Field Level Media
Feb 28, 2018
DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points as the visiting Toronto Raptors continued their recent mastery of the Orlando Magic with a 117-104 victory Wednesday night.
DeRozan was among six Raptors in double figures as Toronto beat Orlando for the 16th time in 19 meetings since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Raptors also won for the 11th time in their past 13 games overall.
Toronto's Kyle Lowry added 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for his 17th double-double of the season. The Raptors shot 54.2 percent from the field, handed out 33 assists and topped 100 points for the 13th consecutive game.
Toronto also received another productive showing from its bench as its reserves combined for 53 points.
Pascal Siakam added 10 of his 14 points during the fourth quarter while getting increased minutes after rookie OG Anunoby sprained his right ankle in the first half. Jakob Poeltl contributed 13 while Fred VanVleet totaled 12. Starting center Jonas Valanciunas scored 10 points.
Evan Fournier and Mario Hezonja scored 17 points apiece for Orlando, which dropped its seventh straight game. The Magic shot 48.1 percent but were outscored 27-15 in the fourth quarter when they missed 12 of 16 shots.
Nikola Vucevic added 14 while Jonathon Simmons finished with 13 and Shelvin Mark contributed 12. Aaron Gordon, who was questionable with a hip injury finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin also scored 11 points.
Both teams shot over 75 percent in the first quarter, but Toronto emerged with a 42-37 lead. The Raptors held four eight-point leads, but a 3-pointer by Fournier with 14 seconds left kept Orlando within five points.
The teams continued to shoot well but the Raptors took a 69-63 into halftime. The third quarter featured 10 lead changes and the Raptors appeared to pull away when Lowry's floater made it 90-83, but Hezonja and Mack hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and Orlando trailed 90-89 going into the fourth.
The Raptors held a 101-97 edge when DeRozan returned with 5:11 remaining. About a minute later, VanVleet hit a 3-pointer, extending the advantage to 106-97, and Toronto took its first double-digit lead on a basket by Siakam with 3:36 left.
--Field Level Media