Raptors get first win

TAMPA, Fla.

It took four games, and the benching of Pascal Siakam to reinforce the message of team culture, but the Toronto Raptors finally looked like themselves on Thursday.

Fred VanVleet had 25 points and Kyle Lowry had 20 and the Raptors pulled away to beat the New York Knicks 100-83, ending a miserable three-game winless streak, their worst start in 15 years.

“It just feels good, man,” VanVleet said. “A first win is hard to get in any season and losing three in a row any time in a season is not acceptable around here and I think a lot of guys are fired up, there’s a core group here that we know what we’re thinking at all times but sometimes things just need to be said out loud.

“So, I think guys said, `Enough is enough and it was time to get a win.”’

Norman Powell started in place of Siakam and finished with 17 points, while newcomer Alex Len had 11 off the bench.

Coach Nick Nurse had benched Siakam after the angry forward fouled out of Tuesday’s loss in

Philadelphia and made a beeline for the locker-room.