VanVleet leads Raptors past depleted Jazz
TORONTO 122 UTAH 108
TORONTO — Fred VanVleet put on a show Friday, rallying the Toronto Raptors almost single-handedly to a 122-108 comeback win over a depleted Utah Jazz team.
VanVleet recorded his first career tripledouble, scoring 24 of his season-high 37 points in a red-hot third quarter to help dig the Raptors out of a hole and extend their win streak to five.
Toronto (19-17) scored the first bucket of the night then trailed by as many as 17 before a 15-0 solo Toronto run by VanVleet put the Raptors ahead 85-84 late in the third. The six-foot-one guard was just 2-of-11 shooting in the first half but hit all eight shots in the third, scoring 17 straight points during a 24-8 Raptors run.
“It’s hard to score like that, that’s for sure,” said Toronto coach Nick Nurse. “Especially to string them up like that.”
It marked the longest streak by a Raptor since Morris Peterson scored 17 straight Feb. 27, 2001 against Cleveland. Vince Carter holds the franchise record with 18 consecutive points.
VanVleet, who finished with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, hit a three to give Toronto a 94-92 lead going into the final quarter.
The depleted Jazz (28-11) had no answer in the fourth, outscored 28-16.
“We did really play in the second half. And we needed to … I thought the empty arena would get to us at some point, energywise, and we couldn’t create our own fun tonight in the first half,” said Nurse. “But we did in the second.
“In this kind of time we’re in, I’m not totally shocked about anything these days. I’m just really happy we got a W from the game, see what we can learn.”
VanVleet’s 37 points mark the most in a triple-double in franchise history.
Kyle Lowry, who recorded 16 tripledoubles for the Raptors before moving to Miami, applauded VanVleet on Twitter, saying “FredVanVleet triple double!! About time!! Lol congrats!!!”
VanVleet’s 24 points in the third fell just one point short of Pascal Siakam’s franchise record for points in a quarter. Toronto’s 45 points in the quarter were a season high.
The Jazz had gone 18-5 since beating the visiting Raptors 119-103 on Nov. 18 and came into the game having won eight of their last nine. But Utah, playing its fifth game in eight nights, found itself where the Raptors had been up until recently — struggling to field a team.
The visitors were without star centre Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles, both in health and safety protocols, while all-star Donovan Mitchell (back), Mike Conley (knee), Bojan Bogdanovic (finger), Royce O’Neale (knee), Jordan Clarkson (back) and former Raptor Rudy Gay (heel) were all injured.
Hassan Whiteside returned from concussion protocol. That left the Jazz with nine players dressed, including new 10-day signings Danuel House Jr. and Norvel Pelle.