NBA News Wire
Raptors 104, Warriors 98
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
TORONTO — Guard DeMar DeRozan led the way with a team-high 32 points, and the Toronto Raptors avenged an embarrassing December loss to the Golden State Warriors with a 104-98 win Sunday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.
An 11-0 run by Toronto midway through the fourth helped the Raptors pull away. Forward Patrick Patterson led the surge, hitting a 3-pointer and then getting the 18,658 in attendance out of their seats with a monster jam.
The win was Toronto’s seventh in last nine games.
Guard Kyle Lowry recorded 13 points and eight assists for Toronto, while Patterson and guard Greivis Vasquez each scored 12 points.
Toronto forward Landry Fields, who started in place of Terrence Ross (ankle), made his first start of the calendar year. He hit four of five shots and finished with eight points.
In the first matchup between the clubs, Golden State erased a 27-point deficit by outscoring the Raptors 42-15 in the fourth quarter for a 112-103 victory on Dec. 3.
The Warriors, who won 12 of their previous 16 road games, lost to the Raptors (33-26) for the first time with star guard Stephen Curry in the lineup.
Curry netted 14 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 78-75 lead heading to the fourth. Entering Sunday, the Warriors were 26-4 when leading after three quarters.
Golden State (36-24) opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run to take an eight-point lead.
Vasquez went on a personal 10-0 run to put the Raptors on top.
Toronto concluded the half with an 11-4 stretch and took a 55-50 lead into recess.
Curry and forward David Lee led the way with 10 points each as the Warriors opened a 28-25 lead after one quarter. Lee finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
NOTES: Toronto G Terrence Ross missed the game with a sprained left ankle suffered in the Raptors’ triple overtime loss against the Washington Wizards last Thursday. … Golden State C Jermaine O’Neal did not travel to Toronto due to passport issues. … Sunday was the 52nd anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA-record 100-point game against the New York Knicks while with the Philadelphia Warriors. … Entering Sunday, the Raptors’ lone win against the Warriors since G Stephen Curry was drafted came March 4, 2012, while Curry was sidelined with an injury. … Toronto Maple Leafs F Joffrey Lupul took in the game courtside.
