• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Jazz aim to match franchise-record home winning streak

Mar 17, 2008 - 1:23 PM Toronto (34-32) at Utah (44-24) 9:00 pm EDT

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) - Western Conference teams hoping that the Utah Jazz may fade down the stretch may be disappointed.

The Jazz eye their 19th straight home win when they host the Toronto Raptors at EnergySolutions Arena on Monday.

Utah is an league-best 28-3 at home this season, and will play 10 of its remaining 14 games in Salt Lake City, where it hasn't lost since a 104-98 defeat to the Boston Celtics on December 29. The winning streak is one game short of matching the franchise record set from January 19-March 29, 1996.

In order to collect win No. 19, the Jazz will need to rid themselves of the memory from Saturday's 117-115 loss at New Jersey that dropped Utah to 16-21 on the road despite a career-high-tying 41 points from Carlos Boozer.

The Jazz own a five-game winning streak against the Raptors, who look to avoid a winless five-game road trip on Monday. Toronto lost its fourth straight on Sunday in a 106-100 setback against the Sacramento Kings.

The Raptors figure to be without All-Star forward Chris Bosh for the ninth consecutive games with a sore right knee. Toronto is just 2-7 without him during that stretch and 4-10 overall minus their leading scorer.