Toronto didn’t win this one with a wire-to-wire cruise. It won it with a response.
After getting outscored 33-23 in the second quarter and heading into halftime with momentum slipping, the Raptors detonated in the third, swinging the game with a 35-28 frame and holding off a late push to beat the Utah Jazz 107-100 on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Game flow: Toronto’s third-quarter surge decided it
The opening quarter looked like the version of Toronto that’s kept it in the East’s upper half: organized, physical and in control. The Raptors led 28-23 after one, then hit turbulence when Utah found its rhythm in the second. The Jazz’s 33-point quarter flipped the scoreboard and forced Toronto into a reset at the break.
That reset arrived immediately. The Raptors came out of halftime with their best stretch of the night, winning the third quarter 35-28 — the decisive swing in a game that otherwise stayed within striking distance deep into the fourth.
Utah couldn’t match that pace late. The Jazz scored just 16 in the fourth quarter, and Toronto’s 21-point closing period was enough to keep the lead intact and close out a seven-point win.
Turning points
The third-quarter avalanche
In a game that was trending the wrong direction after the second quarter, Toronto’s 35-point third was the separator. It wasn’t just the points — it was the timing. The Raptors reclaimed control before Utah could set its defense for a slow grind, and that cushion held through the final horn.
Fourth-quarter defense closes the door
Utah’s 16-point fourth quarter underscored the problem: the Jazz couldn’t generate enough clean offense when possessions tightened. Toronto didn’t need a perfect finish; it just needed enough stops and enough scoring to prevent the comeback window from opening.
What it means going forward
For Toronto (29-21), this was a needed stabilizer — especially given the club entered on an LLWWW run. The Raptors didn’t have their sharpest 48 minutes, but they won the two quarters that matter most: the swing quarter after halftime and the closing quarter that decides whether a lead is real.
For Utah (15-34), the pattern continues. The Jazz came in on a five-game losing streak and played well enough to win for a half, but the third-quarter drop and late-game scoring drought were costly. Against a team with Toronto’s ability to change the game with one burst, the margin for error disappears fast.
By the numbers
Final: Raptors 107, Jazz 100
Quarter scores: TOR 28-23, UTA 33-23, TOR 35-28, TOR 21-16
Records: Toronto 29-21; Utah 15-34