DeRozan, Lowry top Ball’s Lakers

LOS ANGELES DeMar DeRozan has stuck with the Toronto Raptors for 600 games because of exactly what he did to the Lakers.

DeRozan scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half and the Raptors rallied late for the first victory on their sixgame road trip, 101-92 over Los Angeles on Friday night.

While extending his franchise record for games played, DeRozan seized control of his own landmark game midway through the fourth quarter. The Compton native checked in and promptly put up a six-point flurry, including the tiebreaking jumper with 6:10 left to put Toronto up for good.

Just like that, the Raptors were in control after the lead had changed hands 15 times in the second half. “My mentality is to go out there and close the game,” DeRozan said. “I just try to go out there and do my job.” DeRozan is one of 11 active players with at least 600 games with their current club. He spent one year at USC before the draft sent him in 2009 to Toronto, where he has become a basketball fixture. “That’s crazy,” DeRozan said of his Toronto tenure. “That’s definitely an honour. I can believe it, but it’s a crazy thing when I think about it.” Kyle Lowry added 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in his eighth triple-double for the Raptors, who beat the Lakers for the fifth straight time. Serge Ibaka had 18 points and eight rebounds, and Pascal Siakam added 18 points for Toronto.