The Jazz played the Raptors tough Friday night, but in the end they just couldn't handle All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, who poured in 36 points and led Toronto to a 104-98 win in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz (18-13) have now lost three straight games.
Gordon Hayward finished with 23 points and five assists, while Trey Lyles scored 19 points off the bench. Shelvin Mack had 17 points and five assists in 34 minutes.
Rudy Gobert finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for his tenth straight double-double.
DeMar DeRozan chipped in 24 points and four steals in the win for the Raptors (21-8).
Friday's Best
Lyles was huge for the Jazz, scoring all of his 19 points in the second half as he almost single-handedly kept Utah in the game. The second-year forward drilled three 3-pointers and threw down a monster dunk during a 17-4 Jazz run in the third quarter, and then he hit another three late in the fourth to keep the game close. In all, he finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and an assist in 30 minutes.
Key Stretch
After a 17-4 run gave the Jazz a three-point lead near the end of the third quarter, Toronto answered with a 15-6 run early in the fourth to take back control of the game. Lowry, who missed much of the third quarter after receiving stitches above his lip, scored 11 points and assisted on another bucket during that stretch. The Jazz would stay within striking distance, but they could never catch up as Lowry burned the Jazz for 19 fourth-quarter points.
Significant Stat
91.7
Lowry scored 24 second-half points—in only 16 minutes of action—on 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) shooting. And these were not easy shots. They were 20-foot fadeaways with a hand in his face, and floating layups while he was being knocked to the ground by big guys like Derrick Favors. On a night where DeRozan struggled with his shot (10-for-24 from the field) and his temper (his cheap shot on Lyles in the third quarter resulted in a flagrant foul), Lowry was the only reason Toronto won.
Coach's Quote of the Night
Notable
Gobert failed to record a block for the first time since November 4 (a span of 25 games). ... The Jazz made seven of their 10 3-pointers in the second half. ... Utah shot 18-for-21 (85.7 percent) from the free-throw line. ... George Hill (toe) missed his 12th straight game, while Danté Exum (knee) and Alec Burks (ankle) were also out. ... Rodney Hood (illness) returned after missing Utah's last game, but he scored only two points on 1-for-6 shooting and was limited to 14 minutes.
Up Next
The Jazz will have a three-day break over Christmas before they're back in action in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. MT, and the game will be televised on ROOT SPORTS.
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