Raptors dominate through western trek
Even without Leonard, Toronto improves to 10-1 atop East Conference
SALT LAKE CITY — Back to back is a built-in excuse in the NBA. Back to back and playing at altitude against a Utah Jazz team that was resting and waiting for you is a better one.
For a quarter it looked very much as if the Raptors might be needing that excuse.
But as tired and lethargic as they appeared through the first 12 minutes, the next 36 were like someone found the missing case of Red Bull and had it delivered and consumed by the entire roster as the Raps improved to 10-1 on the year and a perfect 3-0 on this west coast road swing with a 124-111 win.
This was like two different teams, the Raptors of the first quarter and the team that played the final three.
The Jazz didn’t exactly help their cause in the first by failing to take advantage of seven Raptors turnovers.
The Jazz, normally a very good three-point shooting team, couldn’t get anything to fall all night from behind the arc, finishing up just 8-for-31 from afar. On the year, they are a 35 per cent team from distance and even that is low based on what they did a year ago.
But give the Raptors credit for staying in this one, even with that ugly start.
The duo of Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry combined for 16 of the Raptors’ 35 points in the second quarter while the defence locked in and the turnover faucet got turned off. As a result, the 4-6 Jazz could manage only 23 points in the second frame. By the half, the Raps were up 11 and on their way to a dramatic turnaround win.
The Raptors outscored the home side 29-18 in the third quarter and basically coasted from there.
Lowry once again reached double digits in the assist department finishing with 11, pushing his double-digit assists steak to nine games. He was also one of four Raptors finishing with 17 points including OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka, who continued his hot shooting going a perfect 8-for-8 in the game before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Over the past three games Ibaka has made 27-of-29 field goal attempts. Siakam added 16 points for the Raptors.
The Raptors were again without the services of power forward Kawhi Leonard. It’s the fourth game in 11 that he’s missed. He jammed his left foot on Friday in Phoenix. The decision was made in Los Angeles without Leonard even taking the court for any pre-game testing against the Lakers. He did test it out in Salt Lake City and decided against playing. Leonard’s absence meant a second consecutive start for Anunoby, who is finding his legs offensively but defensively has been right back to form from a year ago.
Alec Burks had 22 points to lead the Jazz with Rudy Gobert adding 14 and Jae Crowder adding 12. The Jazz were missing their leading scorer in Donovan Mitchell, who suffered an ankle injury Saturday in Denver. He’s also been suffering from a hamstring injury.
The Raptors will enjoy a day off Tuesday in the California capital of Sacramento before taking on the Kings Wednesday night in the fourth and final game of this west coast road swing.