Jazz-Raptors Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Nov 11 2012 8:35PM

A four-game road trip for a team yet to win away from home doesn't seem ideal, but the Utah Jazz have reason to believe their jaunt will get started on a positive note.

Utah can avoid dropping to 0-5 as a visitor for the first time in 25 years by winning its seventh consecutive road meeting with the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

The Jazz pulled away for a 94-81 win against visiting Phoenix on Saturday behind a season-high 27 points from Al Jefferson, who battled through a stomach illness.

Paul Millsap added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Utah (3-4), which played without Mo Williams due to a strained adductor.

"We knew we had to close it out at the end," said Jefferson, who finished with 14 rebounds. "(Millsap and I are) two of the three leaders on this team and one of our leaders (Williams) was out. We just had to step up. It was a big game before we hit the road, and the way we played (Friday), we had to have a special night."

Jefferson was referencing the previous night's 104-84 loss to Denver that marked Utah's fourth straight road defeat to open the season. The Jazz, who also face Boston, Philadelphia and Washington on their trip, haven't dropped their first five games on the road since 1987.

It's unclear if they'll have Williams, who is averaging team highs of 16.8 points and 6.3 assists, on Monday, though Jamaal Tinsley proved to be an adequate replacement Saturday.

The veteran went scoreless but dished out 14 assists - his most since finishing with 15 while playing for Indiana on Feb. 11, 2007.

"I thought he was great," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "For the most part he got us into the stuff we needed to get into. I just respect his professionalism."

Tinsley could start again as Utah seeks to extend its road winning streak over the Raptors. It hasn't lost in Toronto since 2004, and it had won 12 straight overall matchups until the Raptors' 111-106 double-overtime victory in the most recent meeting Jan. 25.

Toronto (1-5) is coming off a 93-83 home loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, again failing to put together a complete effort in its third straight loss.

Andrea Bargnani scored a game-high 23 points and Jose Calderon added 14 and 11 assists for the Raptors, who shot 2 for 20 while being outscored 32-7 in the second quarter.

"We've been talking in all the games, we play good for three quarters, we lose it in one, everything we worked for," Calderon told the team's official website. "It's happening so many times. It's always playing good for a while and then we hit that wall and stop playing. It looks like we forget to play basketball."

It's unclear if either Kyle Lowry or Landry Fields will be available after both sat out Saturday. Lowry sprained his right ankle in Tuesday's loss to Oklahoma City and Fields is nursing a tender right wrist.

Alan Anderson started for Fields on Saturday but is unlikely to play against Utah after spraining his left foot.

Linas Kleiza, who made his season debut Saturday after attending to a family issue, and Bargnani each scored 25 points to trump Millsap's 31 in the last meeting.

Jefferson, Millsap lead Jazz over Raptors in 3 OTs

By IAN HARRISON
Posted Nov 12 2012 11:55PM

TORONTO (AP) The Utah Jazz didn't just work overtime to earn their first road win of the season. They worked three of them.

Paul Millsap scored seven of his 34 points in the third overtime, Al Jefferson had 24 points and 17 rebounds, and the Jazz beat the Toronto Raptors 140-133 Monday night.

"I can't say enough about how our team hung in there," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We kept fighting, we understood the importance of trying to get off the schneid and get a road win. It took us long enough tonight but we finally got it going."

Utah rallied after trailing by 11 with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, and no basket was bigger than Jefferson's 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation, a shot that bounced around the rim before falling through.

"I knew we needed a 3," Jefferson said. "I just set my feet a let it go. The ball wanted to tease me for a while but it finally dropped. I knew then that if I hit a 3 to send us to overtime, we've got to go win it."

It was just the second 3-pointer of Jefferson's nine-year career. He came in 1 for 25 from 3-point range.

"Now he's talking about moving to the three spot," Corbin joked. "We've got to talk about that."

Jefferson said it had been a long time since his last late-game 3.

"I haven't done that since AAU days," he said.

Mo Williams had 17 points and 14 assists, Randy Foye scored 20 points and Marvin Williams had 17 as the Jazz opened a four-game trip by avoiding their first 0-5 start away from home since 1987. Derrick Favors scored 15 and Gordon Hayward added 12.

"We didn't want to lose," Foye said. "No matter if it took six overtimes, we wanted this game."

Millsap said the Jazz will be able to use this victory as inspiration in future road games.

"It feels good to get the monkey off our back," he said. "The first one seems like it's the toughest one but I'm glad the first one was as tough as it was today because we can learn from this."

DeMar DeRozan matched his career high with 37 points, Jose Calderon had 20 points and 17 assists, and Amir Johnson fouled out with 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Raptors, who lost their fourth straight.

DeRozan, who played a career-high 59 minutes, had a message for Jefferson as the teams headed out to start the third overtime.

"I went up and told him it was his fault we were still playing," DeRozan said.

Linas Kleiza fouled out with 20 points and Andrea Bargnani scored 19 for the Raptors, who lost their eighth straight home game against Utah.

"It didn't go our way but our guys fought," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "Anyone who says we didn't fight did not see that basketball game. It just did not go our way."

The Raptors won't have long to dwell on the defeat with a game looming at Indiana on Tuesday.

Utah trailed 97-86 with 7:02 to go before rallying. Johnson tipped in DeRozan's miss to give Toronto a 104-101 lead with 16 seconds left before Jefferson's rare 3-pointer sent the game to overtime.

"That was a huge 3," Foye said.

A driving dunk by DeRozan gave the Raptors a 115-113 edge with 23 seconds left in the first overtime but Jefferson tied it again, making a jump hook with 19 seconds to go. Toronto let the clock run down before DeRozan missed a jumper, sending it to a second extra session.

The Jazz led 125-122 with seven seconds left in the second overtime but backup guard John Lucas drained a 3 from the wing. Mo Williams drove for the winning basket but couldn't get his shot off as a trio of Toronto defenders closed in on him, setting up a third overtime.

A 3 by Calderon gave the Raptors a 130-129 lead at 3:19 of the third OT, but Favors made a layup and Millsap hit a 3 of his own, giving the Jazz a 134-130 lead with 2:16 left.

Jazz guard Mo Williams returned after sitting out Sunday's home win over Phoenix with a strained right adductor muscle.

"I did a great job of cutting his minutes by only playing him 50 minutes," Corbin joked.

Toronto guard Kyle Lowry (right ankle) missed his third straight game and swingman Landry Fields (right wrist) sat for the second straight game. Dominic McGuire made his first start of the season in place of swingman Alan Anderson, who left Saturday's loss to Philadelphia with a sprained left foot.

NOTES: Toronto's last home win over Utah was a 98-86 win on Dec. 22, 2004. ... Utah did not play in Toronto during the lockout shortened 2011-12 season. ... The Jazz are 24-8 all-time against the Raptors, including 12-4 on the road. ... It was Toronto's first triple-OT game at home since Feb 23, 2001 against Sacramento. The Raptors last played three overtimes in a loss to New Jersey in London on March 4, 2011. ... Utah will also visit Boston, Philadelphia and Washington on this trip.

Notebook: Jazz 140, Raptors 133 (3OT)

Duane Watson, for NBA.com
Posted Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:31 PM - Updated Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:08 AM

THE FACTS: The Utah Jazz (4-4) won their first road game of the season the hard way, beating the Toronto Raptors (1-6) 140-133 in triple overtime at The Air Canada Centre on Monday. The Jazz started their first game of a four-game road trip with a come-from-behind win in Toronto after losing their first four games on the road this season.

The Jazz trailed the game through all four quarters, even as much as 11 in the fourth quarter, but Al Jefferson's second career 3-point basket with 2.4 seconds on the clock sent the game to overtime. Despite both teams trading baskets and DeMar DeRozan with a good look on a fade-away jumper with four seconds left, the game went to a second overtime. John Lucas nailed a clutch 3-point shot with 7.9 seconds left in second overtime to tie the score at 125-125 and Mo Williams lay-up on the ensuing possession fell short, bringing a third extra frame. Gordon Hayward's save on an errant skip pass and tough driving layup with 1:33 left put the Jazz up 136-130 for good.

The Jazz had a balanced attack with seven players in double digits, led by Paul Millsap's 34 points and Jefferson's double-double of 24 and 16 rebounds. Marvin Williams scored 17 and Randy Foye added 20 points off the bench.

The Raptors played well despite missing starters Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields and Alan Anderson with injuries. DeRozan carried the load with a game-high 37 points and Linas Kleiza picked up the slack offensively with 20 points off the bench. Jose Calderon had a double-double with 20 points and 17 assists, while Amir Johnson had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "By that time we done B.S.'d the whole game, then we finally picked it up and pushed it into overtime, it's time to win it. Its time to pick up our game and come out with a victory, unfortunately it took three overtimes to do it, but we did it."

-- Jazz forward Jefferson.

THE STAT: The Jazz shot 14-for-26 (.538) from the 3-point line including Jefferson's second ever career 3-point basket. Millsap shot 3-for-4 from the 3-point line.

TURNING POINT: Which one→ Jefferson's rebound and 3-point jumper to take the game to overtime and Lucas' 3-point shot with 7 seconds left to take it to triple overtime both turned the game. However, Hayward's save on the errant pass and ensuing tough layup with 1:33 left put the Jazz up for good.

QUOTABLE II: "Everybody just played their heart out and we said to each other that we don't want to lose, we want this game even if it takes six overtimes."

-- Jazz guard Foye.

HOT: In only his second game of the season, Kleiza didn't miss a beat. In the first half alone he shot 6-for-10, including 4-for-4 from the 3-point line, for 17 points and 3 rebounds.

NOTABLE: This is the second straight year the Jazz and Raptors have had a multiple overtime game (January 25, 2012, 2OT, Toronto 111, Utah 106).

UP NEXT: For the Raptors; Tuesday @ Indiana, Saturday @ Boston, Sunday vs. Orlando. For the Jazz; Wednesday @ Boston, Friday @ Philadelphia and Saturday @ Washington.

• Jazz: Bell, Watson
• Raptors: Anderson, Fields, Lowry

• Jazz: Millsap
• Raptors: Calderon

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #6 Tony Brown, #68 Marat Kogut
• Attendance: 18230
• Duration: 3:13