DeRozan scores 33, Raptors beat Knicks 118-107

TORONTO -- After watching DeMar DeRozan drop more than 30 points on an opponent for the eighth time in nine games this season, Toronto coach Dwane Casey suggested that the game keeps slowing down for the NBA's leading scorer.
DeRozan, who is averaging 34.0 points after scoring 33 in the Raptors' 118-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night, agreed.
"Yeah, I always find ways I can be better mentally, physically, skill-wise," he said following Toronto's fourth straight win over New York. "I always try to find something in the offseason and during the season as well."
The outburst put DeRozan in an exclusive club. In the last 50 years, only Michael Jordan, World B. Free and Tiny Archibald have started a season registering 30-plus points in eight of the first nine games.
In a see-saw game that saw 27 lead changes, DeRozan provided a reassuring presence for a team that started one rookie in Pascal Siakum and a second-year player in Norman Powell, who had 19 points.
Point guard Kyle Lowry, who scored what turned out to be the winning points with 1:41 to play on a driving layup, pointed to DeRozan's fourth-quarter, 4-point play.
He was serenaded with chants of "MVP! MVP!" from the crowd as he put the game out of reach with 26.8 seconds to go.
"We're just going to keep riding that coattail," Lowry said. "We're going to keep letting him do him. We're going to rally around him and keep helping him be great."
Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points, while Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose added 21 apiece. Rose, who seemed to be favoring his shoulder at points in the game, said it was just a "stinger."
"Losing, it hurts, period," Rose said after the Knicks fell to 3-6. "I've never been a loser in my life and just got to figure ways out. We're closer, a lot closer and the effort that we had, we need to find that effort for the entire game."
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York is 0-2 in the back end of back-to-back games. It has 15 such games this season. . The Knicks haven't won a season series against the Raptors since the 2010-11 season, and are 4-9 against them in their last 13 games.
Raptors: F DeMarre Carroll was dropped from the starting lineup for the first time this season to give him some rest. Powell took his place. . Former Raptor Muggsy Bogues was in attendance, throwing signed basketballs into the crowd. . Saturday's game marked the first of 16 Atlantic Division games for Toronto. The Raptors have not lost a season series with their division rivals since 2012-13.
OLD IS NEW AGAIN
The Raptors wore blue throwback jerseys in tribute to the Toronto Huskies of the old Basketball Association of America, which eventually became the NBA. The Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers on Nov. 1, 1946, at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in what the NBA regards as the first game in its history, won 68-66 by the Knicks. The Raptors will wear the Huskies blue uniforms and play on a specially designed Huskies court on six occasions this season, and now have a 5-3 record when wearing the throwback uniforms.
THEY SAID IT

Powell on guarding Anthony: "I'm a student of the game. I watch a lot of film, especially guys I look up to. I've watched so much Carmelo Anthony in my day, played with him so much in (video game NBA) 2K. The Knicks were my favorite team."
STRO SHOW
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman watched the game from courtside, and threw a few signed mini basketballs into the crowd, launching a couple of the souvenirs all the way to the back of the lower bowl.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Dallas on Monday looking to snap a five-game losing streak against the Mavericks, who have won three straight at Madison Square Garden.
Raptors: Visit Cleveland on Tuesday for the first time since last season's Eastern Conference finals. The Cavaliers beat the Raptors in Toronto last month in the first of four meetings between the teams this season.

Knicks

starters	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
K. PorzingisPF	30	9-16	2-8	1-1	1	3	4	2	0	0	2	5	-12	21
C. AnthonySF	38	10-21	3-7	8-9	0	6	6	4	0	0	1	5	-4	31
J. NoahC	33	2-9	0-0	0-2	8	10	18	1	2	0	1	2	-5	4
D. RosePG	38	10-20	0-3	1-2	2	2	4	4	0	0	4	0	+0	21
C. LeeSG	34	4-7	2-3	0-0	0	5	5	1	0	1	3	4	+0	10
bench	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
M. KuzminskasSF	11	1-4	0-0	0-0	2	2	4	0	0	0	0	1	-4	2
L. ThomasSF	9	0-3	0-1	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	-4	0
K. O'QuinnC	14	5-7	0-0	0-0	2	2	4	1	0	1	2	2	+8	10
W. HernangomezC	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	-5	0
B. JenningsPG	16	2-6	0-0	2-2	1	1	2	5	1	0	0	2	-15	6
J. HolidaySG	14	1-4	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	2	-14	2
M. NdourSF	DNP-COACH'S DECISION
S. VujacicSG	DNP-COACH'S DECISION
TEAM		44-97	7-23	12-16	17	32	49	19	3	2	16	23		107
		45.4%	30.4%	75.0%

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Raptors

starters	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
P. SiakamPF	20	4-5	0-0	1-1	0	2	2	0	1	0	1	2	-6	9
J. ValanciunasC	22	4-8	0-0	5-6	2	6	8	0	1	1	3	2	+3	13
K. LowryPG	41	7-15	0-5	2-2	3	3	6	6	0	0	2	3	+18	16
D. DeRozanSG	36	11-23	1-1	10-13	2	5	7	4	2	0	2	1	+7	33
N. PowellSG	29	4-10	3-6	8-8	0	5	5	2	1	0	0	3	+15	19
bench	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
P. PattersonPF	28	3-8	2-7	2-2	0	5	5	2	1	0	0	3	+17	10
T. RossSF	18	3-8	1-2	4-4	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	+0	11
L. NogueiraC	26	3-3	0-0	0-0	4	6	10	1	3	5	0	2	+8	6
C. JosephPG	20	0-3	0-1	1-2	0	1	1	3	0	0	3	3	-7	1
B. CabocloSF	DNP-COACH'S DECISION
D. CarrollSF	DNP-COACH'S DECISION
J. PoeltlC	DNP-COACH'S DECISION
F. VanVleetPG	DNP-COACH'S DECISION
TEAM		39-83	7-22	33-38	11	33	44	18	10	6	11	20		118
		47.0%	31.8%	86.8%

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