Defence the difference

Raptors use strong fourth quarter to beat Magic 93-86

Kyle Lowry scored 25 points and Toronto used a strong fourth-quarter defensive effort to beat the Orlando Magic 93-86 on Tuesday night.

Toronto limited Orlando to 3-of-19 shooting (15.8 per cent) in the fourth quarter, helping the Raptors overcome an eightpoint deficit and win for the 12th time in their last 13 games. Serge Ibaka had 14 points and Delon Wright and Norman Powell had 10 apiece for Toronto.

Shelvin Mack led Orlando with 17 points. Aaron Gordon, returning after missing five games with a concussion, added 16 points. Nikola Vucevic had 15 points and nine rebounds for Orlando, which has lost seven of its last eight.

The Raptors bench did most of the work in the final period. The reserves pressured Orlando all over the floor, forcing the Magic to miss their first 11 shots and commit four turnovers, opening the door for a Raptors comeback.

Toronto had its own problems offensively, making just one field goal in the first five minutes of the period.

The Raptors finally got it going when Lorenzo Brown’s off-balance jumper in the lane started a 12-0 run that ended with Pascal Siakam draining a corner three-pointer for an 84-78 lead with 4:52 to play.

The Magic finally got a field goal when Vucevic hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to make it 84-80 with 4:34 left in the game.

The Magic went scoreless during the next three minutes, allowing Toronto to stretch the lead to 91-80 on Lowry’s threepointer with 1:39 to play.

The Magic guards consistently beat Toronto off the dribble in the first half, leading to a nearly non-stop parade of layups and dunks and a 34-20 advantage on points in the paint.

Toronto’s guards countered from the perimeter, led by Lowry, who scored 16 points in the half.

Four of the Raptors’ last five field goals were three-pointers, including one from Lowry that gave Toronto a 52-51 halftime advantage.

Notes: G DeMar DeRozan sat out the game with a thigh contusion. . Toronto’s franchise-record streak of 23 straight games scoring over 100 points ended. . The Raptors have won a franchise-record nine straight road games.

Raptors