NBA: Fred VanVleet puts up 31 points, as Raptors top Clippers

Fred VanVleet scored 31 points and dished out 9 assists as the host Toronto Raptors defeated the undermanned Los Angeles Clippers 116-108 Friday night.

Pascal Siakam added 25 points and matched his career best with 19 rebounds for the Raptors, who had lost their 2 previous games.

The Raptors had most of their players back from health and safety protocol, a list that had reached 10 last weekend.

OG Anunoby had 26 points and Gary Trent Jr. scored 10 for Toronto.

Marcus Morris Sr. scored 20 points for the Clippers, who have lost 3 of their past 4. Terance Mann added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Reggie Jackson scored 17, Amir Coffey had 15 and Luke Kennard scored 13.

The Raptors led by as many as 15 points during the 1st quarter, but the Clippers took a 5-point lead into the 4th.

The Raptors cut the deficit to 1 point on Anunoby's running dunk with 9:19 to play in the contest, and his 3-pointer gave Toronto a 2-point lead 32 seconds later.

The game was tied at 101 after Morris hit a jumper with 4:34 remaining.

Toronto led by 4 with 1:34 remaining after Chris Boucher sank 2 free throws and Siakam dunked. Mann answered with a 3-pointer, but VanVleet made a layup and then a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 6 with 25.2 seconds to go.

Toronto led 32-29 after the 1st quarter on the strength of an 18-0 run in an arena that was empty because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Clippers scored the first 5 points of the 2nd quarter. Toronto pulled out to a 5-point lead, but Jackson's 3-pointer capped a 13-2 run to complete the 1st-half scoring and give the Clippers a 62-56 lead.

VanVleet scored 6 straight points, including a layup that tied the game with 3:41 to play in the 3rd quarter. The Clippers responded with an 8-1 run, and they led 87-82 after 3 quarters.

Los Angeles' Brandon Boston Jr., Ivica Zubac and coach Tyronn Lue (COVID-19 protocol) missed the game. Brian Shaw coached the Clippers.

Scottie Barnes (knee tendinitis) was out for Toronto.

There was a video tribute to the Clippers' Serge Ibaka, a former Raptor, during the first quarter.

-reuters-

NBA: Nuggets run winning streak to four by beating Raptors

Michael Porter Jr. scored 23 points, Nikola Jokic had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Toronto Raptors, 121-111, on Thursday night.

JaMychal Green scored 15 points, Facu Campazzo had 12, Shaquille Harrison and Austin Rivers scored 11 each and P.J. Dozier added 10 for Denver (42-21), which has won four in a row.

OG Anunoby scored 25 points, Kyle Lowry and Khem Birch added 20 apiece, Malachi Flynn scored 16 and Pascal Siakam finished with 11 for Toronto (26-37).

The Raptors played without guard Fred VanVleet due to a hip injury.

The Nuggets led by just two after three quarters but started to pull away against Toronto's reserves in the fourth. 

Paul Millsap scored four points and Porter had five in a 9-0 run that extended the two-point advantage to 11 at 96-85 lead.

The Raptors called a timeout, but Dozier and Green hit 3-pointers to make it 102-85. Lowry broke Toronto's drought with a 3-pointer with 7:59 left, but Green split two free throws and Lowry was called for a flagrant foul on a layup by Dozier with 7:13 left.

Dozier hit the free throw and then Green made it a six-point trip with another basket from behind the arc to put Denver ahead, 109-88.

Lowry hit another 3-pointer but the Nuggets were able to close it out.

Neither team led by more than five points in the first quarter and the biggest lead was six, by Denver, late in the second. Toronto quickly tied it at 50-all.

Campazzo made five free throws in the final minutes, and Harrison's jumper with 4.2 seconds left gave the Nuggets a 59-57 lead.

The Raptors took a 63-61 lead early in the third, and the game stayed close through most of the period. Denver went ahead, 81-75, on a steal and layup, but Yuta Watanabe and Birch made 3-pointers in an 8-2 run that tied it.

Harrison went 2-for-4 from the line and Dozier hit a layup and the Nuggets took a slim 87-85 lead heading into the fourth.

-reuters-

NBA: Harden keeps streak alive as Rockets stop Raptors

James Harden extended his streak of consecutive 30-point games to 22 but had plenty of help as the Houston Rockets claimed a 121-119, wire-to-wire victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors.

Harden continued his recent struggles from behind the 3-point line, missing 11 of 13 attempts. However, he relied on a variety of floaters and a 15-for-15 performance from the free-throw line to produce a game-high 35 points.

Harden added seven assists as the Rockets, with all five starters scoring in double figures, claimed back-to-back victories for the first time this month.

Things got dicey at the end. Harden gave Houston a 119-108 lead with two free throws at the 1:19 mark, then Toronto closed with a dramatic 11-2 run.

Kawhi Leonard (32 points, seven rebounds, five assists) misfired on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Rockets held on to win.

Kenneth Faried, making his home debut for the Rockets, posted an energetic double-double (21 points, 14 rebounds). Eric Gordon added 24 points, P.J. Tucker 18 and Austin Rivers 13 for Houston.

Toronto dropped back-to-back games for the first time since mid-December. Pascal Siakam totaled 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors while Danny Green added 22 points.

From the start, it was clear that Harden wouldn't have to do it alone. Gordon and Tucker tallied eight points apiece in the first quarter, with Tucker connecting on a pair of 3s.

Gordon played assertively all over, closing the scoring in the opening frame with a thunderous dunk.

When Gordon hit a 3 at the 9:41 mark of the second, Houston led 40-22. The Rockets stretched their advantage to 22 points roughly 90 seconds later before Toronto finally decided to make a run.

Reserve guard Fred VanVleet ignited the rally with consecutive three-point plays and Houston went cold after Rivers converted a floater for a 52-32 lead with 6:54 left in the half.

Leonard and Green worked in tandem dragging the Raptors back into contention, with Green catching fire from the perimeter while Leonard scored in a variety of ways.

Toronto closed within six on a Green 3 at the 2:20 mark, and when Leonard followed three Harden free throws with a twisting, contorting 3 against solid defense, Toronto trailed 70-61 at the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Leonard tallies 37 as Raptors top Cavs

Kawhi Leonard matched his season best with 37 points on 12-for-16 shooting, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 126-110 Friday night.

OG Anunoby equaled his career bests with 21 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam added 15 points and 10 rebounds, Fred VanVleet added 14 points and eight assists, and Norman Powell scored 11 points.

Jordan Clarkson had 20 points for Cleveland, Collin Sexton added 17 points, Larry Nance Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Cedi Osman chipped in with 12 points for the Cavaliers.

The Raptors, who never trailed, led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but that dwindled to five points with 5:23 to play in the fourth quarter on Nance's put-back dunk.

Toronto turned it on again and led by 13 after Leonard's 3-pointer with 4:02 to play.

The Raptors used a 10-0 run to go ahead 12-2 before the Cavaliers countered with a 7-0 run. Paced by 15 points from Anunoby, Toronto was ahead 34-28 after the first quarter.

Matthew Dellavedova sank a 3-pointer before Ante Zizic made one of two free throws to bring Cleveland to within one point with 9:38 remaining in the second quarter.

The Raptors worked the lead back to nine on Leonard's layup with 6:47 left.

Toronto was on top 59-52 at halftime.

The Raptors took a 10-point lead on Delon Wright's turnaround hook shot with 9:11 to play in the third quarter.

The lead reached 14 with VanVleet's layup after a steal with 4:43 remaining in the third. The Cavaliers cut the margin in half, pulling within seven on Jaron Blossomgame's 3-pointer with 1:16 to play in the third.

The Raptors led 99-93 after three quarters, during which Leonard had 15 points.

Nance made two free throws with 7:55 to play in the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to five.

Anunoby's dunk and Siakam's layup returned the lead to nine with 7:13 left.

Toronto's Danny Green missed his first game of the season due to a sore knee.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Leonard shines as Raptors pull away from Wizards

Kawhi Leonard had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors pulled away for a 125-107 victory against the visiting Washington Wizards, their fourth straight win.

Five other Raptors scored in double figures, led by Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby, who finished with 15 points each.

Toronto, owners of the NBA's best record (16-4), shot 49.5 percent, including 43.6 percent (17 of 39) from 3-point range.

Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 20 points. John Wall had 11 points and 11 assists but turned the ball over seven times, as Washington was unable to build on its stirring come-from-behind win over the Clippers on Tuesday.

The Wizards couldn't match Toronto's night beyond the arc, making just 9 of 46 (19.6 percent) from 3-point range.

The Raptors led by eight to start the third quarter, but the Wizards scored the first nine points of the quarter, taking the lead on Kelly Oubre Jr.'s basket.

But Leonard's 3-pointer with 8:04 left put Toronto ahead and started a 28-14 run to the end of the quarter, and the Raptors led 101-87.

The Wizards pulled to within 103-93 early in the fourth quarter, but Delon Wright and CJ Miles hit back-to-back 3-pointers.

Washington got back to within 12, but Leonard's jumper with 3:55 followed by Serge Ibaka's hook shot later made it 118-99 with 3:13 remaining, and the lead grew to as many as 24 points.

The Wizards were without Dwight Howard (gluteal soreness).

The Raptors led 70-62 at halftime after shooting 51 percent, including 10 of 21 from 3-point range. They outrebounded the Wizards 26-17.

Leonard led the Raptors with 15 points.

Washington shot 43 percent and just 6 of 24 beyond the arc before the break.

Otto Porter Jr. had 14 points for the Wizards, and Beal had 13.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Raptors move to 8-1 after eclipsing Suns

Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and added five assists as the visiting Toronto Raptors defeated the Phoenix Suns 107-98 Friday night.

Kyle Lowry added 11 points, 12 assists and six rebounds for the Raptors, who have won eight of their first nine games this season. The Suns have lost seven in a row after winning their season opener.

It was the seventh consecutive game in which Lowry has had 10 or more assists, matching a team record. It was his sixth double-double of the season.

Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for Toronto while Serge Ibaka added 14 points and Pascal Siakam had 10.

Leonard left the game and went to the dressing room with 2:42 to play with what was described as a jammed foot.

Isaiah Canaan had 19 points for the Suns, while Deandre Ayton had 17 points and a career-best 18 rebounds. Devin Booker added 18 points, Josh Jackson 11 while Trevor Ariza and T.J. Warren had 10 apiece.

The Raptors took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter that increased to 16 with 8:30 to play when Norman Powell hit a 3-pointer to complete an 8-0 surge.

Canaan's 3-pointer trimmed Toronto's lead to 13 with 4:31 left.

After the Suns led 26-23 after the first quarter, Ryan Anderson's 3-pointer with 5:39 to play in the second quarter gave the Suns a seven-point lead. The Suns regained a three-point lead on a 3-pointer by Ariza with 44.1 seconds left and Phoenix led 52-48 at halftime.

Ayton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix in the first half and Canaan had 12 points. Leonard led the Raptors with 12 points in the first half.

Toronto took a seven-point lead on a 3-pointer by Danny Green with 9:45 to go in the third quarter, capping a 10-0 run.

The Suns responded with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 61 with 7:53 on Booker's 18-foot jumper.

The Raptors reeled off an 8-0 surge to take a 69-61 lead with 3:26 to play in the third on OG Anunoby's dunk.

Fred VanVleet's 3-pointer bumped the lead to 10 with 2:04 left in the third.

Jackson nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut Toronto's lead to 77-71 after three quarters.

Booker was back with the Suns after missing three games. Meanwhile, VanVleet returned to the Toronto lineup after missing four games and Anunoby returned after missing three games.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Perfect Bucks use balance to hand Raptors first loss

The host Milwaukee Bucks held the Toronto Raptors without a field goal for the first 4:11 of the second quarter Monday night, establishing an early lead before pulling away for a 124-109 victory in a battle of unbeaten teams missing their Most Valuable Player candidates.

The Bucks improved to 7-0 despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was recovering from a concussion, and took advantage of the Raptors' decision to rest their star, Kawhi Leonard.

Milwaukee filled Antetokounmpo's void with balanced scoring, placing seven players in double figures, led by Ersan Ilyasova's 19.

Serge Ibaka had a season-high 30 for the Raptors, who fell to 6-1.

After a tight first quarter, the Bucks ran off to a 10-point lead with a 9-1 run to open the second period. Ilyasova and John Henson had dunks in the burst.

The Raptors didn't have a field goal in the second period until Danny Green buried a 3-pointer with 7:49 left in the half, as Toronto closed the double-digit lead to 42-35. But the Raptors never caught up.

Milwaukee went on to lead by nine at halftime and 15 at the end of three quarters before coasting home, topping 100 points for the seventh consecutive game.

Ilyasova finished with his first double-double of the season, complementing his season-best point total with 10 rebounds.

He got plenty of support from double-figure scorers Malcolm Brogdon (17), Eric Bledsoe (17), Khris Middleton (14), Donte DiVincenzo (12), Thon Maker (11) and Tony Snell (11).

Ibaka's 30-point game was the second of his career. His first came as a member of the Orlando Magic in a 2016 game at Oklahoma City.

Pascal Siakam had 22 points and Jonas Valanciunas 10 for the Raptors, while Kyle Lowry totaled a season-best 15 assists to go with nine points.

Lowry's assist total was the fourth of his career with 15 or more, and three shy of his career best of 18, set twice.

The Bucks improved to 5-0 at home, while the Raptors fell to 1-1 in just their second road game of the season.

Milwaukee outshot Toronto 48.9 percent to 39.4, and outscored the visitors 57-27 on 3-pointers.

Middleton had four of the Bucks' 19 3-pointers.

source: news.abs-cbn.com