Leonard scores career-high 45 as Raptors nip Raptors beat Jazz

TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 45 points, Pascal Siakam had a career-best 28 points with 10 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Utah Jazz, 122-116, on Tuesday night (Wednesday Manila time).

Norman Powell scored a season-high 14 points, and the Raptors won their fourth straight at home.

Jae Crowder scored a career-high 30 points, Derrick Favors had 21 and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 as the Jazz dropped to 10-12 on the road and 18-20 overall.

Utah's Rudy Gobert scored 16 points, and Ricky Rubio had 14.

Leonard made all seven of his field-goal attempts in the third quarter and added five foul shots. His 19 points were the second most in any quarter by a Raptors player this season. Serge Ibaka scored 20 points in the first quarter of a Nov. 4 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Leonard shot 16 for 22 overall, missing all three attempts from 3-point range. He went 13 for 17 at the free-throw line.

After making two 3-pointers in the first half, the Raptors connected on their first three long-range shots of the third quarter, turning a two-point halftime deficit into a 12-point edge midway through the quarter. Siakam went 3 for 3 from 3-point range in the third and scored 13 points. Toronto outscored Utah 44-32 to take a 95-85 lead into the fourth.

Toronto guard Kyle Lowry sat for the eighth time in nine games because of a sore lower back. Before the game, the Raptors said Lowry had travelled to New York last Friday to receive anti-inflammatory injections.

Rubio started after sitting out Saturday's win over New York because of a sore left knee and sore lower back, while Crowder was back after missing the victory over the Knicks because of a sore left thumb.

Leonard scored 10 points in the first quarter, and all five Raptors starters made at least one basket as Toronto led 26-24 after one.

Tip-ins

Jazz: Utah has lost nine of 12 meetings against Toronto. ... Utah outscored Toronto 22-5 in second-chance points. ... Favors and Gobert each had nine rebounds. ... Crowder went 5 for 7 from 3-point range. His career high is six made 3-pointers.

Raptors: Toronto is 5-2 on New Year's Day, including a 4-0 mark at home. ... C Jonas Valanciunas had stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand Saturday. Valanciunas still has a splint on his hand. ... VanVleet scored seven points, failing to reach double figures for the first time in eight games. ... Toronto matched a season-low with 20 3-point attempts.