Field Level Media
Feb 2, 2018
DeMar DeRozan scored 26 of his 35 points in the first half as the Toronto Raptors hammered the Portland Trail Blazers 130-105 Friday night at Air Canada Centre.
Jonas Valanciunas added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who won for the third time in four outings.
Damian Lillard scored 32 points and dished out 10 assists for the Trail Blazers, who lost for only the second time in nine games. CJ McCollum had 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic 20 for Portland.
Six players scored in double figures for Toronto, which sank 19 of 40 attempts at the 3-point line.
DeRozan's 26 points sparked Toronto to a 74-52 halftime lead. The Raptors were 11 for 19 from 3-point range in the half. Lillard had 18 points and nine assists and Nurkic 15 points for the Blazers.
Portland cut the difference to 93-78 late in the third quarter. The Raptors took a 101-80 edge into the final period.
The Raptors stoked their lead to 117-91 with 8:10 to go. The Blazers got no closer than 22 points the rest of the way.
With DeRozan (16 points) and Valanciunas (11) leading the way, Toronto jumped to a 37-18 lead after one quarter. Lillard had 12 points and his teammates a collective six in the quarter.
Toronto increased the margin to 49-20 early in the second quarter. Portland responded with a 17-2 run to draw within 51-37. The Raptors came back with 11 straight to stoke their advantage to 65-41. Toronto took a 22-point lead into the half.
The Raptors have won only four of the last 10 meetings with Portland at Air Canada Centre.
Lillard has scored at least 20 points in each of his last nine appearances against the Raptors. Toronto won 99-85 in Portland on Oct. 30 despite 36 points by Lillard.
--Field Level Media