Gay Scores 20 Points, Jazz Beats Raptors | The Canadian News

SALT LAKE CITY – Rudy Gay hit five 3s and scored 20 points in his season debut to help the Utah Jazz beat the Toronto Raptors 119-103 on Thursday night.

Gay also had five rebounds while playing just 18 minutes. He missed Utah’s first 14 games while recovering from offseason surgery on his right heel.

Donovan Mitchell also scored 20 points, and Royce O’Neale added a season high of 16. Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 31 points for Toronto, and Fred VanVleet added 24. Toronto lost for the sixth time in seven games despite scoring 33 points in 21 Jazz turnovers.

Birch gave Toronto an early spark, scoring its 14 points before halftime. He made back-to-back baskets to start a 9-2 run that gave the Raptors a 23-17 lead in the first quarter.

Gay gave Utah an immediate boost even while playing with a minute restriction. He made three 3s and helped another basket to help the Jazz rally and take a 42-31 lead early in the second quarter.

VanVleet made 3-pointers on three straight possessions to erase Utah’s lead and put the Raptors ahead 53-51 shortly before halftime.

The Jazz tightened up on defense in the third quarter, allowing them to create some separation. Toronto made just three baskets in the final nine minutes of the quarter. It opened the door for Utah to rebuild a double-digit lead.

Joe Ingles fed Gobert for a pair of dunks and drained a pair of 3s to power a 15-2 run that put the Jazz up 98-80 early in the fourth quarter.

INS TIP

Raptors: OG Anunoby (left hip) and Precious Achiuwa (right shoulder tendonitis) were inactive for Toronto. … Pascal Siakam scored four points, the season low, on 2 of 14 shots. Siakim also dished out five assists. … Chris Boucher had eight rebounds, the most of the team.

Jazz: Bojan Bogdanovic had six assists, the most of the season. … Ingles had seven rebounds, the maximum of the season. … Utah edged Toronto 57-20 on bench points.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Raptors: In Sacramento on Friday night.

Jazz: in Sacramento on Saturday night.

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