With no Leonard, Lowry lifts Raptors over Wizards

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking over with Kawhi Leonard getting a night off, Kyle Lowry delivered 28 points and 12 assists Saturday night to help the Toronto Raptors improve to 3-0 with a 117-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Raptors rested Leonard on the second half of a back-to-back and third game in four days to open the season.


Washington finished the game without ejected coach Scott Brooks. Bradley Beal scored 32 points, going 6 for 11 on 3s, and John Wall added 25 points and six assists for the Wizards, who are 0-2, with both games at home.

Beal broke Washington’s franchise record for most 3-pointers in a career, surpassing Gilbert Arenas’ previous mark of 868 by making his 869th with a little more than 4½ minutes left in the game. Less than a minute later, he made another 3, cutting Washington’s deficit to 106-101, then skipping down the court.

Moments after that, Beal was called for charging, and at the other end, Lowry sank a 3-pointer while falling into the lap of a front-row spectator. That put Toronto back ahead 109-101 with 3 minutes remaining.

Two more baskets by Lowry followed, and Fred VanVleet added a jumper that made it 115-11 with 14.6 seconds to go.

Brooks was sent to the locker room after a contentious sequence with about seven minutes to go.

Moments after Beal argued a call while on defense, he got incensed when he thought Toronto should have been whistled for a foul when Wall tumbled to the court on a drive to the basket. There was no call, though — except a technical foul on Beal.

Then Wall and Brooks got into it with the officials, resulting in Brooks’ ejection. Lowry made two free throws to boost the Raptors’ edge to 102-89.

This was a rematch from the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, when the Raptors were seeded No. 1 and eliminated the No. 8 Wizards in six games.

While Washington largely relies on the same core of players, it so far has not been able to suit up its most significant offseason acquisition, center Dwight Howard, who missed all of training camp and the preseason and has sat out the team’s first two games with a sore backside. Ian Mahinmi started at center and did not exactly distinguish himself, shooting 0 for 3 and accumulating more personal fouls (four) than points (two).

The Raptors, meanwhile, were without Leonard, who helped Toronto start 2-0 by averaging 27.5 points and 11 rebounds in his first two games with the club after arriving in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. But he only played in nine games for San Antonio in 2017-18, missing most because of a quadriceps injury, and so coach Nick Nurse said it was best for his team’s top player to rest during Toronto’s third contest in four nights to open this season.

OG Anunoby started in place of Leonard and contributed 12 points — all in the first half.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Never trailed by more than five points. … Now 15-4 against the Wizards over the last five years. … Toronto has six pairs of back-to-backs this season, one fewer than a year ago, when it went 9-5 in those games.

Wizards: After not taking a single 3-point shot in Game 1 despite being under orders to let it fly from beyond the arc this season, Otto Porter Jr. hoisted three attempts in the first four minutes Saturday. He went 0 for 3 on those, but wound up 2 for 7 on 3s. … Brooks said he didn’t speak to his team at all about having lost its playoff series against Toronto last season. “I have not mentioned it one time to the guys,” Brooks said. “What does it really mean? I don’t know.”


Raptors: Host Charlotte on Monday.

Wizards: At Portland on Monday, opening a five-game road trip against Western Conference teams.

source: sports.inquirer.net

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

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