|
 Make that two big numbers.
Lowry, the point guard, scored 13 of his 31 points in the fourth
quarter, while DeRozan scored 30 points to lead the Raptors to a
112-100 victory.
It is the first time the two guards each scored 30 or more points in
the same game.
Lowry also dished out eight assists and was 7-for-9 in 3-point
attempts.
"They played like All-Stars tonight," Raptors coach Dwane Casey
said. "Without their performance we don't win the game."
The Raptors have matched their season-best winning streak. They also
opened the season with five straight wins.
"We had some good shots that weren't going in and a couple or hot
players at the other end," Nets interim coach Tony Brown said.
"Lowry goes 7-for-9 from 3. I mean they are just killers and DeRozan
with his ability to score is just a lot to combat. They are pretty
good. Most likely they both will be All-Stars. I don't see why they
wouldn't."
The Nets took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter but the
Raptors went on a 14-0 run late in the quarter to take over the
game.
Forwards Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross added 12 points each
while center Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 12 rebounds and scored six
points for Toronto (26-15).
Center Brook Lopez led the Nets with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Forward Joe Johnson added 22 points and seven assists for the Nets
(11-31), who have lost three in a row and are 4-16 on the road.
"We did a good job of taking care of the ball for the majority of
the second half, that's how they made their run in the first half
and that's how they ended the game," Lopez said. "Our turnovers
really hurt us and they got a lot of buckets off those."
The Nets made 14 turnovers in the game, five in the fourth quarter.
Guard Donald Sloan added 13 points and eight rebounds for Brooklyn
while forward Thaddeus Young scored 11 points and grabbed nine
rebounds.
It was the first game for the Raptors since they defeated the
Orlando Magic in overtime in London last Thursday. That concluded a
stretch of five straight games on the road.
"I am not into excuses," Casey said, "but you have that trip coming
back, a couple of days off, the travel and you come in and there are
so many factors going into tonight. But again I thought our guys
bounced back in the fourth quarter and played like we can."
Lowry said that the attention DeRozan and Valanciunas and others
were getting from the Nets helped him get "wide-open looks."
"It makes it a little bit easier to shoot the ball when I'm getting
wide-open looks," Lowry said. "Those guys, especially DeMar, he's
penetrating and getting into areas where he needs to get and drawing
two or three defenders and getting us a lot of open shots."
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DeRozan and Lowry are comfortable together.
"Extremely comfortable," DeRozan said. "It's second nature now and a
lot of things do not need to be said. It's a feel thing and
something that comes from years of playing and knowing each other's
game."
The Nets used a 9-0 run in the first quarter to lead 23-17, and they
led 29-19 at the end of the first quarter. The Raptors led 52-48 at
halftime.
The Nets took a six-point lead five minutes into the third quarter.
Lopez gave the Nets a nine-point lead on a layup with 4:56 left in
the third.
Patterson hit a 3-point shot to cut the lead to two points with 3:01
left, but the Nets led 84-81 after the third quarter.
Lowry's 3-pointer gave Toronto an 89-88 lead with 10:19 to play in
the fourth quarter. The Raptors led by four points after Lowry's
3-pointer with 8:16 left.
The Nets tied the game before Ross hit a 3-pointer and came back
with a dunk to give the Raptors a 103-98 lead with 5:51 to play.
DeRozan's short jumper bumped the lead to seven points and Lowry's
3-pointer on a step back jumper gave the Raptors a 108-98 lead.
DeRozan's 11-foot jumper made it a 12-point lead and Patterson got
the lead to 14 on his jumper.
NOTES: Raptors G DeMar DeRozan was announced Monday as a finalist
for the U.S. men's basketball team that will play at the Olympics in
Brazil this year. DeRozan has been a member of the U.S. program
since 2012 and was part of the 2014 team that finished 9-0 and won
the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Spain. He is among 30
players who will compete for spots on the final 12-man roster in
Brazil. ... Nets G/F Sergey Karasev (sprained left ankle), who was
injured in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, was available
to play Monday. ... Brooklyn F/C Andrea Bargnani (sore right ankle),
also injured Saturday, did not play Monday. ... The Raptors will
play the second game of seven straight at home Wednesday against the
Boston Celtics. ... The Nets return home to play the Cleveland
Cavaliers on Wednesday.
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