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Sunday, Dec. 12 1:00pm ET
Jazz roll over Raptors to begin road trip | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
TORONTO (AP) -- Starting a seven-game road trip, the Utah Jazz felt right at home in Toronto on Sunday. Karl Malone had 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Jazz routed the Raptors 103-88 to extend their winning streak to five games.
Utah's stingy defense held the Raptors in check all game as Toronto shot a miserable 35 percent from the floor -- just 24 percent in the first half. Toronto wasn't much better from the free-throw line, making only 30 of a season-high 44 attempts. Byron Russell had 17 points and Jeff Hornacek added 16 as the Jazz kicked off a seven-game East Coast swing. "We've got seven games out here and we needed to start it off with a win," Malone said. "We never gave them that momentum to get the crowd going. Vince (Carter) was never able to get one of those dunks, and whenever you can limit a great artistic team like they are, it plays into our hands." Carter had a team-high 16 points, but most of them came when the game was out of reach. Kevin Willis was the only Raptors player able to generate any scoring opportunities with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Antonio Davis also grabbed 10 rebounds. "We just didn't shoot the ball well," Davis said. "We couldn't get anything going." In a miserable first half, both teams had trouble finding the basket. The Raptors hit only 9 of 37 field-goal attempts and had a season-low 30 points. The Jazz, weren't much better, shooting 38 percent, but it was good enough for a 38-30 lead. "In the first half, we couldn't make the right play and I thought it was going to be a long day," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We did a much better job in the second half. We just have to learn to play it simple." Utah went on a 13-2 run bridging the end of the first half and start of the third quarter, opening a 41-30 lead. The lead grew to 27 midway through the fourth as Toronto continued to put up poor shots. "We played a good game defensively and we didn't give up any runs," said Jazz guard John Stockton, who had 12 points. "We're not playing that great, but I think we're gaining a little confidence in ourselves." The Jazz are just a game behind San Antonio in the Midwest Division after beginning the season 3-3. The Raptors, frustrated by their poor shooting, were also steamed at referees Bennett Salvatore, Ron Olesiak and Rashan Michel over several non-calls. Charles Oakley had words with the officials several times and coach Butch Carter was ejected from the game at the end of the third quarter when he received his second technical. "It was a last resort," coach Carter said. "The third quarter started out ... whistle, whistle, whistle. I didn't like the whistle and that's all I'm going to say."
Notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Utah Clubhouse Toronto Clubhouse RECAPS Utah 103 Toronto 88
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