Raptors 91, Nets 74
NEW YORK -- Center Jonas Valanciunas collected a season-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors pulled away in the second half en route to an 91-74 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Valanciunas had his best game since returning from missing 17 games with a broken left hand. He made his first six shots, finished 8-for-13 and recorded his seventh double-double while playing 30 minutes.
Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry came up short in a bid for his fourth consecutive double-double, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Lowry missed all seven of his 3-point attempts but was 7-for-7 from inside the arc.
Guard DeMar DeRozan added 15 for Toronto, which won despite shooting 4-for-22 from behind the arc.
Center Brook Lopez collected 24 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not nearly enough for Brooklyn, which has dropped its eighth straight home game. The home skid is the team's longest since the move from New Jersey in 2012.
The Nets (10-25) cut an 18-point lead to 10 with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining, but Toronto finished it off on the next possession when Lowry hit a long jumper.
The Raptors (22-15) then added an impressive baseline dunk by Valanciunas and a nifty layup by Lowry on consecutive possessions, sending many in the crowd to the exits.
After a sluggish start, Toronto began taking control in the second quarter. The Raptors missed nine of their first 10 shots in the second but closed out the half with an 18-5 run, turning a 31-27 deficit into a 45-36 lead. They never trailed after a 3-pointer by DeRozan with 2:35 left in the half.
Toronto opened the gap late in the third. The Nets were within 59-54 on a layup by Lopez, but over the next 3:15, the Raptors went on an 11-2 run and took a 70-56 lead.
NOTES: The Raptors do not have an official timetable for F DeMarre Carroll's return from arthroscopic right knee surgery he underwent Wednesday, but an unofficial estimate is that he will miss at least two months. Toronto coach Dwane Casey said Carroll elected to have surgery after treatments resulted in continued swelling. In the meantime, Casey said he will rotate Fs Terrence Ross and James Johnson based on matchups. He described the scenario as an "unfortunate opportunity." .... Brooklyn F Joe Johnson sat out practice Tuesday and was questionable with a left quad contusion but started Wednesday night. Johnson has played at least 35 minutes in six of the previous seven games. ... Toronto was the last Eastern Conference team that Brooklyn faced.