Toronto has won 19 games this season after trailing by at least 10 points
MIAMI: Down by 15 early, the Toronto Raptors had no reason to panic. Trouble brings out their best.
DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points — doing that back-to-back for the first time in his career — and the Raptors clamped down defensively in the final three quarters to beat the Miami Heat 101-84 in the NBA on Thursday night.
Toronto has now won 19 games this season after trailing by at least 10 points, more than any team in the NBA.
“It talks about toughness, heart,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “Our give-a-crap level is pretty high, and it’s one of those things where when you count us out, we find a way. My thing is just find five men who are going to play hard.”
Playing with 13 stitches in his right hand and some padding and bandages to protect the injury, Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Miami. Whiteside seemed a bit limited — his first two shots were rather gentle dunks, not his usual make-the-backboard-shake variety.
His injury situation even got worse: Whiteside sprained his left ankle late in the game.
“Very inspiring, just to see him out there battling,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Even with one good hand at the start and one good ankle at the finish, Whiteside was one of Miami’s lone offensive bright spots. Rodney McGruder and Goran Dragic each scored 13 for Miami, which shot 39 percent and tied its second-lowest scoring total of the season.
“No one’s going to feel sorry for me,” said Whiteside, who had a bag over his cut hand, two icepacks on his knees and a wrap on his newly injured ankle as he sat at his locker postgame.
DeRozan needed 38 shots to score 42 points against Chicago on Tuesday. He was much more effective in this one, shooting 14 for 25 from the field and 12 for 13 from the line.
SPURS 97, GRIZZLIES 90: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and Kawhi Leonard added 19 as San Antonio beat Memphis in a possible first-round playoff preview.
San Antonio opened a four-game homestand by moving two games behind idle Golden State for the league’s best record. The Spurs (55-16) close the homestand against the Warriors (57-14) next Wednesday.
Memphis (40-32) is seventh in the Western Conference, which would result in a first-round matchup with San Antonio if the standings remain.
Mike Conley had 22 points and six assists for Memphis, which lost its third straight to fall 1 ½ games behind Oklahoma City for sixth place.
Marc Gasol, who had 13 points, was the only other Grizzlies player in double figures.
MAVERICKS 97, CLIPPERS 95: Harrison Barnes made the go-ahead basket, then stole the ball from Blake Griffin with 3.9 seconds left as Dallas beat Los Angeles.
Barnes made a 14-foot jumper with 1:06 remaining for the game’s 11th lead change, making it 96-95. After he stripped Griffin, Wesley Matthews made a free throw with 0.9 seconds to play before J.J. Redick missed a 3-point attempt that would have won it at the buzzer.
Griffin scored 21 points, including nine in a row in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers had their three-game winning streak snapped. Dallas, battling from behind for a playoff berth, had lost four of six.
Seth Curry led Dallas with 23 points. Barnes finished with 21 and Dirk Nowitzki had 14.
DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 18 rebounds for the Clippers. Chris Paul scored 15 points and Austin Rivers had 13.
NETS 126, SUNS 98: Brook Lopez scored 19 points and K.J. McDaniels had a season-high 16 as Brooklyn beat Phoenix to give the Nets consecutive victories for the first time this season.
Trevor Booker added 14 points as one of six reserves in double figures for the league-worst Nets, who beat Detroit on Tuesday.
Devin Booker scored 28 points and Marquese Chriss had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns. Alex Len had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Brooklyn took a commanding 84-65 lead into the fourth quarter as Lopez scored 12 points in the third quarter. Brooklyn held Phoenix to 15 points, the fewest points the Nets have allowed in the third quarter this season.
Phoenix opened the game with a 17-4 run and led 32-22 after the first quarter. However, Brooklyn turned the tide in the second quarter and took a 52-50 lead into the halftime.
TRAIL BLAZER 110, KNICKS 95: Damian Lillard scored 30 points and the Portland Trail Blazers never trailed against the New York Knicks.
Lillard had 15 in the first quarter as Portland opened a 14-point lead. The Blazers led by as much as 23 and moved within a game of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points for the Knicks, who played without Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose.
Lillard entered Thursday’s game averaging 31.2 points since the All-Star break and did not cool off. He has scored 25 or more in eight straight games, a career-best streak.