Holly MacKenzie – Raptors.com
Cory Joseph made a pair of free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining to put Toronto ahead by six. Despite a furious push by the Hornets, the Raptors held on to collect their 52nd win of the season with the 96-90 victory.
Bismack Biyombo was happy to see former teammates and members of Charlotte’s coaching staff, catching up with Hornets head coach Steve Clifford outside of the visiting locker room pregame. Clifford was complimentary of Biyombo during his pregame availability when he was asked about the season his former player has had for the Raptors.
Kyle Lowry was excused from Monday’s practice so he could travel to Houston to watch Villanova take on North Carolina in the NCAA championship game. He ended up getting to witness a thrilling Villanova buzzer-beating victory over North Carolina and was elated to be in attendance. After Tuesday’s win against the Hornets, Lowry was decked out in a Villanova Champions t-shirt and hat when he addressed the media.
The Raptors held a 14-point lead at the half thanks to a solid start from DeMar DeRozan. Toronto shot 50 percent in the half while holding the Hornets to 34 percent shooting with DeRozan’s 17 points leading the way. The Raptors were a +19 in the first half with DeRozan on the floor.
Toronto went into the fourth leading by 16, but the Hornets opened the quarter with a 7-0 run to get within single digits. With Charlotte threatening a comeback, Kyle Lowry got to work. Lowry, who had scored nine points through the first three quarters of the game, scored 12 of Toronto’s 21 points in the quarter to help the Raptors keep the distance.
DeMar DeRozan showed off his all-around game against Charlotte, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a steal in 36 minutes. DeRozan shot 7-for-19 from the floor, but was 1-for-2 from deep and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. The team was a +6 when he was on the floor.
Kyle Lowry helped Toronto close out the win with a strong fourth quarter as he finished with 21 points, four rebounds, six assists and a blocked shot in 40 minutes of action. Lowry shot 8-for-16 from the floor, 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and 2-for-3 from the free throw line.
“That was an old Eastern Conference knockdown, drag-it-out, knock ’em, rock ’em, sock ’em game. Not a lot of offence from us, missed a lot, had a lot of open looks and a lot of turnovers in crucial situations, but we found a way. You have to understand a team like that is going to come back. You have to withstand it and I thought we did. We made some crucial plays. Kyle [Lowry] made some tough shots down the stretch. It was a defensive battle on both ends.” – Dwane Casey on finding a way to win ugly
19…Toronto’s largest lead of the game was 19 points. 7…Just seven turnovers by the Hornets, compared to 11 by the Raptors. 12…Points, 12 rebounds for Jonas Valanciunas who picked up his team-leading 21st double-double of the season. Valanciunas also added three blocked shots. 21…Points, four rebounds, seven assists and a steal for Jeremy Lin on 5-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. 11Charlotte nearly doubled Toronto’s 3-pointers, making 11 on 33 attempts, compared to Toronto’s six makes on 26 attempts. 36Percent shooting for the Hornets, 43 percent for the Raptors.
“The only thing we do is focus on us, just us, and finishing out these last five games. Treating them like playoff games and staying focused. Working on our rotation and hopefully getting [DeMarre Carroll] back healthy and playing again. Just focus on what we need to prepare for going into the playoffs.” – Patrick Patterson on the team not spending time worrying about who is finishing seventh or eighth in the East “He really has improved in reading the speed of the game. Whether it is slow or fast, mainly in the pick-and-roll situations. Finishing around the rim. He has great hands around the basket…Great hands, great touch, great feel. He gives you everything down in the paint.” – Dwane Casey on a solid stretch from Jonas Valanciunas “We just have to be disciplined at the end. When we are going against a playoff team that’s definitely fighting for home court, you can’t let up. We understood that they were going to fight until the end.” – DeMar DeRozan on the Hornets chipping away late “I jumped higher than I’ve ever jumped in my career. Yeah man. It was an amazing moment, honestly. For those kids, for the program, for coach Wright, the seniors, the juniors, the sophomores, the freshman. It’s about them. For me, it was just a passionate moment and I’m glad to say I was part of that moment and that I went to that school.” – Kyle Lowry on how he reacted after Villanova’s game-winner
The Raptors fly to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Thursday at 8 P.M. ET.
