Field Level Media
Feb 11, 2018
DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and the Toronto Raptors wore out the travel-weary Charlotte Hornets in a 123-103 rout Sunday afternoon at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
CJ Miles posted 24 points off the bench and Jonas Valanciunas supplied 21 points for Toronto, which shot 56.3 percent from the field.
Kyle Lowry added 12 points, while Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet each tallied 10 for the Raptors, who took command with an 18-2 burst to begin the third quarter.
Toronto won its fifth game in a row, though the other four came at home.
The Hornets had returned home Saturday morning after finishing a four-game West Coast trip with Friday night's loss at Utah. A night earlier, they lost in overtime at Portland.
Charlotte lost its fourth game in a row despite 23 points from Kemba Walker and 17 points and 13 rebounds from Dwight Howard.
Jeremy Lamb had 13 points, while Frank Kaminsky and Cody Zeller both had 10 points for the Hornets, who dropped to 15-15 in home games.
Toronto shot 18-for-37 on 3-point attempts, with Miles going 6-for-9 from long range.
DeRozan was 10-for-19 from the field and also provided a team-high eight assists. He did his work in 29 minutes of playing time.
The Raptors have won all three meetings between the teams this season, including by 129-111 on Dec. 20 in the same building.
Charlotte forward Marvin Williams, who recently returned from an ankle sprain that caused him to miss four games, was limited to six points in 23 minutes.
The Hornets were particularly hurt by Nic Batum, who missed all 10 of his shots from the field and finished with two points.
Toronto forward OG Anunoby didn't play in the second half because of an ankle injury. He was scoreless in 11 first-half minutes.
The Raptors shot 58.3 percent in the first half for a 62-55 lead.
The Hornets, who were coming off a 1-3 trip, began the game by scoring the first 10 points before fading.
-- Field Level Media