SALT LAKE CITY — Three thoughts from Utah Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen after the Jazz defeated the Toronto Raptors 93-89.

1. Jazz execute in 4th quarter to get the win

With 6:30 left in the game, the Jazz were down five, 79-74, to the Toronto Raptors, after a foul by Gordon Hayward gave DeMar DeRozan two free throws. After the free throws, the Jazz quickly called timeout.

In that timeout, Quin Snyder set up an easy look for an open Trey Burke three, bringing the deficit back to just two. From that point forward, the Jazz would allow only 10 points in the remaining 14 Raptors possessions, a stretch that would win the Jazz the game.

That's impressive clutch work for the Jazz, especially because the team's struggled with that earlier this season and more so last year. This time, the Jazz executed stellarly on both offense and defense, getting open shots and preventing easy looks for the Raptors.

"I thought we did a good job closing, executing our defensive game plan there at the end and it was hard for them to score," explained Hayward after the game.

2. Preventing the Raptors from getting to the line

That game plan was preventing the Raptors from getting to the foul line. Tonight's game was a matchup of the team that fouled the most against the team that got to the line at the second-highest rate in the league, but the Jazz did a really good job of preventing the Raptors from getting too many easy looks at the line. 18 is actually the second lowest total number of free throws that the Raptors have shot all season long.

"We tried to stay down on pump-fakes. We knew they were a pump-faking team," said Rudy Gobert. "We did a great job. Tried to keep our hands up and not give them free throws."

In particular, excluding the dunk, I thought Hayward played a tremendous game guarding DeRozan for the majority of minutes. DeRozan's averaged getting to the line nearly 10 times per game so far this season, but tonight, he only got there twice. That's one thing that's made Hayward very valuable on the floor even as he's struggled offensively: he continues to make an impact on the glass and on the defensive end.

3. Highlight plays

Two plays from this game are going to make the highlight reels everywhere: Trevor Booker's trick shot and DeRozan's dunk. Let's discuss both.

Booker's trick shot, unlike his one against Oklahoma City last season, did not count. It did not have a particularly high degree of skill, and I kind of doubt he was trying to get it to go into the basket.

But I love that Booker celebrated the shot. Sure, it didn't count, but it was neat, so give the fans a fist pump. Booker is now the trick-shot king of the NBA.

DeRozan's dunk, on the other hand, defies description. You'll see everyotherwebsiteontheinternetheadlinetheir article with "DeMar DeRozan [insert outrageously violent verb or phrase here] Rudy Gobert with [insert hyperbolic adjective] dunk", but their chosen Mad Libs phrases aren't good enough here, folks. Only the video suffices.

Okay, one more angle:

That's probably a top five in-game dunk of all time, and I am willing to listen to arguments that it is number one. Okay, maybe number two, just behind the Frederic Weis dunk. But still, it deserves all of the plaudits it is getting: to finish over a dunk like that is special.

Still, that the Jazz won, and Gobert defended DeRozan well through the end of the game, forcing a critical airball and turnover, makes things a bit better. As Snyder said after the game, "Rudy has pride, and he doesn't like those kinds of things to happen. He's X inches away from blocking that. That's why it's such a spectacular play, because he's there. If no one's there, it doesn't look like that big of a deal."

And Rudy had a response of his own on Twitter:

Great win tonight. Way to grind and get stops down the stretch. Except one...😂 #thatboyusedthatcallofdutydoublejump — Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) November 19, 2015

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