IT WAS OVER WHEN
Jonas Valanciunas drilled two free throws to put Toronto up seven with 33 seconds remaining. Despite turning the ball over on back-to-back possessions late, the Raptors were able to hold on for the 110-103 victory. The win was Toronto’s first in Portland since 2006, and moves Toronto to 34-16 on the season.
QUICK START
Toronto got off to a fantastic start in Portland, scoring a season-high 37 points on 52 percent shooting in the opening quarter. The Raptors also shot 6-for-7 from beyond the arc (86 percent), and assisted on 16 of their 13 field goals in the first 12 minutes of action. The quick start allowed Toronto to weather a slow second quarter and still hold an eight-point lead at the half.
BLAZERS RALLY LATE
After extending the lead to 14 with 4:06 remaining, the Raptors were unable to stop a push by the Blazers to get within five with less than a minute to play. Jonas Valanciunas made his free throws to put Toronto ahead by seven, Portland wasn’t able to score on its next trip down, and the Raptors hung on for the victory, despite Portland making it interesting in crunch time.
RAPTORS PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Once again, Toronto’s backcourt was too much for the opponent to handle. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 59 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocked shots. The duo shot 21-for-44 from the floor, 8-for-11 from three, and 9-for-14 from the foul line. DeRozan helped Toronto get off to a hot start, and Lowry scored 11 of his 30 in the fourth.
THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT
Lowry’s 7-for-10 performance from deep came immediately after it was announced that he will represent the Raptors in the Footlocker Three-Point Contest during All-Star Saturday Night. Lowry will join Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Miami’s Chris Bosh, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Houston’s James Harden, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, and L.A. Clippers’ J.J. Redick in the contest.
UNDERRATED RAPTORS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jonas Valanciunas weathered early foul trouble to finish with a 14-point, 11-rebound double double in 25 minutes. He shot 5-for-10 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. He also had two blocked shots.
THAT’S A RAP…
“This is the NBA. Every team is going to make a run. Our guys are getting used to teams giving us their best shot. I liked the battle, I liked the fight that our guys are showing. Not picture-perfect, but the effort is picture-perfect.”
– Dwane Casey happy with his team’s commitment to the game plan
BY THE #’S
63… Percent shooting from beyond the arc. Toronto shot 12-for-19 from the three-point line, led by Kyle Lowry’s 7-for-10 performance.
44… Points in the paint for the Raptors, compared to 36 for the Blazers.
11… Assists for Portland’s Damian Lillard who also scored a team-high 27 points. Lillard was a handful, but the Raptors were able to force him into shooting 8-for-20 from the floor. Dillard’s backcourt mate, C.J. McCollum added 21 points.
2… Rookie Norman Powell received his second start of the season, filling in for the injured James Johnson. Powell was scoreless in 13 minutes, but tallied a rebound and an assist as he provided energy on the defensive end.
19… Despite a quiet night offensively (six points), Patrick Patterson was huge for Toronto off the bench. To go along with his points, he added four rebounds, three assists, and three steals as he continued to show the many ways he can affect the game. The Raptors were a +19 in Patterson’s 28 minutes.
THEY SAID IT…
“DeMar was aggressive. He stayed aggressive throughout the game. Some of the layups he shot didn’t fall, but his aggressiveness really helped to set the tempo and set the standard for us during the game.”
– Kyle Lowry on DeMar DeRozan leading the team early
“Cohesion, chemistry, continuity. We’re not a finished product. There’s a lot of things we’re harping on, continuing to work on. We’re not a finished product. We’ve got to stay hungry. We’ve got to stay focused.”
– Dwane Casey on the key to winning 13 of the last 14 games
“Kyle and DeMar came out with a lot of energy and got us going. Especially DeMar, in the first little bit, attacking the rim hard, getting points on the board early for us. Just being energetic defensively.”
– Cory Joseph on the team captains leading the way
UP NEXT:
The Raptors will head back to Toronto to practice before flying to Detroit to face the Pistons on Monday at 7:30 P.M. ET.
