Toronto Raptors vs Utah Jazz Mar.8/09

The Toronto Raptors and the Utah Jazz are two teams going in decidedly different directions.

Deron Williams scored 25 points and added nine assists and Kyle Korver had 20 points and eight rebounds off the bench as the surging Jazz won their 11th straight game with a 109-101 victory over the slumping Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday afternoon. [ ]

Chris Bosh led the Raptors (23-41) with 30 points and 10 rebounds, as Toronto lost its fifth straight and saw its record at home sag to a dismal 12-18.

``I'm just looking at the next game. I don't care to define a loss anymore,'' Bosh said. ``They are the best team in the league right now, but it really doesn't matter who we play, we are trying to win games.''

The victory helped the Jazz (40-23) match their longest win streak in 10 seasons and pull even with the Denver Nuggets atop the Northwest Division standings. The Jazz, who were playing without the injured Carlos Boozer, out with a sprained right ankle, last went on an 11-game run from April 1-18, 1999.

Andrea Bargnani had 20 points and eight rebounds and Anthony Parker had 16 points and seven assists for the Raptors. Jose Calderon, who struggled in the Raptors' 108-102 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday night, and wasn't even on the floor as Toronto tried to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, dished out 11 assists and 10 points.

New acquisition Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who came off the bench on Friday night to chip in a game- and career-high 10 rebounds, added some energy and had seven rebounds in 10 minutes of play Sunday.

Mehmet Okur had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Millsap had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko added 18 points for the Jazz.

The Raptors stayed close and went into the fourth quarter with a 87-81 lead on the back of Bosh's 15-point third quarter performance. It could have gone either way - there were 22 lead changes in the game - until about midway through the fourth when the Jazz started chipping away at the lead and eventually outscored the Raptors 28-14 in the period.

But the crowd of 18,541 liked what it saw, rising to its feet to applaud the fight of several Raptors as they ferociously scrambled for a loose ball. An ensuing jump ball went to the Jazz and Kirilenko's driving layup put them up 94-93 at 6:31. It was a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

``We couldn't get the stops when we needed to,'' said Shawn Marion, who finished up with eight points. ``We were doing everything we needed to keep control of this game. Once we got the lead, everything went out the window.

``In order for us to sustain what we were doing, I think we need to be aggressive at both ends and we stopped doing it.''

The Raptors, perilously close to missing out on the playoffs, have to make the most of their remaining games at home if there are to have a chance of getting into the post-season. Toronto now has nine games remaining in March; seven at home, including a stretch of five in a row to close out the month.

The Raptors next head to Philadelphia for a game on Wednesday before returning to Toronto to play a pair of games at the ACC. On Friday they square off against the Detroit Piston and then face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, March 15.

Category:

Sports

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• Mar.8/09

[Kushakimia]

i cant belive it raptors lost

[radup1994]

i was at that game :D

[halfhoosierhein]

kirilenko committed a foul at the end too

[halfhoosierhein]

that is pretty funny. it highlights the #1 thing i hate about most basketball officials. when the ball is loose on the floor, they swallow the whistle and let anything go. after the bad pass, D-Will got fouled, he was undercut. Should have been a foul. i love it at the end though, the big pile of people just all fall over together lol

[halfhoosierhein]

i love D-Will at 3:04. anytime a big man switches on a pick, he does this to them every time. best crossover in the league.

[livasdad]

chris bosh and jermaine oneil.....thought they would be second to boston but damn under achievers

[eksytr]

Too bad Toronto cannot win with higlights

[josh102090]

utah 12W streak FTW

[raptorsfan1000]

4:50 to 5:15 was funny!!!!!!!!

[kwedaman]

just got back

so glad when parker dunked it...pizza