Lowry leads the way in victory
Kyle Lowry scored 24 and added three assists as the Toronto Raptors held on for an 8683 win over the San Antonio Spurs in National Basketball Association action Friday night.
DeMar DeRozan had 21 points, six assists and seven rebounds for Toronto (31-13), which has only lost at Air Canada Centre three times this season. Centre Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in Friday night’s game.
LaMarcus Aldridge led San Antonio (30-17) with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Most of his scoring came in the third quarter as the Spurs mounted a comeback.
The sellout crowd of 19,800 gave DeRozan a standing ovation in the first quarter when it was announced he would be competing in his fourth NBA all-star game, his second straight year as a starter for the Eastern Conference.
Fred VanVleet, who bruised his knee in Monday’s 117-111 loss in Philadelphia, did not play for the second game in a row.
His absence as a third guard behind Lowry and DeRozan was felt, forcing the Raptors’ two stars to play more minutes against a tough San Antonio defence.
With both teams trading leads early in the game, Toronto held a 63-60 lead after three quarters.
Bryn Forbes drained a threepointer with 6:53 to go in the game to make it 70-69. DeRozan hit a turnaround jump shot.
Aldridge’s step-back jumper again cut into Toronto’s lead, but Lowry responded with two made free throws and Valanciunas sank a hook shot. DeRozan brought the crowd to its feet again with a layup for an 80-71 lead.
Pau Gasol made one of his two free throws, and Lowry passed the ball out of bounds just before the two minute warning. Gasol scored on the next possession but DeRozan came right back with a 19-foot jump shot.
Dejounte Murray replied for the Spurs, but on the inbound DeRozan passed to Lowry who sank another jumper to make it 84-76 and force a San Antonio timeout with 30.9 seconds left to play. Aldridge missed a three-pointer on the next possession but Murray tipped in the rebound with 18.8 seconds left.