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Spurs got their 64th win, a franchise record, but not without having to work some for it. Toronto pulled a Pop and sat their two best players, PG Lowry and SG DeRozan but the rest of the group played well and kept the Raps in the game.
Kawhi Leonard dropped a career-high 33 and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 31 and added 15 boards. Norm Powell continues to develop his game, scoring 17 for Toronto while Cory Joseph and JV added 16 each.
Raps welcomed Scola back to the lineup but he only played 11 minutes. Ex-Spur Joseph got a nice ovation during the warmup.
It was a very interesting game and, I think, smart of Coach Casey. Not just because it gives his two stars a rest but because he could see what rookies like Powell and Delon Wright can do with a heavy workload against a superior opponent. Both impressed. Powell has been doing so for a few weeks but Wright hasn't got much floor time lately. He got 22 minutes last night and contributed 12 points and 3 assists.
Charlotte came out flat and quickly dug themselves into a double-digit hole they couldn't crawl out of until the 4th. By then it was too late and the Raps hung on for their 30th home win, a franchise record.
DeRozan led the troops with 26, Lowry 21 and Valanciunas recorded his team-leading 21st double-double with 12/12. Jeremy Lin was the Hornets' top man with 21, while Marvin Williams had 15.
Norm Powell's fine play has allowed Coach Casey to sit James Johnson to give his plantar problem more time to heal and it takes away some of the urgency of getting Demarre Carroll back.
With the win, the Raps have now won the season series from 6 of the East's current 7 other playoff teams, with a chance to make it a clean sweep if they beat Indiana later this week.
Next up though, is a date with the Hawks in Atlanta on Thursday.
Having lost 7 of 8 to Toronto, including the first 3 this season, and locked in a to-the-wire battle with the Celtics for 3rd in the East, the Hawks weren't about to let this one go.
Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 23 and Kyle Korver added 14. The Hawks held the Raptors high-scoring backcourt to 16 points each.
BREAKING NEWS: There was a Demarre Carroll sighting...in uniform...on the floor! He played 14 minutes, scored 5 and moved well. The big question mark will be how his knee responds today.
Toronto finishes this tough 7-game stretch against playoff-bound teams with a tilt against the Pacers tonight.
During the pre-game show, when I heard Coach Casey was resting DeRozan, Lowry, Scola and Carroll, I thought "You're welcome, Indiana" and decided to focus on the Jays' home opener.
During commercial breaks I'd take a peek and was surprised to see the Raps leading. And still leading. And pulling away in the 4th.
Norm Powell had a career-high 27 and Delon Wright added 19 as the bench dug down and played a heck of a game.
Indy Coach Frank Vogel had to be disappointed at his team's effort as they came into the game needing only one win to secure a playoff spot.
DeMar DeRozan's 27 points led the Raptors over the Knicks and put him past Vince Carter for 2nd on the franchise's all-time points list (behind only Chris Bosh).
It was pretty much anybody's game until DeRozan broke a tie with a 3-point play with a minute left. Raps were without Luis Scola (rest). The Knicks were without Porzingis and Calderon.
Coach Casey left Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, James Johnson and Demarre Carroll back in Toronto but after a bewildered start, the scrubs got it done.
So Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueria, and Delon Wright all made their first starts and quickly trailed 12-0 and 21-4. Norm Powell helped calm the troops down and they clawed their way back, led by Powell's career-high 30. Terrence Ross had a nice game with 24 points and 10 boards and Wright potted 18.
Bojan Bogdonavic led the Nets with 29.
So, now it's crunch time. The Pacers are coming to town this weekend and Toronto has to prepare a rude welcome.
I hope.
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He played 14 minutes, scored 5 and moved well. The big question mark will be how his knee responds today.
