TORONTO — Pascal Siakam had 37 points and 12 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat the Phoenix Suns, 118-101, on Friday night (Saturday, Manila time) for their 16th victory in 17 games.
Serge Ibaka scored 16 points, Fred VanVleet and Terence Davis each had 14, Kyle Lowry had 13 points and 10 assists and OG Anunoby aded 12 points for the defending NBA champion Raptors.
After Toronto's franchise-record 15-game winning streak ended with a loss at Brooklyn in the final game before the All-Star break, the Raptors bounced back by starting the second half with their eighth consecutive home victory.
The Raptors have not lost back-to-back games since an overtime loss at Indiana on Dec. 23 and a home loss to Boston on Christmas Day. Toronto has gone 19-1 since.
Siakam connected on 12 of 19 attempts, going 5 of 9 from 3-point range.
That was just one fewer than the six 3-pointers the Suns managed on 34 attempts. Phoenix shot 17.6 percent from long range, its lowest mark of the season. No Suns player made more than one shot from distance.
Devin Booker scored 21 points and DeAndre Ayton had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix. The Suns lost for the seventh time in nine games.
Ayton returned to the starting lineup after missing the final two games before the All-Star break because of a sore left ankle.
Phoenix trailed 93-78 through three quarters, but the Suns cut the gap to six points, 96-90 on a basket by Ayton with 8:08 left to play. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made a pair from the line, and VanVleet and Siakam both scored to put the Raptors up 102-90 with 6:58 remaining.
Booker missed a 3 with 4:45 left that would have made it a four-point game. Anunoby scored on a dunk and, after another missed 3 by the Suns, Ibaka banked home a 3-pointer to restore Toronto's 12-point cushion.
TIP-INS
Suns: Forward Dario Saric returned after missing seven games because of sprained left ankle and scored eight points in 19 minutes. Center Aaron Baynes ended a 13-game absence caused by a sore left hip. Baynes had five points in 11 minutes.
Raptors: Toronto remained without center Marc Gasol (left hamstring) and guard Norman Powell (broken finger, left hand). Gasol sat for the ninth straight game, and Powell missed his seventh. ... Raptors: F Patrick McCaw was inactive because of flu-like symptoms. … Toronto had six turnovers in the first quarter but had just two in the second. They finished with a season-worst 25.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Chicago on Saturday night.
Raptors: Host Indiana on Sunday night.
Source: Spin PH
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