during a 14-4 run that gives the Jazz their biggest lead in any game this season, 85-77. Utah struggles mightily offensively down the stretch but never trails again.

Follow the in-game live chat at sltrib.com/sports

Twitter: @tribjazz, @sluhm

Jazz-Philadelphia matchup box

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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – The Utah Jazz are expected to play their first home game of the season Friday. For the businesses in downtown Salt Lake the news couldn’t be better.

With the Jazz back, millions of dollars will go back into the Utah economy, some were worried those millions would never return. Now, stores around Energy Solutions Arena are breathing a sigh of relief.

The Jazz are back.

“It’s going to be good to get out there and see what happens,” said Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz Forward.

“Feels great to get back home,” said Tyrone Corbin, Utah Jazz Head Coach.

They’re not alone; fans are already waiting for autographs, and businesses near Energy Solutions Arena are jumping for joy.

“We’re excited to have them back,” said Makayla Denton, Manager, Thaifoon Taste of Asia.

“Ecstatic, super excited,” said Susan Shrum, Operating Partner, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

“There’s no question on Jazz nights we’re a lot busier,” said Brady Lambert, Manager, Ben & Jerry’s.

Months ago many wondered if there would be any games at all. A lockout threatened to cancel the entire NBA season. Finally after 149 days, owners and players came to a new collective bargaining agreement, and games are now back on.

“We’ve been waiting for it since the lockout, so it feels great,” said Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz Forward.

With the Jazz back on home court, restaurants downtown are anticipating a big boost in sales.

“Last Wednesday we had one of our biggest Wednesdays we’ve had in over a year,” said Denton.

“And that was just a preseason game?” asked Reporter Brian Carlson.

“Yah, that was a preseason game,” Denton said.

“(Normally) we do about 200 covers in about 5 hours,” said Shrum.

“And on a Jazz night?” asked Carlson.

“We do 200 in an hour and a half,” Shrum said.

For restaurants like Fleming’s that means an extra $10,000 a night.

To handle the crowds expected Friday, ABC 4 is told, restaurants are not only adding extra food and extra staff; they’re also creating food specials just for Jazz fans.

SALT LAKE CITY — EnergySolutions Arena may have never looked or sounded as good as it will Friday night for the Utah Jazz.

If a team was ever in need of a home-crowd boost, it’s this ragtag collection that has suffered back-to-back beatdowns.

Their aim was so off in Los Angeles, they might not have been able to point in the direction of a B-list actor at Staples Center.

Their ability to stop someone was so poor in Denver, Tim Tebow might have been able to throw for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on them if they wore pads.

If that sounds overly harsh, give another glance at the final scores: Lakers 96, Jazz 71 and Nuggets 117, Utah 100.

Utah players don’t just need to find an elusive identity, consistency, properly functioning combinations, defensive rotations, team chemistry and a commitment to put forth enough effort to win.

Their juiceless battery could use a jumpstart from a crowd that’s done that so many times over the past three decades.

“We’re still trying to figure it out. Hopefully in the next few days we’ll figure it out, especially with our young group,” Jazz sixth man Paul Millsap said after Wednesday’s game. “I think home court advantage will help us, give us a little energy, let us get out and run a bit.”

Heck, maybe even win a game — or at least have a chance to win one.

In reality, there’s only so much of an edge 19,911 fans can give a team. There is a reason why one group pays to get in, while the other much smaller (in numbers) and more talented group gets paid to be there.

Ultimately, it’s up to Jazz players and coaches to get their acts together and play up to their potential.

“We’ll see what type of team we are the next couple of games,” second-year Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward said.

Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin took extra time after Wednesday’s loss to emphasize to his entire team — players, staff and himself — that everybody is responsible to do his part.

“They have to step up and do it. We have to as a coaching staff and myself. We have to lead them through it,” Corbin said. “It’s a young bunch of guys for the most part. We’ve got to grow together.”

The second-year coach believes that will happen, that player development and victories can happen simultaneously.

“I’m not quitting on the guys, and I don’t think they’ll quit on me. But we’ve got to get things figured out,” Corbin said. “We’ve got to learn to trust each other as players on the floor and just go out and compete together as a group of guys and not as individuals, two or three guys going hard. We’ve got to have everybody competing on the floor.”