#5 – Utah starts to ascend with big win in Toronto – January 26
Despite trailing for most of the second half, the Utah Jazz defied the odds and came out on top 97-93 against Toronto.
The Utah Jazz had recently sunk to 19-28, but fortunately managed to raise their record to 20-28 prior to this bout against the Toronto Raptors. Still, their odds of defeating the East-leading Raptors seemed dismal at best considering how the past two months had gone for them.
However, the Jazz came out strong and led by as much as 10 on a handful of occasions in the first half. Unfortunately, a late second quarter collapse allowed Toronto back in the game and they took a three-point lead into the locker room. From there, the Raptors quickly built a double figure lead and it appeared as if the contest would be more of the same for the Jazz.
But, as hindsight taught us, this ascending Jazz team had turned over a new leaf and wasn’t about to quit. They hung in during the second half and kept the game close throughout the fourth quarter. The game went on to feature seven ties and 14 lead changes.
On a couple of occasions, it appeared that the Raptors would put the game away, but each time the Jazz found a way to answer. Finally, late in the game, Donovan Mitchell found Ricky Rubio for a wide open three that would put the Jazz up by two and prove to be the game winner in the 97-93 contest.
It was one of those shots that undoubtedly sent Jazz fans out of their chairs and through the roof, particularly given the closely contested nature of the game and how formidable the Raptors were throughout the regular season. What made this game even more memorable was that it was just the second win in what would go on to be an 11-game winning streak and was definitely one of the most impressive victories of the run.