Raptors win four thin arow
TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan wasn’t letting the Washington Wizards getaway with another win at the Air Canada Centre.
The Raptors ’three-time-all-star scored 33 points to lift Toronto to a 100-91 win over Washington on Sunday, as the Raptors exacted some revenge on their Eastern Conference rival.
C.J. Miles added 12 points, while Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Vleet finished with 10 points apiece, as the Raptors (11-5) stretched their win streak to four games.
Bradley Be al had 27 points to lead the Wizards(9-7), who were missing John Wall (sore left knee).
The hard-fought affair saw the lead change hands 17 times, and neither team lead by more than eight points through the first three quarters.
Leading 79-76, DeRozan and the Raptors took over in the fourth. Miles was fouled on a three-point shot four minutes into the fourth and his free throw put Toronto up by six points. A basket by Pascal Si ak am two minutes later would stretch that to nine.
Washington pulled back to within five points, but Van Vleet knocked down a three with 1:15 to play, and then De R oz an drove hard to the net for a dunk with 54 seconds left that had the capacity crowd roaring, and gave Toronto a comfortable 10- point lead.
The Rap tors had dropped a dreadful 107-96 decision to Washington on Nov. 5 at the Air Canada Centre, that saw coach D wane Casey criticize the starters and Lowry get ejected for arguing with an official.
The Wizards were missing Wall that game as well, but Be al more than picked up the slack in a 38-points performance.
Norman Powell missed his fourth game for the Raptors on Sunday with a hip pointer.
It was a see-saw fight from the opening whistle. The Wizards were up by five with 40 seconds left in the first quarter, but Miles connected on a three, and Lucas Nogueira finished a pretty tic-tactoe play with a dunk to send the game into the second quarter tied at 28-28.
DeRozan had 16 points in the second, and his three-pointer with 2:38 left in the frame stretched Toronto’s advantage to eight points. The Raptors headed into the halftime break up 60-55.
Miles brought Toronto’s bench to its feet when he drove to the hoop for a dunk late in the third quarter. He followed that up with a three-pointer to put the Raptors up by four.
The Raptors play their next three games on the road, beginning on Wednesday in New York. They’ll travel to Indiana and Atlanta before returning home to host Charlotte on Nov. 29.