Raptors lose to Utah
TORONTO — Dwane Casey didn’t have much of an issue with Ricky Rubio’s threepointer with less than five seconds left in Utah’s 97-93 win over Toronto on Friday.
It was how his team started the game that concerned him.
“We started the game out in mud — that set the tone for us the rest of the night,” said the Raptors coach. “Our approach to start the first quarter started our problems for the night.
“Never got the game under control. They did a good job of scratching and clawing, making everything tough on us. It was one of those games where I was concerned about being flat.”
Toronto had a sloppy first quarter, turning the ball over four times in the first 7 1/2 minutes while the Jazz hit 10 of their first 14 shots.
Rubio capped the night by draining a shot from beyond the arc with 4.8 seconds left. Following a Raptors timeout, DeMar DeRozan missed a game-tying turn-around jumper and Royce O’Neale sealed Utah’s victory by sinking a pair of free throws.
Utah scored 12 of the final 14 points in the fourth.
“It was easy to take that shot,” said Rubio. “I was open and had to take it. There was no other option. It felt good and let it fly.
“I’m not afraid of taking good shots and I like those moments.”
Rubio finished with 14 points, six assists and six rebounds. Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 26 points for Utah (21-26), which has now won back-to-back games and three of four.
“It’s a big confidence-booster,” said Mitchell. “We showed a lot of grit, I think that’s been the biggest thing.”
Jonas Valanciunas paced the Raptors with a game-high 28 points, 14 rebounds and a career-best two three-pointers made. DeRozan added 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while C.J. Miles chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
With the loss, the Raptors (32-15) earned a split of the season series against the Jazz. Toronto defeated Utah 109-100 on Nov. 3 in the only other meeting between the two clubs this season.