Raptors tie franchise-best winning streak at nine
TORONTO — It’s nine and counting for the Toronto Raptors.
All-star starter Kyle Lowry poured in 29 points as the Raptors matched their franchise-best nine-game winning streak, beating the Washington Wizards, 106-89, in National Basketball Association action Tuesday night.
DeMar DeRozan added 17 points for the Raptors (30-15), who swept their four-game series with Washington. Terrence Ross added 15 points, while Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Cory Joseph chipped in with 10 points.
The Raptors tied the franchise-high nine consecutive games they set March 22 to April 9, 2002. They were ousted in the first round of the playoffs that season by Detroit.
Lowry shot an efficient 8-for-14, and added four rebounds and four assists, but there were some tense moments late in the fourth quarter when the two-time all-star made a beeline for the locker-room with what looked to be a left hand injury.
John Wall scored 18 points to top the Wiz- ards (20-23), who were missing Bradley Beal. Beal has a broken nose and concussion after being hit in the face by Boston’s Marcus Smart a night earlier.
The Raptors were swept by the Wizards in the first round of last season’s playoffs, and are keen to show they’re a more solid team this season.
Playing Game 5 of a seven-game homestand, the Raptors took a 7770 advantage into the fourth quarter. Then they put the Wizards away for good.
When DeRozan drove to the basket, and drew a foul, on a floating jumper with 4:40 to play, his three-point play put the Raptors up 95-78, in front of a capacity crowd that included six-time Olympian Clara Hughes and retired Canadian NBA veteran Rick Fox.
“I’m trying to tell (the players) enjoy this, enjoy this,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of the Raptors hot streak. “You hear all this, ‘Well let’s see what they do in the playoffs.’ You’d better enjoy this right now because tomorrow’s not promised to any of us. So let’s enjoy some of the good times and some of the small victories we have.”