The top-seeded Utah Jazz narrowly escaped with a 115-112 win over the reeling Toronto Raptors on Friday. The sting for Toronto was the same familiar one that comes with any loss, but the defeat was particularly frustrating for Kyle Lowry and Co. because of the free throw disparity between the two teams.

While Lowry didn't hide his disappointment to the 41-14 free-throw disparity between the Jazz and Raptors, he held back his comments in officiating to avoid any form of punishment.

“I mean I've got too many techs this year, I'm cool. But it's not the first time this year,” Kyle Lowry said on the free-throw difference, per Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network.
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The narrow score and free throw disparity draw obvious comparisons to the controversial 2002 Playoffs serious between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, where officials were also noted for their off-kilter calls. A game this close is almost always decided at the free throw line, and it's easy to see why players do double-takes at such a disparity.

This is also far from the first officiating incident this season that has frustrated the players. New York Knicks star Julius Randle had to be restrained after a controversial travel call at the end of a close matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, and the Jazz's Donovan was even fined by the league for comments a few weeks ago about the officiating.

The Jazz, with a record of 30-11, sit atop the Western Conference. They will face off against Zach Lavine's Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Raptors sit three games behind the eighth seed in the East at 17-24, and they will have a chance to bounce back with a win over the hapless Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.