Toronto, ON – It took three overtimes, but the Utah Jazz eventually prevailed over the Toronto Raptors, 140-133, to pick up their first road victory of the season.
Al Jefferson hit game-tying shots to send the game to a first extra period and then a second. He scored 24 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, while Paul Millsap scored a season-high 34 points. He drained clutch 3-pointers in each of the extra periods for Utah, which had lost its first four road games.
"It took us a long time but we finally got it going," said Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin. "Guys did a great job of hanging in there, fighting and scratching. I told them that's what they have to do on the road to be successful."
Mo Williams, who was nursing a strained adductor, made his return after sitting out Utah's last game against the Suns. He posted a double-double with 17 points and 14 assists.
Toronto squandered an 11-point fourth quarter lead to drop its fourth straight contest. DeMar DeRozan tied a career-high with 37 points on 16-of-33 shooting, but the Raptors were outscored 15-8 in the final overtime.
Filling in for the injured Kyle Lowry, Jose Calderon dropped 20 points and fell two assists shy of a career-high, dishing out 17 in the loss for the Raptors, who were also without regular starter Landry Fields, sitting for a second straight game with an injured wrist.
"They went out there short-handed, but the guys played hard and left it all on the floor," said Toronto coach Dwane Casey. "They executed, some balls didn't go our way, and Jefferson hit that big three. If anybody said those guys didn't fight, they didn't see the game."
Leading 87-82 to start the fourth, Toronto extended its edge to 11 five minutes into the period following three straight scores, but Utah clawed all the way back and tied the game with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Only up one after a layup from Millsap, Amir Johnson scored on a put back off DeRozan's missed layup with 16.4 seconds remaining in the fourth to give Toronto a three-point cushion.
But Jefferson hit the second 3-pointer of his career after his shot rolled around the rim before falling to tie the game with 2.2 ticks left.
Derrick Favors, who had four blocks to go along with 15 points, rejected Terrence Ross's last-second jumper to send the game to overtime.
The Jazz, who hadn't led the entire game, went ahead after scoring the first four points of the extra period to take a 108-104 lead. After Dominic McGuire's putback brought Toronto within one, Foye found Millsap in the corner for three with 1:33 to play to put the Jazz back up by four.
But Toronto tied the game following four free throws and then retook the lead at 115-113 after DeRozan penetrated the lane and threw down a ferocious dunk with 23.3 seconds left in the first overtime.
Utah responded with a quick score on a hook shot by Jefferson, giving Toronto the opportunity to hold for the final shot, but DeRozan missed on a turnaround fade away and the game headed for a second OT.
Millsap, who scored Utah's first six points in the second overtime, drained a three to give the Jazz a 121-118 lead with 2:10 to play.
After a pair of Williams free throws, the Jazz maintained a three point advantage with 11 seconds to play, but John Lucas III came off a screen and buried a 3-pointer for Toronto with 7.5 ticks to go to tie the game at 125-125.
Williams held for the last shot, got to the basket but couldn't score and the game was sent to triple overtime.
Millsap converted his third 3-pointer in extra time, this one putting the Jazz ahead 134-130 with 2:16 left. Jefferson then drained a 17-foot jumper from the baseline with 30 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach for Toronto.
Both teams shot over 50 percent in the first half, but the Raptors led at halftime 57-52, thanks in large part to Kleiza.
Kleiza, who didn't play in the first quarter, went off in the second for Toronto, scoring 17 points while playing the entire period. He fouled out in the first overtime and finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.
He drained two 3-pointers during the stretch, the second to give the Raptors their biggest lead of the quarter at 57-49 with 1:16 left. However, Williams answered with a trey of his own shortly thereafter and the Jazz went into the half trailing Toronto by five.
The Jazz continued to chip away in third, but were unsuccessful in taking the lead. After pulling within two on a pair of free throws by Marvin Williams early in the period, Jose Calderon immediately answered with a three for the Raptors.
Randy Foye scored six points in a row for Utah, hitting a pair of free throws to cut Toronto's lead to 78-75 with 2:38 left in the quarter, but the Raptors built their advantage back up to eight following a turnaround jumper from DeRozan.
Game Notes
The Raptors fell to 1-6 on the season and tonight was their first of a back- to-back. They will travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on Tuesday ... Tonight was the first triple OT game for Toronto since 2001, the Jazz played a triple overtime contest last season against the Mavericks ... The Jazz won their seventh straight contest against the Raptors in Toronto.
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