DeRozan Scores 33, Raptors Beat Knicks, 118-107
TORONTO (CBSNewYork/AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, Norman Powell added 19 and the Toronto Raptors beat the New York Knicks for the fourth straight time with a 118-107 victory on Saturday night.
DeRozan, the NBA's leading scorer, had his eighth 30-plus-point game in nine starts this season, putting him in an exclusive club. In the last 50 years, Michael Jordan, World B. Free and Tiny Archibald have started a season registering 30-plus points in eight of the first nine games.
Carmelo Anthony had 31 points, while Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose had 21 apiece for New York.
Kyle Lowry, who finished with 16 points, put the Raptors up by four with 1:41 to play on a driving layup, and Lucas Nogueira had two straight blocks on Anthony and then Rose to put Toronto in control.
On the next play, DeRozan was fouled on a driving layup and was serenaded with chants of "MVP! MVP!" as he shot the subsequent free throw.
Led by their superstars, the Raptors and Knicks went back and forth over the opening 12 minutes, with DeRozan and Anthony registering nine and 10 points, respectively. The teams traded the lead 12 times and the Knicks ended the quarter on top, 28-24.
There were only four lead changes in the second quarter as Toronto jumped into a six-point lead behind the 11 points off the bench from Terrence Ross. But Anthony responded with 10 more points, including the Knicks' final six of the quarter to push New York into a 56-53 halftime lead.
Anthony continued his output in the third another 9 points, but Toronto responded through DeRozan, who had 13 to hand the Raptors an 87-85 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York is 0-2 in the back end of back-to-back games. It has 15 such games this season. . The Knicks haven't won a season series against the Raptors since the 2010-11 season, and are 4-9 against them in their last 13 games.
Raptors: F DeMarre Carroll was dropped from the starting lineup for the first time this season to give him some rest. Powell took his place. . Former Raptor Muggsy Bogues was in attendance, throwing signed basketballs into the crowd. . Saturday's game marked the first of 16 Atlantic Division games for Toronto. The Raptors have not lost a season series with their division rivals since 2012-13.
OLD IS NEW AGAIN
The Raptors wore blue throwback jerseys in tribute to the Toronto Huskies of the old Basketball Association of America, which eventually became the NBA. The Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers on Nov. 1, 1946, at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in what the NBA regards as the first game in its history, won 68-66 by the Knicks. The Raptors will wear the Huskies blue uniforms and play on a specially designed Huskies court on six occasions this season, and now have a 5-3 record when wearing the throwback uniforms.
STRO SHOW
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman watched the game from courtside, and took the opportunity at the end of the first quarter to show his arm has lost none of its strength after a long season that took the Jays back to the American League Championship Series. He threw a few signed mini basketballs into the crowd, launching a couple of the souvenirs all the way to the back of the lower bowl.
JOE SHOW
American rapper and New York native Fat Joe was also in attendance to watch his hometown Knicks, and was given a rousing reception during the first quarter.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Dallas on Monday looking to snap a five-game losing streak against the Mavericks, who have won three straight at Madison Square Garden.
Raptors: Visit Cleveland on Tuesday for the first time since last season's Eastern Conference finals. The Cavaliers beat the Raptors in Toronto last month in the first of four meetings between the teams this season.
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