Raptors overcome Harden’s 40, end Rockets’ win streak at 17 games

TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 and the Toronto Raptors beat Houston 108-105 on Friday night, snapping the Rockets’ 17-game winning streak.

James Harden scored 40 points but the Rockets lost for the first time since Jan. 27 at New Orleans.

Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors won their seventh straight in a matchup between the respective conference leaders.

The Rockets shot 9 for 27 from 3-point range, matching their fewest made 3-pointers of the season.

Clint Capela had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Chris Paul and Eric Gordon each scored 14 points, and Trevor Ariza had 13 as Houston’s road winning streak ended at 10.

Houston tied it at 102 on Harden’s 3 with 2:10 remaining, but DeRozan restored Toronto’s lead with a jump shot with 1:49 left.

Paul missed a go-ahead 3 with 14 seconds to play, then fouled Lowry in the scramble for the rebound. Lowry made both, giving the Raptors a 106-102 lead with 10 seconds to go.

Gordon answered with a 3, making it a one-point game. Houston fouled Valanciunas, who made a pair to put Toronto up by 3 with 5.4 seconds to go.

Harden got the final shot but his deep 3 from the edge of the center court circle went short, giving the Raptors the win.

Lowry connected on his first five shots and scored 13 points in the opening quarter as Toronto led 32-16. The Rockets missed eight of their first 10 field goal attempts and shot 6 for 21 in the first, missing all five 3-point attempts. It was Houston’s lowest-scoring first quarter of the season and just the second time they’ve failed to score at least 20 points in the first.

Harden scored nine points in the second but the Rockets continued to struggle from long range, making one of four 3-point shots. DeRozan had seven points for the Raptors, who led 58-43 at halftime.

Houston’s only lower-scoring first half this season was a 39-point effort in a Feb. 26 win at Utah.

The Rockets were 1 for 12 from 3-point range before Harden drained back-to-back shots with 2:48 left in the third. Harden scored 14 in the third, overcoming nine points from Lowry, as Houston cut the deficit to 83-75 after three.

TIP-INS

Rockets: F Ryan Anderson (left hip) missed his sixth straight game. … Joe Johnson returned after missing the previous two games because of an illness. … The Rockets had 62 points in the paint.

Raptors: Forward OG Anunoby (sprained right ankle) missed his fourth straight game. … G Delon Wright (sprained right big toe) was unavailable after leaving Wednesday’s win at Detroit. Wright initially suffered the injury in Tuesday’s home win over Atlanta.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Visit Dallas on Sunday. Houston has won seven straight in the series, its third-longest streak all-time.

Raptors: Visit New York on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Stalked: LeBron puts up magical performance with new kicks

Stalked: LeBron puts up magical performance with new kicks

LeBron James went total monster against the Toronto Raptors again Friday night at Air Canada Center as he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-94 victory and a 3-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal tussle.

The King put up eye-popping numbers again, churning out 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to dust off the Raptors at their home court.

Even more noteworthy was a highlight play late in the fourth when he maneuvered past his defender with a soul-crushing spin move and then put up a lefty jumper from 15 feet to out the frosting on the victory.

Also garnering attention? Eagle-eyed fans managed to catch a glimpse of Lebron James’ kicks in Game 3 and noticed it wasn’t something he’d laced up before.

Must’ve been some magic or mystical powers in ’em shoes. — Francis T.J. Ochoa

source: sports.inquirer.net

Powell carries Raptors past Bucks for 3-2 series lead

TORONTO — Norm Powell scored a career playoff-high 25 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-93 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Monday (Tuesday Manila time).

Serge Ibaka scored 19 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 for the Raptors, who can advance to face defending champion Cleveland in the second round with a victory in Game 6 at Milwaukee on Thursday night.

Many in the sellout crowd of 20,251 rose to their feet and chanted ‘Raps in six’ in the final minute of the game.

Toronto lost Game 6 on the road at Indiana in the first round and at Miami in the second round last year, rebounding to win Game 7 at home each time. They were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference Final against the Cavs, losing at home in the clincher.

DeMarre Carroll scored 12 points as all five Raptors starters reached double figures. Cory Joseph had 10 points off the bench for Toronto.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds while Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points and Greg Monroe had 11. Milwaukee has lost back-to-back games after routing Toronto 104-77 in Game 3.

Making his second straight start, Powell connected on all four of his 3-point attempts and went 5 for 5 at the free-throw line. He brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline dunk over Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker in the fourth quarter.

Ibaka and Powell each scored nine points in the first and the Raptors used a 17-0 run to open a 31-20 lead after the opening quarter. Milwaukee committed five turnovers in the first, leading to 10 points for Toronto.

After shooting 1 for 6 in the first, Antetokounmpo was a perfect 6 for 6 in the second, scoring 13 points to help the Bucks close the gap. Lowry had 12 for Toronto, which led 57-48 at halftime.

Powell scored 12 points in the third as the Raptors widened their lead again, taking a 90-73 edge into the final quarter.

Monroe and Jonas Valanciunas were called for double technicals after a minor shoving match under the Milwaukee basket in the third. After Valanciunas took exception to a hard foul from Khris Middleton, Monroe pushed his own teammate out of the way so he could shove Valanciunas.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Guarding Bucks’ Giannis presents Raptors a playoff puzzle

MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo presents a defensive conundrum for the Toronto Raptors.

Assign a shorter player on the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks star can take advantage on the block. Put a taller player on him and the athletic Antetokounmpo might blow past him to the hoop.

Antetokounmpo is a highlight-reel regular for dunks in transition. He can make opponents pay for double-teams, too.

The Raptors need to figure this problem out beginning Saturday, when the Bucks visit the Air Canada Centre to open a first-round series in the NBA playoffs.

“It’s not going to be a one-man job. It’s going to be a team effort to guard him,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “But him in transition, it’s not a dream, it’s a nightmare.”

Antetokounmpo blossomed into an All-Star in his first full season since coach Jason Kidd made him a primary ball-handler. He became the first player in NBA history to finish a season in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. He’s just the fifth player in league history to lead a team in every statistical category for a season, according to the Bucks.

With 42 wins, the Bucks finished above .500 for the first time since 2009-10. Now, they’d like to advance past the first round for the first time since going to the conference finals in 2001 with Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson leading the way.

By comparison, Raptors are grizzled veterans with four straight postseason trips. They lost to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals last season in six games.

“People don’t expect us to beat the Raptors,” Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “We’re going in with that underdog mentality to prove people wrong. We’ve been proving people wrong up to this point and we’re going to continue to do so.”

Antetokounmpo’s emergence is a big reason why the Bucks are back in the postseason for the second time in three seasons. Six-foot-8 forward DeMarre Carroll will likely draw the first turn defending him, with 6-foot-6 forward P.J. Tucker also taking the assignment. The Raptors might also use a zone, Casey said Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four games this year against Toronto.

“We’ve got to bait him to shoot more jumpers,” Carroll said. “I think a thousand of his shot attempts have been layups … but he’s also deadly distributing the ball and getting others involved.”

Other notes and things to watch in the series:

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Raptors president Masai Ujiri thinks the team’s defense is better than last year, aided by the addition of 6-foot-10 forward Serge Ibaka. Carroll, Tucker and the 6-9 Patrick Patterson also give Toronto versatile defenders who might be able to match up with Antetokounmpo and 6-foot-11 center Greg Monroe, who can hit jumpers and maneuver deftly in the paint.

YOUNG BUT MORE EXPERIENCED

The Bucks have one of the youngest cores in the league, but they did add some playoff experience to their roster by adding Tony Snell (Bulls), Matthew Dellavedova (Cavaliers) and Mirza Teletovic (Nets) in the offseason. Jason Terry, a 17-year veteran, provides leadership and 3-point shooting off the bench.

GUARDING THE GUARDS

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry (22.4 points, 7.0 assists) and DeMar DeRozan (27.3 points) form one of the toughest backcourts in the NBA. The 6-foot-7 Snell will draw the 6-7 DeRozan on defense. Brogdon, a rookie, will be tested by Lowry at point guard.

TORONTO BUG

Tucker was sent home from practice on Friday after showing signs of a bug that also affected DeRozan, Lowry and Casey this week. DeRozan sat out the season finale at Cleveland. The illness doesn’t appear serious, with Tucker expected to play Saturday.

DOWN THE STRETCH
Mired at six games under .500 going into March, the Bucks went 16-8 over the last six weeks of the season to get into the playoffs. They hope the success under postseason-like intensity carries over into the Raptors series.

“For those (six) weeks were in must-win games,” forward Khris Middleton said Friday. “That’s what the playoffs are all about, taking one game at a time, one possession at a time.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Craig Sager and his flashy suits return to All-Star weekend

TORONTO— The All-Star game in New York was a little less colorful last year.

Craig Sager, the TNT sideline reporter known for wearing flashy suits, missed the NBA’s annual midseason gala for the first time since he started doing them in 1988. Another bout with the leukemia he’s been battling for the last few years resurfaced, and Sager was forced to sit out while undergoing more treatments.

Sager considers the All-Star festivities the most important weekend of the season for him, and so it pained him to have to watch on television while receiving his treatments.

“It was hard for me not to be there, but I had to address my health,” Sager said. “To be able to get that in remission and be able to go through this year, it’s going to be extra special for me. I’ve really been looking forward to this a long time.”

That’s right. Sager is back for All-Star weekend in Toronto this year.

He spent the week leading up to it in Houston receiving his monthly treatment, which included a blood transfusion, to make sure he was healthy enough for the trip. Once he arrived in Canada, he was easy to spot.

“I just saw him,” Spurs coach and longtime foil Gregg Popovich said after the Western Conference team practiced on Saturday. “His suit spoke to me. It blinded me for a second.”

It’s been an emotional run for Sager, the longtime fixture at NBA games. He has needed two bone marrow transplants and still has to make those treks to Houston once a month. He has returned to the sideline for games this season and is feeling so well that he was scheduled to do both the Saturday night activities that include the 3-point shootout and the dunk contest as well as the game on Sunday.

“I feel great. Got my weight back. Got my strength back,” Sager said. “I’m back to playing golf.”

Two of his youngest children — daughter Riley and son Ryan — will be with him on the court this weekend serving as a ball boy and ball girl.

And of course, Sager will do a round with Popovich on television during a quarter break on Sunday. The two have turned the sideline interview into a passion play,

“He’s been an iconic figure in the NBA. He does a great job,” Popovich said. “His sense of humor is obvious. we have a lot of fun going back and forth with that. To have him back where he belongs, obviously we’re happy for him and his health. But for the league it’s great too, because he’s a fixture that everybody enjoys.”

Sager called the support he has received from Commissioner Adam Silver, coaches, players and fans “humbling” and said he was looking forward to coming back to his favorite event of the season.

“It’s been very uplifting, very therapeutic,” Sager said. “Very supportive on their part. That really has been very helpful to me, my treatment and my drive to get back.”

source: sports.inquirer.net