Raptors 104, Suns 100
Jonas Valanciunas scored a career-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds as Toronto held off a strong charge from visiting Phoenix.
DeMar DeRozan added 23 points and Kyle Lowry collected 14 points and eight assists for the Raptors, who extended the best start in franchise history to 12-2. Lou Williams scored 17 points off the bench as Toronto won its fifth straight.
Eric Bledsoe recorded 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Suns, who had a four-game winning streak come to an end. Markieff Morris added 17 points and eight boards while Isaiah Thomas got hot late and finished with 16 points off the bench for Phoenix.
The Raptors took a 15-point lead into the fourth and extended it to 83-66 less than a minute into the period before the Suns fought back as Bledsoe buried a 3-pointer and Thomas capped the 14-0 surge with three straight from beyond the arc. Bledsoe’s free throws with 3:03 left put Phoenix in front for the first time since the first quarter at 95-94.
Toronto went back up 98-95 before Bledsoe struck again, converting a three-point play to knot it with 1:52 to play. The Suns did not make a field goal the rest of the way and DeRozan buried four free throws in the final 14 seconds to close it out for the Raptors.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Valanciunas went 10-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. … Williams is averaging 25 points in the last three games. … Gerald Green (13 points) and P.J. Tucker (11) joined Thomas in double figures off the Phoenix bench.