A new era in Toronto Raptors basketball kicks off Friday
when the team visits the Jazz in Salt Lake City.
One of the worst losses in franchise history on Tuesday cost Sam Mitchell his
job as the Raptors' mentor.
Denver's Chauncey Billups had 24 points and 14 assists, and the Nuggets
crushed Toronto, 132-93, at the Pepsi Center.
A day later, Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo fired Mitchell and
replaced him with assistant Jay Triano on an interim basis. Mitchell led the
Raptors to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and was the NBA's
coach of the year for 2006-07, but Colangelo was unhappy with a sluggish
start in which Toronto went just 5-9 after winning its first three games of
the season.
Triano, the first Canadian head coach in NBA history, is in his seventh season
on the Raptors' staff.
In Denver, Chris Bosh scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for
the Raptors, who fell to 0-2 on a three-game road swing and have lost four of
six overall. Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 points after missing the previous three
games with a knee injury, while Roko Ukic had 13 in the loss.
The Jazz, meanwhile, lost their second straight home game on Wednesday when
Miami's Dwyane Wade scored 23 points, doled out five assists and had four
steals to lead the Heat in a 93-89 victory over Utah, which continues to play
without star forward Carlos Boozer.
Paul Millsap chipped in 20 points and grabbed 13 boards for the Jazz, who have
lost two of three. Ronnie Brewer poured in 18 points and Deron Williams 13 in
defeat.
Boozer is expected to miss his ninth straight game tonight with a strained
left quadriceps, while forwards Andrei Kirilenko (ankle) and Matt Harpring
(back) are both questionable.
The Jazz, who are 8-3 at EnergySolutions Arena this season and have beaten
Toronto six straight times, have not dropped three straight home games since
April 7 - 14, 2007.
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