Friday, January 29, 2016

Lowry inspires Raptors to record extending 10th win


Point guard Kyle Lowry scored 26 points and dished out 10 assists to help the Toronto Raptors extend their winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games with a 103-93 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday.

Toronto's' previous record winning streak was nine games from March 22-April 9, 2002.

The Raptors (31-15) led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and by 10 entering the fourth quarter before the Knicks crept to within seven before Toronto stretched the lead out to 11 on a three-pointer by Lowry with 1:45 to play.

Lowry scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Guard DeMar DeRozan also had 26 points for the Raptors.

Center Jonas Valanciunas added 11 points and grabbed a season-best 18 rebounds, and reserve forward Patrick Patterson chipped in with 10 points while reserve guard Cory Joseph added 11 points.

Guard Arron Afflalo scored 20 points and for the Knicks (22-26), who have lost four in a row.

Guards Sasha Vujacic and Jerian Grant added 13 points each for New York and guard Langston Galloway had 12.

The Raptors led 27-21 after the first quarter sparked by nine points from DeRozan. Afflalo had seven points for New York.

A three-pointer by Lowry with 3:54 to play in the second quarter put the Raptors ahead by 14 points.

Led by 12 points from DeRozan, the Raptors took a 53-43 advantage into the intermission. Lowry added 10 points and seven assists in the first half and Valanciunas nabbed 11 rebounds and scored six points.

Afflalo scored 11 points in the first half and Galloway added eight points.

The Knicks trimmed the Raptors' lead to one point on a driving, floating jumper by forward Lance Thomas with 6:39 to play in the third quarter.

The Raptors came back to get their lead to nine points on a jump shot by Patterson.

DeRozan's jumper raised the lead to 11 with two minutes to play in the third. Toronto led 73-63 after three quarters.

The Knicks got to within seven points of the Raptors early in the fourth quarter. The Raptors led by 12 points with 6:01 to play in the fourth on a hook shot by reserve center Bismack Biyombo. (Editing by John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com