Lowry Scores 22, Raptors Beat Timberwolves 105-86
TORONTO (AP) — One seriously sloppy half was too much for the Minnesota Timberwolves to overcome.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each scored 22 points, Alan Anderson had 18 and the Toronto Raptors earned their first victory of the season Sunday night, beating Minnesota 105-86.
Toronto took advantage of 24 Minnesota turnovers — 16 in the first half — to score 32 points and leave Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman fuming.
"The first half is where we got killed," Adelman said. "Sixteen turnovers, you can't do that on the road. You can't succeed, you open up the door for them."
Andrea Bargnani scored 10 points as the Raptors extended Minnesota's miserable record against Toronto. The Raptors have won 15 of the past 16 meetings, including nine straight at home. Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004.
"We took a little step forward tonight," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We had a lot more possessions because of the turnovers."
Brandon Roy was the biggest culprit, giving the ball away five times, but there was plenty of blame to go around. Luke Ridnour and Chase Budinger each had four turnovers, while Alexey Shved and Nikola Pekovic both made three.
"I just couldn't get a grip on that ball," Roy said. "I know it sounds simple but I took a couple of dribbles and the thing was just flying out of my hands. No excuses, just too many turnovers."
Andrei Kirilenko scored 17 points and Pekovic had 15 for the Timberwolves. Kirilenko said the flood of miscues meant Minnesota "kind of lost our composure."
"It's too many turnovers," Kirilenko said. "You can't win the game when every guy loses three of four balls. We have to work on this. It wasn't really forced turnovers, we just threw them away."
Trailing 79-73 to begin the fourth, Minnesota was outscored 26-13 in the fourth quarter, making just four of 16 field goal attempts.
"We just let the floodgates open in the fourth quarter," Adelman said.
Derrick Williams had nine points and eight rebounds for Minnesota, who are without injured forward Kevin Love (broken hand) and guard Ricky Rubio (left knee).
The Timberwolves lost another player when guard Jose Barea hit his head midway through the second. Barea was diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms and did not return.
"When it happened, you could tell he was dizzy," Roy said. "He tried to walk and he just stumbled a little bit. I was thinking 'Oh no.' With everything that's going on with concussions you just hate to see that, especially with a teammate."
Barea appeared to take an accidental kick in the face from teammate Dante Cunningham as he fell and also had a large red bump on the left side of his head. He said he couldn't remember the incident.
"It was bad luck," Barea said. "All I remember is I drove baseline, I went up, made the shot and that was it. Then I was (in the locker room)."
Barea said he hoped to play Monday when the Timberwolves make their first visit to Brooklyn to face the Nets.
"I'll probably play," Barea said. "It all depends on the trainers. I've got to take another test tomorrow to make sure.
"My face hurts, I've got a couple of cuts in mouth but other than that I'm all right," Barea.
Winless in two games coming in, Toronto was playing the second game of two straight. The Raptors lost 107-100 at Brooklyn on Saturday night, the Nets' first game in their new home.
Casey said Anderson's contribution off the bench was especially important given that the Raptors were still tired from their trip to storm-ravaged New York.
"He is the man," Casey said of Anderson. "He came up big."
Lowry's 20-point performance was his third in three games.
"He's a very good player and he really gets them going," Adelman said of Lowry, who he once coached in Houston.
The Raptors scored 27 points off of 16 Minnesota turnovers in the first half, and got seven points from Lowry in a 12-4 run over the final 3:10 of the second quarter to open a 56-47 lead at the intermission.
The Timberwolves were more careful in the third, committing just three turnovers and cutting the deficit to 79-73 heading into the fourth. Kirilenko scored seven points in the third and Pekovic had six.
Landry Fields opened the fourth with a dunk and Toronto scored nine of the first 12 points of the quarter, opening an 88-76 lead on Anderson's 3-pointer with 8:47 left.
NOTES: Toronto rookie Terrence Ross scored his first NBA basket on a jump shot in the fourth. ... Raptors F Linas Kleiza missed his second straight game because of personal reasons. ... Minnesota made 18 of 32 field goal attempts in the first half but went 11 for 32 in the second half.
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