DeRozan Leads Raptors Over Nets In OT
NEW YORK (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 26.1 seconds left in overtime, and the Toronto Raptors shook off a late injury to Kyle Lowry to beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-113 on Monday night.
The Raptors lost a 10-point lead in the final 4 1/2 minutes of regulation and then lost Lowry after a hard fall in OT, but at least won the game, just as they always do against the Nets.
Toronto beat Brooklyn for the 10th straight time and won its fifth in a row overall.
Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors. Lowry finished with 18 points and 11 assists, but had to be carried off the court after landing on his lower back while going for a rebound.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored a career-high 31 points for the Nets, but his wild shot on a last drive went over the backboard.
Lowry had a run of seven straight Toronto points to keep a comfortable lead for the Raptors most of the fourth quarter. But suddenly the Nets got hot from 3-point range, and eventually tied it at 107 on Allen Crabbe's drive to the basket with 9.7 seconds remaining. He was hurt on the play and had to be helped off the floor.
Lowry was then hurt while going for an offensive rebound when he flipped backward over the Nets' Quincy Acy. He got up and went back down with pain in both his back and legs, so much so that teammates trying to carry him off the court had to stop because it appeared Lowry was hurting too much.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Serge Ibaka finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. ... The Raptors play Cleveland and Golden State in a three-night span later this week.
Nets: DeMarre Carroll was held out after injuring his right knee on the final possession of Brooklyn's loss to Boston on Saturday, but coach Kenny Atkinson said the Nets were fortunate the injury wasn't worse. The starting forward is day to day.
DEMAR-VELOUS
DeRozan won Eastern Conference player of the week honors for the third time this season after averaging an NBA-high 35.7 points in three games last week, highlighted by a franchise-record 52 points in a victory over Milwaukee on Jan. 1. DeRozan also won the award for the weeks of Nov. 13-18 and Dec. 18-24.
D'Angelo Russell, who had left knee surgery and has been out nearly two months, practiced with the Nets' G League affiliate Monday. Neither Russell nor Atkinson knew when the starting guard would be ready to play for the Nets, but Russell was just glad to take part in what he said was a tough first practice after missing the last 26 games.
"Like I said, just getting that sweat again is what I've been looking for," Russell said.
Raptors: Host Miami on Tuesday.
Nets: Host Detroit on Wednesday.
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