DeRozan, Holiday have career nights
DeMar DeRozan’s big game put the Toronto Raptors in a place they’ve never been before: up 2-0 in a playoff series.
DeRozan matched his career playoff-high with 37 points and the Raptors beat the visiting Washington Wizards 130-119 on Tuesday night as Toronto took a 2-0 lead in a playoff series for the first time in franchise history.
DeRozan, the former USC star from Compton, wasn’t the only Southland son to shine on the night. Jrue Holiday, who starred at Campbell Hall and UCLA, scored a career playoff-high 33 points as the New Orleans Pelicans took a 2-0 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers with a 111-102 win.
Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Kyle Lowry had 13 points and a career playoff-high 12 assists as Toronto set team playoff records for points in a quarter (44), a half (76) and a game.
DeRozan had his 12th career 30-point game in the postseason. The Raptors are 9-3 in those games.
John Wall scored 29 points for the Wizards. Guard Bradley Beal missed eight of 11 shots and finished with nine points. Beal had more fouls in the first half (three) than baskets (two).
“We’re not down on ourselves at all,” Wall said.
New Orleans 111, at Portland 102: Nikola Mirotic and Holiday hit threes to give the Pelicans the lead for good, 105-100, with 1:35 left and seal a sweep of two games in Portland. Anthony Davis added 22 points and 13 rebounds to Holiday’s 33, and Rajon Rondo had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
C.J. McCollum, who struggled with backcourt mate Damian Lillard in the opener, rebounded with 22 points to lead the thirdseeded Blazers. Lillard finished with 17 points for the Blazers, who lost starters Jusuf Nurkic (left leg) and Evan Turner (right toe) in the third quarter.
at Boston 120, Milwaukee 106: Jaylen Brown had a playoff career-high 30 points and the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. “As a team we didn’t show up tonight,” he said.