The Sports Xchange
Dec 29, 2017
TORONTO --DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and added five assists as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Atlanta Hawks 111-98 Friday night for their 11th consecutive home victory.
The Raptors are 13-1 at the Air Canada Centre for the season. The franchise record for consecutive home wins is 12 set Jan. 18-March 4, 2016.
The Raptors (24-10) had lost their two previous games while the Hawks had won two in a row for the first time this season.
Toronto carried a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Hawks cut the deficit to 13 on a 3-pointer by Tyler Cavanaugh with 8:30 to play. The lead was down to 10 on a layup by Ersan Ilyasova with 3:42 left.
DeRozan's jumper had Toronto ahead by 11 with 1:04 to play.
Kyle Lowry added 12 points and five assists, Jonas Valanciunas scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Delon Wright contributed 13 points off the bench. Jakob Poeltl added six points and 10 rebounds.
Taurean Prince scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Hawks. Dennis Schroder scored 14 points and had nine assists. Marco Belinelli scored 14 points and John Collins had 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Raptors led 30-22 after the first quarter and stretched the lead to 11 points when Norman Powell opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 3-pointer.
Toronto led by 18 with 1:13 left in the first half after C.J. Miles hit a 3-pointer.
The Raptors led 62-47 at halftime thanks to 15 points from DeRozan. Prince led Atlanta with 11 first-half points.
Toronto led by 20 when Miles hit a 3-pointer nearly two minutes into the third quarter. The Hawks trimmed the lead to 11 on a dunk by Collins with 4:10 to play in the third.
A pair of 3-pointers by DeRozan and one by Wright helped the Raptors bump their lead to 22 points.
Toronto led 88-69 after three quarters.
NOTES: Raptors F Serge Ibaka was suspended for the game Friday after the team said he became involved in an "altercation" with a club official after the 124-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. "Disagreement, altercation, whatever you want to call it," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said before the game. "It's already been resolved. We met about it, both guys apologized to each other." F/G C.J. Miles started in Ibaka's spot against Atlanta. ... The Milwaukee Bucks will visit the Raptors on Monday. ... The Hawks will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.