Calderon helps break 11-game road loss streak
Fed up with losing, the Toronto Raptors are finally changing their attitude.
“Sooner or later, you’ve got to man up and buck up,” coach Dwane Casey said after a 113-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
The Raptors bucked up in many ways in winning their third straight game for the first time this season.
Jose Calderon scored a season-high 23 points and Toronto won on the road for the second time this season.
The Raptors snapped an 11game skid away from home, winning on the road for the first time since Nov. 13 when they beat Indiana. Toronto is 2-14 away from the Air Canada Centre.
“At some point, you have to play and have some fun,” Calderon said. “At the end of the day, it’s a team sport. It’s about doing it the right way and getting everyone involved — that’s what we’re doing right now.”
Alan Anderson hit three late three-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 points for Toronto.
Amir Johnson scored 17 points and DeMar DeRozan added 16. John Lucas III had eight points in the final quarter, including a key fourpoint play.
Toronto again played without centre Andrea Bargnani and guard Kyle Lowry, their second- and third-leading scorers. Both have missed the last four games. Bargnani has an injured right elbow while Lowry has a torn right triceps.
Cleveland coach Byron Scott knows his team hasn’t been doing much right lately.
“When you give up 64 points in the second half and 35 in the fourth quarter, you’re not going to win a lot of games,” Scott said.
The Cavaliers have lost four straight since beating the Los Angeles Lakers last week. Cleveland dropped a one-point decision to New York on Saturday.
“I’m not trying to make excuses, but when we play the lower-echelon teams we don’t come out as we want to,” said Kyrie Irving, who led Cleveland with 23 points.
“When we’re playing against the Lakers and New York, we’re in the game. We have to come with a more focused attitude.”
Cavaliers centre Anderson Varejao, the league’s leading rebounder, left the game briefly after injuring his right knee in the first quarter.
“I’m still concerned,” Scott said. “Even though he played ... we’ve got a flight, we’ve got another (game) tomorrow. We’ll see how he feels.”