The Sports Xchange
Dec 23, 2017
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan, who scored a career-best 45 points Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, came back with 29 points Saturday as the Raptors won the rematch, 102-86.
The Raptors (23-8) have won six in a row and 12 of their past 13 games while the 76ers (14-18) have lost five in a row and nine of their past 10.
The Raptors are 18-1 against the 76ers since 2013-2014.
The Raptors led by 18 points entering the fourth quarter and held a 16-point lead after Serge Ibaka's emphatic dunk with 3:17 to play.
The benches began to empty soon after.
Ibaka added 17 points for the Raptors, Delon Wright had 14 with Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas chipping in with 12 each.
Dario Saric led the 76ers with 17 points and Joel Embiid had 14 points and eight rebounds. Amir Johnson added 12 and Ben Simmons 10 points.
Embiid was listed as questionable with a "tight back" until game time. He made the start and scored the Sixers' first eight points of the game.
Philadelphia's Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot closed out the first-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 27-27.
Ibaka led the Raptors with 13 first-quarter points.
The Raptors led 55-46 at halftime.
The 76ers had 14 turnovers in the first half, leading to 21 Toronto points while Philadelphia scored 11 points off eight Raptors turnovers.
Toronto pushed the lead to 13 when DeRozan hit a free throw with 10:29 left in the third quarter. The Sixers trimmed the deficit to four with 6:15 left in the quarter on a free throw by Saric.
DeRozan connected on a 3-pointer and Wright made a driving layup with 2:33 to go in the third and Toronto's lead was back up to 12 points.
The Raptors led 81-63 after three quarters.
NOTES: Philadelphia G JJ Redick (right hamstring tightness) missed his second consecutive game Saturday. ... Toronto F/G C.J. Miles (dental procedure) missed his third straight game Saturday and C Lucas Nogueira (strained right calf) has missed 11 games in a row. ... The Sixers visit the New York Knicks on Monday for a game starting at noon Christmas Day. ... The Raptors will visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.