Two days before Christmas, the Toronto Raptors found themselves in Salt Lake City for a date with the improved Utah Jazz.
Thanks to some heroics by one of their leaders, the Raptors walked away with a 104-98 victory. Here are four takeaways from the physical affair.
Road Trip Starts With Some History:
The holiday season is synonymous with being home with your loved ones. The Raptors won’t have that luxury this year as Friday night’s contest marked the beginning of a brutal six-game Western Conference road swing that doesn’t end until Jan. 3.
This year’s Raptors team has thrived away from the Air Canada Centre. No Raptors team had ever won six straight road outings, but it was only a matter of time before the feat was accomplished. Kyle Lowry made sure franchise history was made, dropping a season-high 36 points to go along with five assists.
“We just go out there and play. We love to be in tough environments,” Lowry told reporters following the game. “This is the NBA, you have to play games on the road. You have to win a bunch of games on the road to be a good team.”
After his team squandered a double-digit advantage, the Villanova product decided it was time to take over, netting 19 points down the stretch.
Lowry Time:
Lowry was sent to the locker room early in the third quarter after being hit on the lip. While he was being stitched up, the Raptors’ offence laboured mightily against Utah’s stout defence, turning a 10-point lead into a two-point deficit. Overall, Toronto managed just 16 points in the frame.
Lowry returned to the floor to start the fourth and turned into a one-man wrecking crew. The all-star point guard scored at will, nailing multiple three-pointers and showing off his strength and creativity on drives to the basket.
Heavy Dose of Bebe:
Relishing the chance to square off against Rudy Gobert, Toronto centre Jonas Valanciunas seemed primed for a big night. The Lithuanian made his first four shots from the field, amassing 10 points in just nine minutes. Then foul trouble kicked in. Valanciunas picked up his fourth foul of the game mere seconds into the second half, which forced him to the bench. Lucas Nogueira filled in admirably, setting a number of solid screens, altering and blocking shots on the defensive end, and contributing offensively with layups, alley-oops and threes. Yes, you read that right.
“When Lucas plays, he plays well,” Lowry said. “His focus is there and his body language is there. He does a great job blocking shots, changing shots and being able to go out there and be low in the pick-and-roll and be tall when they throw lobs. He’s a great asset to have and when he’s locked in he plays well.”
Getting Back in Tune:
Utah has missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons, but that seems poised to change in 2016-17. The Jazz have developed a strong young core that seems to be putting it all together. General manager Dennis Lindsey augmented that foundation by bringing in a couple of solid veteran players this off-season in George Hill and Joe Johnson. Hill was sidelined due to injury on Friday night, but he’s turning in the best season of his career.
The Jazz aren’t championship-bound in 2017, but this group has the potential to make some serious noise down the road as they continue to grow together. As the Raptors have demonstrated in recent years, sometimes continuity is the best recipe for success.