Raptors 97, Spurs 94
TORONTO -- Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and added six assists Wednesday and the Toronto Raptors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 97-94.
In winning their second game in a row, the Raptors (14-9) ended a four-game winning streak by the Spurs (18-5).
The Raptors led all the way and had a seven-point advantage at the half and led by as many as 13 points.
The Spurs cut the lead to three late in the fourth quarter but got no closer and never led as Toronto shot 57.8 percent from the field.
Guard Kyle Lowry scored 19 points and added eight assists for Toronto. Forward Luis Scola scored 16 points and had eight rebounds, center Bismack Biyombo scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds while forward Patrick Patterson added 10 points.
Guard Manu Ginobili led San Antonio with 17 points, forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 13 points and seven rebounds while forward David West added 10.
The Raptors used an 11-0 first-quarter run to open a 17-6 lead. They led 27-21 at the end of the first quarter with DeRozan and Scola scoring eight points each.
The Raptors again opened an 11-point lead in the second quarter and led 53-46 at halftime. DeRozan scored 16 points in the first half. Lowry had seven in the second quarter for a total of 10 by the intermission.
Scola's driving layup with 8:36 left in the third quarter gave Toronto a 59-49 lead. The Raptors led by 12 with six minutes to play on Lowry's layup. Toronto led 73-62 after the third quarter while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
Scola's hook shot gave Toronto a 12-point lead with 9:41 left in the fourth quarter.
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard made a 15-foot pull-up jumper with 6:08 to play to cut the lead to 85-78.
Leonard's 3-pointer trimmed the lead to six with 4:44 left to play. He finished with nine points.
Aldridge made two free throws with 3:14 to play and Toronto's lead was four. DeRozan's 19-footer put Toronto up 93-87.
Guard Danny Green's 3-pointer cut the lead to three points. Biyombo's dunk made the Toronto lead five with 1:50 to go. Ginobili's two free throws cut the lead to three before DeRozan restored the five-point lead with a floating jumper. Green cut the lead to three with a put-back layup.
NOTES: Spurs F Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup. The team's leading scorer missed a 119-68 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday with a stomach ailment. ... Spurs F Tim Duncan and G Manu Ginobili also returned after getting a rest on Monday. ... The Raptors played their second straight game without F DeMarre Carroll (right knee contusion) and C Lucas Nogueira (sprained left ankle). ... Raptors G Cory Joseph played his first game against his former team on Wednesday. He played 204 games with San Antonio before signing with Toronto as a free agent in the offseason. ... The Raptors will play the fifth game of a six-game homestand on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Spurs will be at home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.