Ibaka, Lowry lead Raptors’ rout of Clippers
Spurs smash Suns as Pop hits number 4 on wins list
LOS ANGELES: Serge Ibaka scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the visiting Toronto Raptors ended a two-game losing streak with a 123-99 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Raptors guard Kyle Lowry came in 4-for-28 from the floor over the past four games, but he shot 8-for-13 while scoring 21 points. Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points off the bench, and Pascal Siakam finished with 13 points for Toronto, which was opening a four-game road trip. Goban Marjanovic scored 18 points and fellow reserve Tyrone Wallace finished with a season-high 15 points to lead the Clippers, who won in overtime at Phoenix on Monday night. Danilo Gallinari led the starters with 11 points, and Tobias Harris finished with 10, well below his season average (21.4).
The Eastern Conference-leading Raptors played without Kawhi Leonard, who entered Tuesday eighth in the NBA in scoring (26.1). Leonard, who played just nine games with the San Antonio Spurs last season because of a lingering quad injury, played in a season-high nine straight games before Tuesday. Leonard hasn’t played in games on consecutive days this season, and Toronto plays the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors today. Fred VanVleet moved into the starting lineup and finished with a careerhigh 14 assists, including 10 in the first half, when the Raptors shot 63.8 percent from the floor.
Toronto led 70-57 at the break, and the Clippers never pulled any closer. Ibaka’s dunk made it 81-61 with 7:57 left in the third quarter, and the Clippers’ largest deficit of the season grew further when Lowry sank a 3-pointer to make it 103-71 with 1:02 left in the third. The Raptors sprinted out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter but missed six of their first seven shots to start the second, and the Clippers began cutting into the advantage.
Milos Teodosic made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to pull Los Angeles within 42-38 with 8:04 left in the second quarter. The Clippers couldn’t get any closer, however, and the Raptors made a late push to re-establish the 13-point lead at the break. The Clippers played without sixth man Lou Williams, who is averaging about 17 points a game. Williams is expected to miss two to three weeks with a left hamstring injury, coach Doc Rivers told reporters earlier in the day.
SPURS 111, SUNS 86
Bryn Forbes scored a season-high 24 points and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds to lead a balanced San Antonio attack as the Spurs strolled past the visiting Phoenix Suns 111-86 on Tuesday. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich earned his 1,211th career win, moving him past Pat Riley for fourth place on the all-time NBA coaching victories list. Ahead of him are Don Nelson (1,335), Lenny Wilkens (1,332) and Jerry Sloan (1,221). LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points for San Antonio, which earned a third consecutive victory. Dante Cunningham hit for 14 points. T.J. Warren paced the Suns with 23 points. De’Anthony Melton scored 17, and Deandre Ayton notched 12 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix, which has lost 10 straight. ROCKETS 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 104 James Harden scored a team-high 29 points, but it was a maligned group of reserves who helped carry host Houston to a come-from-behind victory over Portland. Following a change in their starting lineup, with guard Eric Gordon replacing James Ennis, the Rockets received 37 points from their bench. Gerald Green (13 points), Danuel House Jr. (12) and Nene (10) all scored in double figures to help Houston snap a three-game skid. Rockets guard Chris Paul (11 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) sealed the win at the freethrow line as Portland took its fifth consecutive road loss. Damian Lillard paced the Trail Blazers with 34 points, while CJ McCollum chipped in 22.