DeRozan’s 52 points career-high, as Raptors overcome Bucks in OT
TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan poured in a career-high and franchise record 52 points as the Toronto Raptors opened the new year with a thrilling 131-127 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime Monday, their 12th win in a row at the Air Canada Centre.
The dozen consecutive home wins tied their franchise record set early in 2016.
Kyle Lowry added 26 points, while Fred Van-Vleet and Serge Ibaka finished with 11 apiece for the Raptors (25-10). Eric Bledsoe had 29 points to top the Bucks (19-16), while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26.
DeRozan’s had five three-pointers on the night, one shy of his career high, and his 21 first-quarter points were one shy of the franchise record for a quarter, set by Lowry on Dec. 2, 2015.
In their first meeting since the Raptors dispatched Milwaukee in six games in the opening round of last season’s playoffs, Toronto had an early nine-point lead but didn’t get to enjoy it long in a game that saw 11 lead changes.
The Raptors took a narrow 88-84 advantage into the fourth quarter, but the Bucks fought hard down the stretch, and with 2:07 to play took a 110-106 lead after a three-pointer from Matthew Dellavedova and a pair of Bledsoe free throws. DeRozan converted a three-point play, and Lowry drilled a three right in front of the Bucks bench to tie the game with 57 seconds to play.
The Raptors turned the ball over on a shot clock violation with 3.2 seconds to play, then with the capacity crowd of 19,800 on its collective feet, DeRozan was on Bledsoe like a blanket, sending the game into extra time tied at 114-114.
A Bledsoe three gave the Bucks an early three-point lead in overtime, but it was all Raptors the rest of the way, and when Ibaka scored with 57 seconds left, it gave Toronto a seven-point lead. An alley-oop dunk by Antetokounmpo cut the lead to just two, but DeRozan sealed the victory with a pair of free throws.