Favors, Hayward lead Jazz to comeback win over Raptors

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[November 19, 2015]  SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz fans haven't had many chances to root in person for their team, which has had the fewest home games in the NBA this season.

Before Utah took off for yet another road game, the Jazz gave their loyal supporters plenty to cheer for.

Derrick Favors scored 18 points, Gordon Hayward added 17 points and the two forwards played key roles in the Jazz's 93-89 comeback victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

"That was great, especially getting a close win like that," Jazz center Rudy Gobert said moments after making a big defensive stop late in the win. "We really felt the crowd tonight.

Favors, who also had 11 rebounds, had two dunks and hit two free throws in the final 40 seconds to help secure the rare home win for the Jazz. Hayward, who's been slumping this season, added nine points in the fourth quarter.

The Jazz outscored the Raptors 34-25 in the final quarter to secure the win.

"That was the ballgame," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Our defensive focus or whatever it was in the fourth quarter. We gave up 34 points. Hayward goes off on us in the fourth for nine points. That was the ballgame."

Forward Luis Scola scored a season-high 22 points and guard Kyle Lowry contributed 20 points for Toronto, which dropped its third game in a row on a five-game Western swing.

The Raptors (7-6) led by six points in the fourth quarter -- 77-71 after a DeMarre Carroll 3-pointer -- but couldn't finish off a road win for the second night in a row. Toronto, which has dropped three straight, lost a 115-110 heartbreaker Tuesday night at Golden State.

This was only the third home game for the Jazz, who began the season with eight of 10 games on the road. Utah improved to 6-5, having won a thriller in Atlanta on Sunday night to cap a four-game Eastern Conference trip.

It took a while for the Jazz to get ahead of the Raptors, though.

"In the third quarter, defensively they just got a little more physical. They were strong. They were men and they played the way that they play," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of the Raptors. "We didn't respond right away, but eventually we got stronger, too."

Despite his big night, Favors made things interesting by only making one of two free throws with 8.9 seconds remaining. But Lowry missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt with 3.9 seconds remaining.

Shooting guard Rodney Hood also had a nice game for Utah, scoring 16 points and mostly outplaying Toronto's DeMar DeRozan (14 points). Backup Jazz guards Alec Burks and Trey Burke gave Utah a lift with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Hayward sparked Utah's comeback with a 3-pointer after Carroll's trey. Hood then tied the game with a driving layup, making it 79-79.

DeRozan hammered in a monstrous dunk over the 7-foot-1 Gobert to give the Raptors the lead back at 83-82.

But Gobert got some revenge in the final minute, forcing DeRozan into an airball on a go-ahead attempt shortly after Burks put Utah up by one.

Favors then gave the Jazz some cushion with a three-point play, putting Utah ahead 89-85 with 40 seconds remaining.

Lowry hit two free throws with 27.4 remaining and Favors answered with an uncontested dunk.

"We are 13 games in and we are putting ourselves in situations to win games," Lowry said. "We just have to figure out a way to close games out."

The Raptors took an early lead, hardly looking tired despite having arrived in Utah in the middle of the night after Tuesday night's late loss at Golden State.

Even after a good start, the Jazz defense clamped down and held the visitors to 19 first-quarter points.

Toronto responded with a strong second quarter to take a 45-42 halftime lead. Scola scored 18 points, 10 above his average, in the first half.

Utah snapped a four-game losing streak to Toronto, having lost those games by an average of 19 points.

NOTES: The Toronto and Utah rosters have a combined 13 players who are from outside of the U.S., including Canada, France, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Argentina, Lithuania and Congo. ... Toronto coach Dwane Casey, whose team had lost five of seven games coming into this Utah matchup, hinted at a possible lineup change if things don't improve early on in games. "If we don't get a better start, the only other option is to change that starting lineup. I don't know if we're at that point yet." ... Raptors rookie Delon Wright, the 20th pick in the June draft, played his college ball at the nearby University of Utah. He earned the Bob Cousy Award for best collegiate point guard as a senior last season with the Utes.

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