The Sports Xchange
Dec 27, 2017
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Carmelo Anthony let out a scream as the turnaround jumper fell through.
Anthony had just put the Oklahoma City Thunder up 20 in the final four minutes of an eventual 124-107 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Where things were difficult for the Thunder a few weeks ago, they have come much easier recently.
Against the Raptors, Paul George had 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 13 assists. Anthony and Steven Adams had 18 each.
C.J. Miles led Toronto (23-10) with 20 points. Jones Valanciunas added 16.
The win was Oklahoma City's sixth consecutive. Before this streak, the Thunder (20-15) hadn't won more than three consecutive games all season.
Anthony has been a big reason for Oklahoma City's success during the streak as he adjusted to a role in the Thunder's offense that he hasn't had to take on previously in his career.
Anthony was 8 of 15 from the floor, 8 of 11 from inside the 3-point line.
The loss was the second consecutive for Toronto, who came into the game winning 12 of its last 14.
As the game wore on, Toronto showed the effects of playing on back-to-back nights.
After going 13 of 21 from the floor in the first quarter, the Raptors were just 16 of 42 over the next two quarters as Oklahoma City built a 14-point lead going into the fourth.
Just more than four minutes into the second quarter, a skirmish broke out after Toronto's Valanciunas reached down to grab the ball from Westbrook after Adams had been called for a foul and Westbrook was on the ground.
Westbrook soon worked his way out of the altercation as Adams took over in confronting Valanciunas.
After a review, both Valanciunas and Westbrook were assessed technical fouls.
A few minutes later, Valanciunas and Adams got tangled up under the basket, with Valanciunas taking Adams to the ground and both players were called for fouls.
NOTES: The game was delayed approximately four minutes with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter after a light bulb in the rafters of the arena caught fire. Flames were briefly visible and smoke wafted in the upper part of the arena for the rest of the quarter before dissipating. ... Toronto made its first 20 free-throw attempts, not missing until the final two minutes of the third quarter. ... Toronto's 38 first-quarter points were the most by a Thunder opponent in the first quarter this season. ... The Raptors' C.J. Miles, in his second game back after missing three games following a dental procedure, played 22 minutes. Miles played just 10 minutes in Tuesday's loss at Dallas.