Utah Jazz vs Toronto Raptors Game Thread

On paper this should be the last "difficult" game of 2016 for the Utah Jazz (18-12). Tonight they will be hosting the East's #2 team, the Toronto Raptors (20-8). T-Dot starts a six game road trip that'll have them face the Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs before flying back up North for the Winter. (Odd birds.) Usually the Jazz have a team in the middle or end of their road trips, so tonight is going to be a little different. The Raps are 9-3 away from the Acc, and historically they've been extinct in the Delta Center / ESA / Aunt Viv (6-14). But this isn't Stockton to Malone, or even Andrei Kirilenko having a triple double. This is a new Jazz team trying to climb up the ranks out West.

Toronto is near the top of their game right now, having lost some nice pieces over the last few seasons (Bismack Biyombo, Lou Williams) but is still a threat to make the East Finals from now on until some other non Cleveland team learns how to build a winner. These Raptors are today what the Jazz one day hope to be again. Which is odd, because, well, the Raptors used to be really really bad.

Game Preview | Five Things to Watch | Overtone | Raptors HQ

Team Breakdown:

Jazz good on defense, but losing games right now. Raps good on offense, winning games. Toronto has guard power, precisely where Utah is injured. Utah looks to be big and powerful in the paint. We'll see which team wins.

Fan Map:

They the north.

Presumed Starters:

• PG: Kyle Lowry vs. Shelvin Mack
  
• SG: DeMar DeRozen vs. Joe Ingles
  
• SF: DeMarre Carroll vs. Gordon Hayward
  
• PF: Pascal Siakam (Pat Pat here, if healthy) vs. Boris Diaw
  
• C: Jonas Valanciunas vs. Rudy Gobert

Injuries / Absences:

• PG: George Hill (UTA, OUT), Dante Exum (UTA, OUT), Delon Wright (TOR, OUT)
  
• SG: Rodney Hood (UTA, Questionable), Alec Burks (UTA, OUT)
  
• SF:
  
• PF: Patrick Patterson (TOR, ???), Jared Sullinger (TOR, OUT)
  
• C:

GO JAZZ GO!