Raptors show resilience in hard-fought victory

There were will be bigger games to be played, games when the stakes will be much higher, games that are do or die.

But on this night, it was as good as it can get for a late January visit by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The ACC was alive, the crowd was into it, the teams playing at a high level.

In the end, the Raptors made the right plays in the right moments, showing resiliency in coming back from a double-digit deficit and getting their best, or close to it, from starters DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas as Toronto held on for a 109-104 win.

The bench did a nice job as well, one of those typical overall team efforts that should bode well for the Raptors who play next in Washington against the John Wall-less Wizards Thursday night.

Jimmy Butler led all scorers with 25 points.

Andrew Wiggins scored 15 points on 7-of-22 shooting.

The T’Wolves were in the bonus with 5: 53 remaining, the Raptors growing more and more frustrated at calls that weren’t even fouls.

Once they calmed down, the Raptors picked up their game, locking into their man- on defence and playing with force offensively.

With 2: 51 to play, the Raptors were leading, 101-94.

For most the night, Minnesota couldn’t miss and when they began to miss shots, contested or open, the Raptors did a good job of controlling the boards and not allowing for multiple possessions.

An Andrew Wiggins three- ball made it a two-point game with 1:01 to go, the Raptors biting on a drive and leaving Wiggins open on the wing.

From that point forward, every possession became critical.

Toronto responded with a DeRozan basket off penetration, forcing Minnesota to call a timeout with 41.4 ticks.

Butler was a load for the Raptors, one of those guys who has always given Toronto problems.

It was Butler’s first game against the Raptors following his trade from Chicago.

Late in the third, his jumper set up his drive as Butler scored four straight points. After three quarters, he had 20 points on 8- of-12 shooting, four rebounds and four assists. The biggest lead was fashioned by the visitors, who led 36-23 after a made three-pointer.

Powell hasn’t see the floor much of late, but the Raptors went with Powell as their first guy off the bench in the wake of a knee setback to C. J. Miles.

Ibaka had a tough start to the night, the Raptors’ starting forward missing an open look on the perimeter, then getting beat on the block as a basket was yielded and then turning the ball over on the ensuing inbounds. When he settled down, Ibaka picked up his game, scoring eight points in nine minutes.