7:00 PM ET, December 13, 2013
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Top Performers
Philadelphia: E. Turner 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 StlToronto: D. DeRozan 27 Pts, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl
New-Look Raptors Top 76ers
In the end, however, they just suffered more of the same.
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Terrence Ross had a season-high 24 and Toronto beat Philadelphia 108-100 on Friday night, handing the 76ers their fifth straight loss.
"You leave and you feel a little bit empty," Brown said after his team closed within two points inside the final two minutes, but couldn't pull it out. "You feel like you had a chance to go get a road win and we didn't."
Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and matched his career high with 13 rebounds, Amir Johnson had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Greivis Vasquez scored 12 in his first game with Toronto as the Raptors won for just the second time in eight games. Kyle Lowry had a season-high 11 assists for Toronto.
Tony Wroten scored 23 points, Evan Turner had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Thaddeus Young scored 18 points for the 76ers, who lost for the ninth time in 10 games. Spencer Hawes had 15 points and James Anderson scored 13 for the Sixers, who have gone 4-17 since starting the season 3-0.
Turner said Brown had been full of confidence earlier in the day.
"He said `Today I feel good, today I feel like this is a day we're going to win and our luck is going to change," Turner said. "We all felt that and it's tough that we couldn't pull it out."
The 76ers, who matched a season worst with 26 turnovers in Wednesday's loss at Minnesota, gave the ball away 17 times on Friday, leading to 19 Raptors points.
"We've just got to come out sharper and tighter and with a little bit of an edge," Brown said.
Consecutive baskets by Young brought Philadelphia within five at 87-82 with 8:22 left in the fourth, but Toronto responded with three straight 3-pointers, two of them from Vasquez, taking a 96-82 lead with 7:11 left.
"After something like that, battling back the whole game, you've only got so many shots left in you,' Hawes said.
Philadelphia didn't go quietly, however, and a running layup by Wroten cut it to 100-98 with 1:56 remaining. Ross answered with a corner 3 over Turner and DeRozan made one of two from the line, then hit a jumper, putting Toronto up 106-98 with 40 seconds left.
"Talk about bouncy athletes," Brown said of Ross and DeRozan. "They're hard guards, they're really difficult people to defend. Those two guys had fantastic games throughout."
Ross had two dunks and a pair of 3-pointers in the first, scoring 12 points in the quarter as the Raptors built a 36-21 lead after one.
"We have to get off to better starts, especially defensively," Hawes said. "We can come here and keep saying it but, until we do, there's going to be no difference in the outcome."
Philadelphia closed the gap with a 10-0 run to start the second, including six points from Anderson. The Raptors, who made only six of 16 field goal attempts in the quarter, struggled to hold on to the lead but remained in front thanks to eight points from DeRozan. Toronto led 56-48 at halftime.
The Raptors made eight turnovers in the second, struggling as they integrated newcomers Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and John Salmons into the lineup. All three were acquired from Sacramento on Monday in the trade that sent Rudy Gay to the Kings.
"We had some big turnovers in the second quarter, trying to force some passes that weren't there," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "I thought we cleaned that up in the second half."
Even with their starters back in, Toronto struggled to regain control in the third. DeRozan scored nine points, while Ross and Valanciunas each had six, but Turner had nine points and Hawes eight for Philadelphia, which trailed 83-76 heading into the fourth.
Game notes
Sixers G Michael Carter-Williams missed his fifth straight game with a sore right knee. ... Philadelphia is 1-10 on the road. ... The Raptors won for the first time when allowing 100 points or more. ... Toronto F Chuck Hayes, also acquired from Sacramento, will not be cleared to play until he undergoes baseline cardiac testing. Hayes, who displayed an abnormality during heart tests in 2011, is unlikely to suit up until next Wednesday's game against Charlotte. ... Tyler Hansbrough returned for the Raptors after missing the previous two games with a sore left shoulder. ... The game went ahead despite a strike by some 600 catering, housekeeping and stadium conversion staff that began earlier Friday. Striking staff picketed outside the arena as fans arrived.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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