Raptors tie franchise points mark with rout of Wizards

LOS ANGELES, USA – Norman Powell scored 28 points off the bench as the Toronto Raptors used a balanced offence to continue their domination over the Washington Wizards with a 140-111 rout.  

Marc Gasol added 20 points to become 1 of 7 players in double figures for the Raptors, who have won 7 straight games over the Wizards on Friday, January 17 (Saturday, January 18, Manila time).

The Raptors tied their franchise points total of 140 points which they earned in a double overtime two-point victory over the Wizards in January 2019. It is the most points they have ever scored in regulation time.

Toronto has been struggling to hold big leads of late, but it hopes to have finally reversed that trend with its season-high scoring total.

The Raptors led 38-26 at the end of the 1st quarter and took a 24-point lead into the 4th quarter. They increased it to 30 points with 4:36 remaining and cruised from there to improve to 27-14 on the season. 

Terence Davis scored 23 points, OG Anunoby added 18 points, and Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 8 rebounds. Pascal Siakam had 12 points and Kyle Lowry contributed 11 points and 8 assists. 

Troy Brown had 22 points for the Wizards, who have lost 3 straight. Isaac Bonga added 17 points and 10 rebounds. 

Bradley Beal had 14 points, Ish Smith and Davis Bertans each had 12, and Anzejs Pasecniks 11 in the loss.

Toronto shot 57.1% from the field and are now 20-4 against Washington dating back to the 2013-14 NBA season.

Elsewhere, Malcolm Brogdon drained a clutch basket with 18 seconds remaining as the Indiana Pacers spoiled the return of Karl-Anthony Towns with a tightly-contested 116-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brogdon hit a tiebreaking 15-footer, while T.J. Warren scored 28 points for the Pacers in front of a crowd of 17,900 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. 

Two-time All-Star center Towns finished with 27 points after missing 15 games with a knee injury.

“I am just so happy basketball is here for me, because it was some great therapy for me today,” he said.

Also, Furkan Korkmaz scored 24 points, including a career-best 6 three-pointers, to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers past the Chicago Bulls, 100-89. 

Ben Simmons added 20 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists as the Sixers improved to 20-2 at home.

Al Horford scored 20 points and Tobias Harris had 13 for the Sixers, who played without injured All-Star center Joel Embiid for the 12th time this season.  – Rappler.com