Raptors push win streak to 9
TORONTO — It’s nine and counting for the red-hot Toronto Raptors.
All-star starter Kyle Lowry poured in 29 points as the Raptors matched their franchisebest nine-game winning streak, beating the Washington Wizards 106-89 on Tuesday.
It wasn’t pretty, but Toronto found a way to win. And that says plenty about this edition of the Raptors, DeMar DeRozan said afterward.
“Just lets you know it’ll be scary once we get rolling on both ends and we play a complete game. Anything is possible,” DeRozan said. “We feel like we can beat anybody, compete with anybody every single night.”
Lowry had another solid outing, shooting 5-for-9 from threepoint range, before some tense moments in the fourth quarter. The two-time all-star got his left wrist caught up in a play, and made a beeline for the dressing room. Post-game Xrays were negative, and the team called it a sprain.
“I really thought that it was something worse than what it was but I’m fine,” said Lowry, who broke the same wrist in his rookie season with Memphis.
“I got caught in a screen. I’m fine,” he added, his hands stuffed in his pants pockets as he spoke to reporters.
DeRozan added 17 points for the Raptors (30-15), who swept their four-game series with Washington. Terrence Ross added 15 points, while Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and Cory Joseph chipped in with 10 points.
The Raptors tied the franchise-high nine consecutive wins they set March 22 to April 9, 2002. They were ousted in the first round of the playoffs that season by Detroit.
Coach Dwane Casey is trying to temper the team’s mood during this hot streak — “The guys will tell you I’m a negative Nelly,” he said pre-game. And true to form, he picked apart the Raptors’ defensive efforts after the victory.
“Our transition defence was non-existent. We were in a malaise with our transition defence,” he said. “Again we found a way to win, but you can’t continue to live like that. We’ve got to get a complete game where things are going the way we want them to go both offensively and defensively. I applaud our guys for finding a way to pull it out.”
The Raptors were swept by the Wizards in the first round of last season’s playoffs, and are keen to prove they’re a better team this season.