DeRozan leads Raptors past Mavericks
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and added six rebounds and two assists to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 100-78 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Monday night.
The Raptors (39-28) had lost their two previous games to end a road trip at 2-3. It was the second loss in a row for the Mavericks (28-38), who just completed a 4-1 homestand.
The Raptors took a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter and stretched it to 22 on Fred VanVleet's 3-pointer.
Norman Powell added 19 points for the Raptors while Jonas Valanciunas contributed 14 points and nabbed 12 rebounds. Patrick Patterson and Delon Wright each chipping in with 11 points off the bench.
Harrison Barnes led Dallas with 18 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 17 points and seven rebounds and Dwight Powell scored 10 points.
The Mavericks led 26-25 after the first quarter, and Dallas went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter to take a 39-35 lead. The Raptors responded by scoring the next 10 points, capped by Cory Joseph's 3-pointer.
The Raptors led 50-46 at halftime as DeRozan scored 12 points and Norman Powell added 10 in the first half. Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 14 points in the first half.
DeRozan's driving dunk with 7:48 to play in the third quarter gave the Raptors an 11-point lead.
The Raptors led 79-66 after the third quarter with Jakob Poeltl sinking two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to complete the scoring in the quarter.
VanVleet opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a pull-up jumper and the Raptors led by 15 points.
Patterson bumped the lead to 18 with a 3-pointer with 7:19 to play.
Barnes scored the Mavericks' first two points of the fourth quarter on a tip dunk with 7:04 remaining.
Patterson hit another 3-pointer to put the lead at 21.
NOTES: Dallas G/F Wesley Matthews (strained calf) did not return in the second half Monday after scoring two points with four assists in 18 minutes in the first half. ...Toronto F DeMarre Carroll (sore left ankle) missed his second straight game. He was a late scratch from the loss Saturday in Miami after returning from a sprained ankle Friday for the loss in Atlanta. G/F Norman Powell took his spot in the starting lineup. ...The Raptors recalled F Pascal Siakam and F Jakob Poeltl from Raptors 905 of the NBA D-League on Monday. ...Mavericks F/C Nerlens Noel (fluid on left knee) missed his third consecutive game but might return in the next game. ...The Raptors' next game is Thursday when they are home against the Oklahoma City Thunder. ...The Mavericks will visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday for their next game.