Joseph's career game pushes Raptors past Nets
NEW YORK -- Cory Joseph scored a career-high 33 points in place of a resting Kyle Lowry, leading the Toronto Raptors to a 119-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
The Raptors announced shortly before the opening tip Lowry was resting some bumps and bruises to ensure he can play in his native Philadelphia on Wednesday. Lowry was active and in warmup gear as he watched Joseph turn in the best game of his five-year career.
Joseph's previous career high was 20 points for the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 28, 2014 at New Orleans. He shot 15 of 22 from the floor Tuesday, setting career highs for field goals and attempts.
DeMar DeRozan turned in a streaky shooting night but still led the Raptors with 36 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 13 of 28 and missed 10 shots in a row during the first half but surpassed 20 points for the 13th straight game and compiled his 20th 30-point game of the season.
Brook Lopez scored 28 points for the Nets, whose losing streak reached 11 games. Rookie Caris LeVert added 14 points for Brooklyn, which was outscored 34-24 in the third quarter.
Joseph matched his career high by hitting two free throws with 5:43 left in the third. He surpassed it with a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the shot clock expired with 4:59 remaining.
The lead grew to 84-75 with about 2 1/2 minutes left when Jonas Valanciunas converted an outlet pass from Terrence Ross into a dunk. The lead was 92-85 entering the fourth, and consecutive layups by rookie Fred VanVleet opened a double-digit lead in the opening minute of the fourth.
The Nets were within 99-94 following two Sean Kilpatrick foul shots with 8:23 left. Joseph and DeRozan scored all the points in a 14-7 run that sealed the win, and the duo combined for 20 points in the final 12 minutes.
NOTES: Toronto F Patrick Patterson (sore left knee) was listed as questionable but did not play. Patterson sat for the seventh time in nine games and has played 42:59 since initially getting hurt Dec. 29 at Phoenix. ... Nets G Jeremy Lin (strained left hamstring) missed his 11th straight game. The team did not provide an update as to when Lin might start any basketball activities. ... Brooklyn F Quincy Acy's 10-day contract expires Thursday. Coach Kenny Atkinson said he likes Acy's energy and aggressiveness in the limited minutes the 26-year-old has played. Acy scored five minutes while playing just three minutes Tuesday.