Raptors rout Hawks, run winning streak to 6
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points, Kyle Lowry added 17 points and dished eight assists and the Toronto Raptors extended their winning streak to a season-best six games Saturday night with a 128-84 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
It was the sixth loss in a row for the Hawks (10-11), who also have dropped nine of their past 10 games.
The Raptors (14-6) led by as many as 21 points during the first half, were ahead by 15 points at halftime and by 16 after three quarters before running away with the game in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks' biggest lead was five points and there were only two lead changes and three ties.
A dunk by Lucas Nogueira, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, gave Toronto a 23-point lead with 9:56 to play in the game. The Raptors got the lead to 34 with 5:57 to play on a 3-pointer by Terrence Ross, who had 15 points on the game.
Ross then hit a field goal to give Toronto a 38-point lead and Pascal Siakam's dunk had the lead at 44 late in the game.
Patrick Patterson added 17 points off the bench while Siakam contributed 12 points and DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph each had 10 for the Raptors.
Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 15 points for the Hawks, Dwight Howard had 10 points and grabbed 17 rebounds while Kris Humphries added 10 points.
DeRozan scored 14 points in the first quarter to lead Toronto to a 32-22 advantage after being ahead by as many as 11.
The Hawks whittled the Raptors' lead to five early in the second quarter. Toronto came back to take a 13-point lead on Patterson's 3-pointer with 7:29 left in the half.
Terrence Ross hit a 3-pointer with 3:22 to play and the Raptors led by 19 points. Toronto got the lead to 21 before taking a 62-47 lead into the intermission.
Patterson scored 12 first-half points off the bench to lead Toronto. Schroder led Atlanta with 11 points.
The lead was down to 13 after Kyle Korver's driving jumper with 7:45 to play in the third quarter. Siakam's dunk to complete a fast break with 3:22 remaining in the third bumped Toronto's lead to 20 points. The Raptors led 86-70 after the third quarter.
NOTES: Raptors F DeMarre Carroll, a former Hawks player, returned to the lineup Saturday after being rested Friday in the win over the Los Angeles Lakers on the front end of back-to-back games. Carroll's playing time is being monitored to rest his right knee. F Norman Powell scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his place on Friday. ... Hawks F Paul Millsap (left hip) missed his third straight game on Saturday and could miss at least one more game. ... The Hawks recalled F DeAndre' Bembry from Salt Lake City of the D-League and he was in the lineup Saturday. ... The Raptors play the fifth game of their six-game homestand Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Hawks return home to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.