Raptors get first win in seven vs. Hornets
Hansbrough energy leads to Toronto’s first victory in Charlotte since 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Call it what you may — a jinx, a mystery, a stubborn curse — but the Raptors were all smiles in the locker room after their longawaited victory Wednesday night over the Charlotte Hornets, a team Toronto hadn’t beaten in their own barn in more than five years.
That sad spell, at least for now, was broken.
“For some reason, (we’ve) always had bad luck against this team, especially down here,” said DeMar DeRozan, who had not won a game in Charlotte since his rookie season. He scored a team-high 18 points Wednesday and added seven assists in a 92-74 victory that snapped a sixgame losing streak against the Hornets that dated back to 2013.
“It just felt good to come in here and get a win at a critical time when we need it,” DeRozan said.
Though coach Dwane Casey said before the game that it was crucial for the Raptors to come out swinging against the Hornets, he wasn’t happy with his team’s performance until the second quarter, when Toronto’s defence, led by some aggressive play from Tyler Hansbrough, really caught on. The Raptors held Charlotte to a dismal 34.6 per cent shooting from the field, contesting jumpers, blocking shots and hustling to guard the Hornets’ pick-and roll attacks.
“(Hansbrough’s) energy was infectious. He got in there and made things tough for everybody, just gave us a lot on our pick-and-roll de- fence,” said Casey, dubbing Hansbrough the “MVP” of the night.
The six-foot-nine forward posted a double-double with a season-high 12 rebounds and 12 points, and started in place of Amir Johnson, who joined Kyle Lowry on the team’s injury list for a second game in a row.
“It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the game, just coming out there with energy and trying to get everybody else to feed off of that,” said Hansbrough.
Up by 16 at halftime, the Raptors pulled away in the final frames and put the game into blowout territory. Lou Williams and Greivis Vasquez had 16 points each. James Johnson showed up sporting a new look, with his hair dyed red, inviting references to Dennis Rodman. He finished with seven rebounds and 11 points, and tapped his cherry red hair after every basket.
“We had two great practices, and we were focussed. We executed pretty well. Our intensity, starting with Tyler Hansbrough, was outstanding. That’s all it takes,” said Vasquez. “From the all-star break to this point, the question was, how come we’re not playing with a sense of urgency? That’s it. We have to play with a sense of urgency. That’s our team right there. When we play like that, we are just a totally different team.”