MAKING THEIR POINT
Kyle Lowry and the Raptors snapped a two-game skid with an emphatic win over the Pelicans in New Orleans,
NEW ORLEANS— The Toronto Raptors have now set themselves up to reach the one regular season benchmark they have never before met, and the only one remaining that matters.
A ridiculously easy 115-91 victory over a team purporting to be the New Orleans Pelicans here Saturday night not only gave the Raptors as many regular season wins as they’ve ever had, it moved them with one of the 50-win plateau they have never scaled.
Equalling the 49 wins they managed last season, Toronto can get to 50 as early as Monday with a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and, if they fail, will have nine other chances after that to achieve it.
It is all that is left to accomplish in the season that’s rapidly coming to a conclusion. And ever since it became a real possibility, the players have talked about wanting to be the first Toronto team to post a 50-win season.
“We tied it? That’s cool, that’s really cool,” Kyle Lowry said. “It’s something where we keep getting better . . . and growing every single game.
The record-tying victory was thorough and easy against an injury-riddled team and was so complete that neither Lowry nor DeMar DeRozan had to get off the bench in the fourth quarter, getting the in-game rest they are always seeking.
DeRozan had 23 points and Lowry had eight assists but only 11 points on a night when he missed all eight three-pointers he attempted.
The list of injured Pelicans is shockingly long, robbing them of virtually their entire rotation.
Jrue Holiday missed his second straight game with a sore toe, Anthony Davis is done for the year with knee and shoulder woes and Tyreke Evans (knee), Norris Cole (back), Ryan Anderson (groin) and Quincy Pondexter (knee) round out the list.
It has laid waste to the Pelicans’ season; they harboured playoff aspirations last November but are in the throes of a wretched 26-46 season.
“I thought defensively we came in and did what we wanted to do,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “I don’t care who we were playing, who was hurt or whatever, I thought we came out with the right focus and that was the most important thing to me.”
New Orleans started a group that could be charitably described as journeymen with D-League pickups backing them up. It was a perfect combination for the Raptors to take lightly.
But where they might once have let a suspect team have at least a glimmer of hope, the Raptors spent the early portion of the night stomping a weakened opponent.
The Raptors limited New Orleans to just 35 per cent shooting in the first half and 44 per cent overall, with the final 12 minutes being meaningless after Toronto stretched its lead to 31 at one point.
“We needed to play a good game,” Luis Scola said. “We know New Orleans is not playing very well but still we need a good win and to feel good about ourselves, get a little momentum, get a little energy, get a little confidence.
“Now we go home to a tough stretch with two tough games at home (Oklahoma City and Atlanta) and then two more tough ones on the road (Memphis and San Antonio).”
Patrick Patterson had a significant impact as he returns from an ankle injury to score 16 points while Scola added 12, all coming through threepointers. Rookie Norman Powell had another solid outing with 15 points.
“We’ve got a lot of scorers and his scoring is gravy,” Casey said of Powell.
“His No. 1 contribution to our starting unit is his defensive presence, focus and attention to detail and that’s what he did tonight.”