Utah’s offense came alive late and–combined with a string of fourth-quarter defensive stands–resulted in a 93-89 come-from-behind win over the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
The win was Utah’s second straight, while the Raptors–who are in the middle of a five-game road trip–have now lost three straight.
Derrick Favors had 18 points (and 11 rebounds) to lead the Jazz (6-5). Gordon Hayward (17 points), Rodney Hood (16 points), Alec Burks (13 points) and Trey Burke (10 points) also scored in double figures.
Toronto’s Luis Scola scored 18 of his season-high 22 points in the first half, while DeMar DeRozan came alive late, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. Kyle Lowry added 20 points, six assists and three steals for the Raptors (7-6).
Wednesday’s Best
Favors was quiet for most of the game–until it mattered most. Utah’s big man came up huge in the final minute, converting a three-point play to give the Jazz an 89-85 lead with 40 seconds left. And then–after two free throws by Lowry–Favors threw down a two-handed dunk as the Jazz broke Toronto’s half-court press. He also bounced in the game-sealing free throw (after he missed the front end–DRAMA!!!) with eight seconds remaining.
Key Stretch
After going ice cold in the third quarter, the Jazz caught fire from the field in the fourth. Hayward converted a three-point play and drilled two 3-pointers. Burke hit a three. Burks made three straight shots after going 0-for-6 from the field to start the game. Hood hit two free throws and then sank a runner in the lane. The result was an 82-79 Jazz lead with 4:54 left in the game (their first lead since late in the second quarter).
Significant Stat
The Raptors entered the night averaging 30 free-throw attempts per game (No. 2 in the NBA) and knocking down 79.4 percent of those attempts as a team (No. 6 in the NBA). The Jazz committed 20 fouls but did a good job of keeping Toronto off the line. The Raptors went 16-for-18 on the night–a stellar percentage but not enough volume to be a difference maker.
Coach’s Quote of the Night
“I thought [Toronto] raised their level in the third quarter. Defensively, they just got a little more physical. They were tough. … And we didn’t respond right away. I thought that, as the game progressed, we got a better feel for it and we got tougher.”
–Jazz head coach Quin Snyder
Notable
Utah led by as many as 10 in the first half and then trailed by as many as seven in the second half. … The Jazz broke a four-game losing streak to Toronto. … After a string of slow starts, the Jazz went 8-for-11 from the field in the first six minutes of the game. … Raul Neto finished with six points (all on layups), two assists and two steals in 18 minutes.
Up Next
The Jazz will hit the road to face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MT.
