Raptors 104, Jazz 94
TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 32 points as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Utah Jazz 104-94 for their franchise-best 11th consecutive home victory.
Lowry, who was rested in Sunday's loss in Detroit, showed no rust from his four-day layoff. He shot 13-for-20 from the field while adding four rebounds and five assists.
DeMar DeRozan added 31 points and five rebounds while shooting 11-for-15 from the field as the Raptors (40-19) earned a split of the season series with the Jazz.
Forward Terrence Ross added 11 points off the Toronto bench.
The Jazz (28-32) won the only other meeting of the season between the two clubs, 93-89 in November.
Utah, which lost its fourth straight, entered Wednesday a half-game back of the Houston Rockets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Gordon Hayward paced the visitors with 26 points and six assists. Derrick Favors chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds. Trey Burke had 11 points, and Raul Neto and Rudy Gobert added 10 points apiece.
DeRozan helped the Raptors pull away in the third quarter, shooting 5-for-7 from the field while scoring 14 points. He helped Toronto build a 85-74 advantage heading to the final period.
Lowry had 16 first-half points as Toronto took a 52-49 lead into halftime.
The 29-year-old hit a 27-foot 3-pointer just before the clock expired on the first half to give the Raptors their largest lead of the half.
Utah opened the second quarter on a 7-2 run, prompting the Raptors to take a timeout.
After Toronto fell behind by 12, Terrence Ross got the comeback started hitting back-to-back threes.
Toronto used a 9-1 run to erase a 44-36 deficit and tie the game 45-45.
Jazz guard Rodney Hood left the game with 8:23 remaining in the second quarter due to a minor head injury and did not return. Hood finished with three points and four rebounds in 13 minutes of action.
Hayward torched the Raptors for 13 first-quarter points helping the Jazz to a 26-24 lead after one period. Toronto trailed by two despite shooting 58.8 percent from the field.
NOTES: The Raptors recalled F Bruno Caboclo and G Norman Powell from the D-League's Raptors 905 before tipoff. ... F Jason Thompson, who signed with the Raptors on Tuesday, was active Wednesday. To make room on the roster for Thompson, Toronto waived F Anthony Bennett. ... Jazz F Trevor Booker rejoined the team after leaving to attend his grandmother's funeral in South Carolina. ... Utah rookie F Trey Lyles, who hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was playing in his first NBA regular-season game in Canada. ... Raptors G Kyle Lowry was named the NBA's Eastern Conference player of the week for Feb. 22-28.