Raptors cruise to win over Hawks

ATLANTA — Coach Dwane Casey loves those rare nights when the Toronto Raptors have such a big lead that the second team gets as many minutes as the starters.

“They’re going to have nights when they don’t look good, but the young guys came tonight and they were clicking,” Casey said. “They were playing together, screening for each other. The spacing was good. The passing was good.”

Norman Powell scored 17 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 16 and the Raptors blew out the Atlanta Hawks 112-78 on Saturday night.

Toronto dominated the game so completely that it needed just 28 minutes from DeMar DeRozan, one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers. DeRozan handed out a game-high eight assists and finished with just two points on 1-for-5 shooting before sitting out the fourth quarter with the other starters.

After the game he had his left knee iced in the locker room. DeRozan was hurt in the third quarter, but said he would’ve played if the game had been close.

“It’s a little sore, just a little swelling,” DeRozan said. “I want to be all the way right when I play again.”

Kyle Lowry had 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds as the Raptors snapped a two-game skid. Seven players finished in double figures for the Raptors.

Dennis Schroder scored 14 points and Taurean Prince and Marco Belinelli each had 10 for the Hawks. Atlanta was coming off Friday’s rally to beat New York, but it had nothing left after leading by one point late in the first quarter.

The Hawks dropped to 4-16, second-worst in the Eastern Conference. John Amis /

Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore (24) shoots as Toronto forward OG Anunoby defends during the first half of Saturday’s game in Atlanta.

Raptors 112, Hawks 78 AP