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SALT LAKE CITY - Without DeMar DeRozan in the lineup, Kyle Lowry understands he has a greater responsibility to score when Toronto needs quick baskets.Lowry scored a season-high 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting to help the Raptors beat Utah 123-104 on Wednesday night, handing the Jazz their seventh straight loss.Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams each had 17 for the Raptors, who had six players score in double figures. None had a bigger impact than Lowry, who is averaging 26.3 points in eight road games this season.I know I got to score a little bit more and be more aggressive, Lowry said. I could do it with DeMar (healthy), but as a point guard, I like to get my teammates involved. Right now, I got to be a little bit more assertive.Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter scored 19 points apiece for Utah. Gordon Hayward added 16 points and Trey Burke had 15 and eight assists for the Jazz, who trailed through the final three quarters.Toronto faced little defensive resistance. The Raptors shot 45 of 79 overall, including 12 of 21 on 3-pointers, and won their sixth consecutive game this season when shooting at least 50 per cent.We came in to take care of business, Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. There wasnt any laughing and joking around. Guys came in with a focused attitude to start the game.The teams traded baskets for most of the first quarter and the Jazz led 20-18 after Kanter converted a three-point play with 3:21 left in the period.The Raptors began hitting shots all over the floor at that point to take control. Williams made a pair of baskets to start and finish a 9-2 run that gave the Raptors a 31-24 lead going into the second quarter.Toronto then scored on eight of its first nine possessions in the second quarter and by the time Lowry capped that stretch with a 3-pointer, they led 50-32.We set good screens to get each other open, Toronto forward Patrick Patterson said. We were able to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. We hit shots. We didnt have that many assists, but the opportunities we had at the rim and the opportunities we created for ourselves, we capitalized on and finished.Utah used an 11-2 run to cut Torontos lead down to nine early in the third, closing to 71-62 on Haywards jumper.The Jazz drew within nine several times in the quarter but could get no closer. After Utah cut it to nine a final time on a layup by Hayward that made it 84-75 with 4:24 remaining in the third, Toronto pulled away for good.Williams made six free throws to fuel an 8-0 spurt that gave the Raptors a 92-75 lead with 3:00 left in the quarter.TIP-INSRaptors: The Raptors swept the season series with Utah for the second straight year and just the third time in franchise history. ... Lowry has scored at least 20 points in four straight contests and six of Torontos last eight games. ... Vasquezs 17 points marked a season-high. He has now scored in double figures over five straight games.Jazz: Shooting guard Alec Burks did not play after injuring his left shoulder against Denver on Monday. ... The Jazz used their fourth-youngest starting lineup in team history. Utahs five starters average age was 22 years, 351 days old. . Derrick Favors matched his career high with five assists to go with 19 points and six rebounds. . Utah committed a season-low eight turnovers.DEFENSIVE WOES: Torontos 123 points were the most an opponent has scored on Utah this season. The Jazz are allowing 103.2 points per game and are 2-10 when giving up at least 100 points. Its just a mental thing, Favors said. Everybody is trying to learn the defensive system and try to do the right thing, but I think its just a mental thing.CLOSING OUT: Toronto improved to 13-0 this season when leading after three quarters. The Raptors are 48-2 dating to the start of the 2013-14 season when leading entering the fourth quarter. It shows our ability to stay focused, Lowry said. Were taking advantage of the opportunities that we have when we have a lead.UP NEXTRaptors: Host Cleveland on Friday.Jazz: Host Orlando on Friday. JT Riddle Jersey . -- Athletics manager Bob Melvin is already starting to run out of superlatives to describe Scott Kazmir. Lewis Brinson Jersey . Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Diante Garrett had a career-high 15 points as the Jazz had seven players with 10 points or more in Utahs largest margin of victory this season. http://www.marlinsteamproshop.com/Marlins-Justin-Bour-Kids-Jersey/ . Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday. Brad Ziegler Jersey . Today, he looks at the offensive line. 1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (OT, McGill) You Should Know: Over the course of his university career, Duvernay-Tardifs commitments to medical school and the family business frequently limited him to one practice per week, yet he was still the Metras Trophy winner as the Top Lineman in CIS football in 2013. Wei-Yin Chen Jersey . Goins is the early favourite to win the starting job at second base. Pillar is an outsider to secure a role off the bench, which becomes an even more difficult spot to win if the number of back up jobs is reduced by one. That happens if the Blue Jays decide to start the season with an eight man bullpen.It has been announced that the Los Angeles Clippers have been sold to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. Don Sterling purchased the San Diego Clippers in 1981 for $12 million before moving them to Los Angeles in 1984 (without the permission of the league, by the way). The team had a number of suitors, including Oprah Winfrey, David Geffen, Larry Ellison, Magic Johnson (known to many for his show The Magic Hour), Grant Hill, Sean Combs, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Matt Damon (but no Ben). While a deal has been announced, the sale of the team is not finalized. The key issue that will need to be addressed before the team can be sold is the likelihood of Don Sterling objecting to the sale of the team by way of a court action. Contrary to what you may have heard, the Clippers are not owned by Sterling personally. The team is actually owned by the Sterling family trust, which would include his wife Shelley. Assuming that Don Sterling has control over the trust, he would be the one with the sole authority to sign off on the sale. However, ESPNs Ramona Shelburne has reported that Don Sterling has been declared by "medical experts" as "mentally incapacitated." As a result, his wife Shelly has obtained sole power over the trust. A court, though, will generally hold a competency hearing and make that ruling. Given the speed at which this sale has been handled, it would be a surprise to learn that such a hearing was held. Rather, it seems he may have undergone a psychological assessment. As a result, should Sterling not agree to sell the team, he could turn around and sue the league. If he is indeed not mentally incapacitated, he would argue that his wife Shelley did not have the authority to unilaterally sign off on the sale of the team. Sterling could also argue proportionality: the punishment doesnt fit the crime. While his comments were disturbing, he would argue that they were made in private, illegally recorded and nothing unlawful was said. As a result, compelling the disposition of the team is too severe a penalty. As far as the NBA, it has reasonable arguments to make to strip the Sterling family trust of its ownership stake in the Clippers. Bottom line is that the NBA Constitution provides that an owner cannot do anything that "adversely" affects the league. With sponsors, players and fans all reacting negatively to Sterlings comments, the NBA is arguing that his comments adversely impacted the leagues economics and reputation. Remember the focuus is not on what Sterling said, but on the impact his comments had on the league.dddddddddddd A fine distinction but a distinction nonetheless (and one that allows me to pay my mortgage). Ive also been asked whether Sterling could argue that he shouldnt be forced to sell the team because he was mentally incapacitated at the time he made the comments. This defence was not raised in his written submissions related to his June 3 hearing where the league will look to strip him of his ownership stake. However, that does not preclude the introduction of this defence at a later date. That being said, such a defence would be difficult to make out. The NBA Constitution doesnt care if you intended to do something, but only that is was done. The NBA Constitution provides that an owner cannot do anything that will "affect" the league "adversely". The introduction of the term "affect" and the absence of language requiring intent or a certain mental state of mind make a mental incapacity defence challenging. So even if Sterling did not have the intention of making those comments on account of cognitive impairment, the leagues rules focus on the impact or result of those comments. On the other hand, if Sterling does not oppose the sale of the team, the NBA will want him to sign a release waiving all claims against the league arising from this case. Basically, the league will want his guarantee he wont sue. Since a lawsuit could be worth billions, this release is pretty important. There has been some talk that Shelley may want to stay on as a part-owner. The NBA wants the Sterling name permanently disassociated from the team so that wont fly. The league will therefore want an assurance from Shelley that she is out. The hearing to strip the Sterling family of its ownership of the team (or as the league calls it, its NBA "membership") is scheduled for Tuesday June 3. At the hearing, the league will need 22 of 29 owners to vote to remove Sterling. Assuming the league has the votes (a pretty safe assumption), Sterling would be removed as owner immediately following the vote and Commissioner Adam Silver would take over control of the team. Its that quick. In light of the potential sale of the team to Ballmer, the league is likely to postpone the June 3 hearing if it has assurances from Sterling that he will not oppose the imminent sale the team. If, however, the indication is that Sterling is prepared to fight, then expect the hearing to proceed on June 3. ' ' '