Kyle Lowry, left, and DeMar DeRozan combined for 40 points and 18 assists in the Raptors’ convincing 126-113 win over road-weary Phoenix.
Toronto scores a season-high 42 points in the third quarter to set down young Suns
And now for something completely different.
After much angst and consternation about the perceived third-quarter shortcomings of the Raptors, they went out Tuesday and posted a season-best scoring binge in the third on the way to pasting the Phoenix Suns 126-113 at the Air Canada Centre.
The Raptors hung a 42-point run on visitors — punctuating their highest-scoring third quarter of season with a 10-point flurry in the final 90 seconds — to run their winning streak to four games overall and improve to an NBA-best 10-1 at home.
Despite a sluggish start to the fourth quarter, when an 11-2 Phoenix run made it a game again, the Raptors had enough to put away an opponent playing its sixth consecutive road game and second on consec- utive nights.
Closing with a small lineup that had Serge Ibaka at centre along with Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, the Raptors were quick enough to defend on the perimeter and versatile enough on offence to score almost at will.
Having a guy like Ibaka, who had one of his best games in weeks, anchor the defence helps.
“I thought he did a good job defensively switching, it gives us an opportunity to switch one through five, that’s something that slows a guy like (Suns top scorer Devin) Booker down a little but when he’s got a 6-11 guy switching out to him,” Casey said. “He (Ibaka) gives that opportunity, especially late in the game.” Lowry and DeRozan were tremendous, combining for 40 points and 18 assists and dominating the first and fourth quarters. Serge Ibaka had 19 points while Anunoby made a season-best four three-pointers and finished with 16 points. Toronto also dished out 29 assists.
“Games like tonight guys try to do too much, (Anunoby) didn’t,” Casey said. “He took what the game gave him. He took the shots — what was he, 4-of-5 from three? — and the ball just seems to find guys like that.”
The Raptors were getting their first look this season at Booker, the 21year-old Suns guard who is becoming one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. He came in off a 46-point outing Monday in Philadelphia and had 10 games of 30 or more points in Phoenix’s first 25 games, the most in Suns history.
“He does everything with ease, from distance, and he’s a tough kid,” Casey had said before the game. “Usually you tag shooters with being soft, but this kid is tough, he delivers blows first, he hits first, even his postup.”
The Raptors used a combination of defenders on him — Anunoby, DeRozan and Norm Powell mostly — and Booker was not a factor as Toronto jumped out to a 55-46 halftime lead.
The young Suns guard missed all seven shots he tried in the first half on his way to a 19-point outing that included a 4-for-15 effort from the field. He was carried off the court with just under three minutes left with what was called an adductor injury.
Booker’s poor start was part of a wretched opening quarter for the Suns, who were on the final stop of a six-game road trip. They committed seven turnovers the in the first while the Raptors made six three-pointers and jumped out to a 13-point lead.
“We tried to mix up the blitzes, we tried to mix up the switches, matchups,” Casey said. “You don’t stop a young man like (Booker), I thought we just made him work for what he got.”
The Raptors tried to give most the advantage back with a seven-turnover, 19-point quarter of their own in the second quarter but the Suns imploded a bit in the third.
Rookie T.J. Warren, who had been their leading scorer on the night, was tossed after picking up two technical fouls and Marquese Chriss got one minutes later.