Field Level Media
Aug 14, 2020
Stanley Johnson scored a season-best 23 points to lift the Toronto Raptors to a 117-109 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday afternoon near Orlando in the final regular-season game for each team.
Several regulars either did not play or had limited minutes for Toronto (53-19), which posted a 7-1 mark since the restart. The Raptors' overall record is the second-best in the NBA.
Paul Watson added 22 points while Norman Powell chipped in 15, Terence Davis had 14 and Matt Thomas 12 for Toronto.
P.J. Dozier scored 20 points and Monte Morris added 16 for Denver (46-27).
Keita Bates-Diop had 11 points and Paul Millsap and Troy Daniels each scored 10 points. Jamal Murray had 11 points in only 10 minutes for the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic had two points in 10 minutes.
The Raptors led by as many as 16 points in the first half and secured a nine-point advantage into the fourth quarter. Toronto took a 13-point lead on a layup by Davis with 4:45 remaining.
The Raptors rested Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. OG Anunoby and Serge Ibaka were out with knee injuries.
Michael Porter Jr. was rested for Denver.
The Raptors led 31-23 after the first quarter.
Toronto stretched the lead to 16 points on a layup by Johnson with 10:23 remaining in the second quarter.
Denver cut the lead to five with an 8-0 run, but Toronto responded with an 8-0 run of its own.
The Nuggets chipped at the lead and Morris cut the margin to four points when he hit a 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining in the half.
Toronto led 58-50 at halftime.
Davis led Toronto in the first half with 12.
Dozier and Murray led the Nuggets with 11 first-half points each.
Davis left the game with an abrasion under his right eye during the third quarter and was treated on the bench.
Mason Plumlee made a free throw to complete a three-point play with 4:11 left in the third to cut the lead to five.
Toronto led 85-76 after three quarters.
--Field Level Media