Raptors pull off dramatic rally to beat Clippers
Posted February 6, 2015 10:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and Kyle Lowry added 21 as the Toronto Raptors escaped from a 20-point first-quarter hole to thump the Los Angeles Clippers 123-107 Friday night.
It was close to a season-high score in regulation for Toronto, which notched 126 in Atlanta in November.
The Clippers, in the midst of a season-high eight-game road trip, suffered their third straight loss and fourth in five games.
The Raptors (34-17) were coming off consecutive home losses to Milwaukee and Brooklyn. They had won six straight games and seven of eight prior to that.
After getting spanked in Cleveland on Thursday night, the Clippers (33-18) administered some early pain of their own Friday. Toronto trailed by as many as 20 in a woeful first quarter that ended with the home side behind 34-19.
The Raptors rallied to trail by just two at the half with six-foot-nine James Johnson, who missed the last four games with a hamstring strain, contributing 12 second-quarter points in a seven-minute dunkfest off the bench.
Sparked by Lowry’s 13 points, Toronto took charge in the third and led 95-79 going into the final quarter.
Johnson finished with 16 points while Lou Williams added 18 as seven Raptors finished in double figures. Twelve of DeRozan’s points came from the free-throw line.
Blake Griffin, who had 19 points in the first half, led the Clippers with 26 while Chris Paul had 22.
The focus pre-game Friday was on Paul, under the spotlight for his Cleveland criticism of referee Lauren Holtkamp. “Last night was about a bad call. That’s all,” the Clippers star said.
The Clips trailed by 31 points after three quarters in the 105-94 loss to Cleveland.
On Friday, Toronto fell behind 7-0 and then 11-2 before Dwane Casey called a timeout to staunch the flow as the Clippers made four of their first five shots. Toronto trailed 30-10 at one point.
The Raptors made just seven of 20 shots in the quarter.
The Clippers couldn’t keep up the momentum and Toronto woke up, cutting the lead to 59-57 at the half with 13-of-20 shooting in the quarter. It was as if the teams had traded jerseys between quarters.
Toronto big man Jonas Valanciunas went scoreless in a first half that saw the Toronto bench outscore the starters 30-27.
The Raptors went ahead for the first time, 61-59, early in the third.
NOTES: The Clippers were without J.J. Redick (back spasms) and former Raptor Hedo Turkoglu (stomach virus). DeAndre Jordan played despite a stomach virus … The game was Toronto’s 25th straight sellout (19,800).
