Coach focused on improving defence despite Raptors win

TORONTO Raptors head coach Dwane Casey didn’t want to talk about Toronto’s explosive offence. Every time it was brought up, he’d change the subject. At one point, exasperated by a reporter’s question about one of his player’s scoring, Casey slapped his hand on the podium.

“Fine, offensively, he was fine,” said Casey, again turning the conversation to the Raptors’ defensive failings. “Our attention to detail was not what it should be.”

It was a theme throughout Casey’s post-game news conference. Even though DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 36 points in a 131-112 rout of the Orlando Magic on Monday night for the Raptors’ sixth win in a row, Casey was still not impressed.

“We’ll take the win, but we can’t be happy with our defensive performance,” said Casey. “We have bigger goals in mind and if we intend on achieving them, then we’ve got to have a better mindset then we had tonight.

“We scored what, 60 per cent? 59 per cent from the field? Offence is not the problem. It’s the defensive side that we did not have a focus on tonight.”

Cory Joseph had a double-double with 15 points and 13 assists for Toronto (45-29). Norman Powell’s shooting was lethal for the Raptors, getting 16 points including four three-pointers.

It was a rude homecoming for guard Terrence Ross, who had 17 points for Orlando (27-47). Point guard Elfrid Payton led the Magic with 22 points and nine assists.

SPURS 103, CAVALIERS 74

SAN ANTONIO — Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and the San Antonio Spurs dismantled the ailing Cleveland Cavaliers in a showdown that turned into a major letdown for the defending NBA champions.

THUNDER 92, MAVERICKS 91

DALLAS — Russell Westbrook hit a pull-up jumper with seven seconds left and Oklahoma City erased a 13-point deficit in the final four minutes to beat Dallas.

Westbrook scored 37 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, with 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his third straight tripledouble and 37th of the season.

KNICKS 109, PISTONS 95

NEW YORK — Derrick Rose scored 27 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 25 and New York handed Detroit another damaging defeat.