Raptors keep on rolling
DeMar DeRozan leads Raptors to their sixth straight victory
DeMar DeRozan scored 13 of his 25 points in the third quarter and the Toronto Raptors held off the Sacramento Kings 102-87 on Sunday for their sixth straight victory.
Kyle Lowry added 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists on an off-night shooting, Serge Ibaka scored 20 points, and C.J. Miles had 11 for the Raptors. They won for the first time in Sacramento since 2014.
Toronto led by 15 in the first half, but couldn’t shake the Kings until the third when DeRozan repeatedly got into the lane and to the free throw line. He also made two late baskets in the fourth after Sacramento pulled to 90-83.
DeRozan shot 9 of 15 and was 7 of 11 on free throws while going over the 12,000-point mark for his career. He went into the day six points shy of the milestone.
That helped extend Toronto’s longest winning streak of the season and ended a four-game skid against Sacramento.
The teams will meet again in Toronto next Sunday.
Zach Randolph had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, and Buddy Hield added 17 points.
Two days after an overtime road victory in New Orleans, Sacramento couldn’t sustain the momentum and dug a hole with eight turnovers in the first quarter. Toronto scored the first 13 points and led 17-2 on DeRozan’s short jumper four minutes into the first quarter.
Sacramento cut it to five going into the second and went ahead 29-28 on Frank Mason’s two free throws with 8:06 left before the Raptors went on another run late to go up 54-46 at halftime.
The Kings cut it to 67-64 on Bogdan Bogdanovich’s 3-pointer midway through the third, but Lowry scored on a three-point play, added a 16foot baseline jumper and made two free throws to help the Raptors pull away
TIP-INS
Raptors: The game was Dwane Casey’s 500th as Toronto’s coach . ... Lowry shot 4 of 17 and was 3 of 12 beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
Raptors: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.