DeRozan the disher in drubbing of Sixers

Raptors guard takes what defence gives him and shows he can pass as well as he can shoot

The pass was a bullet, diagonally across the court, travelling maybe 50 feet and through traffic in the paint.

It hit the Raptors’ DeMarre Carroll in a perfect spot — on time and on target as they say — and Carroll made an inrhythm three-point bucket.

The playmaker? DeMar DeRozan, as the best season of his NBA career continues to get better in nuanced manners nearly every week.

DeRozan, putting up historically excel- lent scoring numbers for the Raptors this season, has become a far more willing and accomplished passer in the face of multiple defenders that he is seeing almost every time he catches the ball. And he turned into a facilitator of the top order as the Raptors beat the under-manned Philadelphia 76ers 113-105 at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday.

DeRozan finished with nine assists, ty- ing his season high, despite playing just 31 minutes, the second fewest he has played in the last 10 games.

“He did a great job of finding people, finding the seams in the pick and roll, skip passes against the press. I thought he did an excellent job, especially in the first half,” Casey said of DeRozan, who also had 17 points.

“That’s the type of game he’s going to see and, if teams are going to do that, that’s an excellent sign if he’s able to do that.”

DeRozan’s assists were among the 25 the Raptors had on the night; they haven’t had more than 25 as a team in 57 games dating back to Dec. 3. DeRozan also took only 11 shots, 10 fewer than he averages per game.

“Not to take something away from them guys over there (the Sixers), but (it’s) me just understanding this opportunity where teams are really going to have to come after me,” DeRozan said. “I can get my guys going. It’s great when they see the balls go through the hole.”

With the Sixers missing presumptive starters Jahlil Okafor and Robert Covington, along with the previously shut down Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Raptors were able to take control of the game and find some solid rest for starters.

None of DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, DeMarre Carroll or Jonas Valanciunas played a minute in the fourth quarter and Cory Joseph, the fifth starter, played just 3:42.

“Being able to build a lead and get some rest is huge,” Joseph said. “It’s been a long season for us. A couple of guys are banged up and what not, so whenever you can get that rest it’s definitely beneficial.”

Casey went with an all-young group headlined by Delon Wright, Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl that was able to hold off the Sixers.

“We weren’t going to cut them (and risk) not winning the game,” Casey said of the starter’s minutes. “Luckily we got in a position where we could do that. We want to make sure we do preserve them as much as we can but not at the expense of winning games.”

The Raptors played without P.J. Tucker, who missed the game because of a sore left knee, and Kyle Lowry, who sat out his 20th straight game — about a quarter of the regular season — after wrist surgery.

“(Tucker is) OK, he’s going to be fine,” Casey said. “He had an MRI and it was OK, back clean and everything. It’s just sore.”

Lowry has yet to practise but Casey said before the game that off-day workouts are not a prerequisite for the point guard’s return.