|
 Goran Dragic added 19 points for the Suns, who have won
back-to-back games following a three-game losing streak. Markieff
Morris contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds in a reserve role while
Eric Bledsoe added 14 points in his third game since returning from
a knee injury.
Kyle Lowry had 28 points and 13 assists for the Raptors, who fell
despite shooting 49.4 percent from the field. Terrence Ross added 22
points, Amir Johnson had 20, DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 17 and
Jonas Valanciunas finished with 15.
After squandering most of a double-digit lead in the first half, the
Suns did the same in the third quarter — going up by 13 on a Miles
Plumlee free throw with five minutes left before Lowry facilitated a
14-3 Toronto run with eight points and three assists to send the
Raptors into the fourth trailing 96-90. The lead swelled to 15 on a
Green 20-footer with 6:56 remaining, and Toronto's final rally fell
short after P.J. Tucker forced a pair of turnovers in the final
3:18. Coming off a 23-point effort in a win over Memphis, Valanciunas
picked up where he left off — scoring 13 in the first quarter — but
Green matched him with 13 of his own and found Marcus Morris for a
3-pointer at the buzzer as the Suns led 37-35 after one. Phoenix
held Toronto without a field goal over the opening 5:11 of the
second to extend the lead to double digits, but Ross poured in seven
points during a quarter-ending 10-2 run that trimmed the deficit to
61-59 entering the break.
[to top of second column] |
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tucker, a second-round pick of the Raptors in 2006,
finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four steals against his
former team. ... Phoenix finished with a 45-26 rebounding advantage
while its reserves outscored Toronto's bench 59-11. ... Lowry's
double-double was his 17th of the season, good for fifth among point
guards.
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