Raptors 96, Hawks 86
TORONTO -- Guard Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 25 poitns and the Toronto Raptors came from behind to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 96-86 on Sunday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.
Lowry went on a 7-0 run to close out the game, giving Toronto a 10-point victory.
The Raptors took their first lead of the half after guard DeMar DeRozan hit a jumper to make it 85-84 lead with two minutes remaining. DeRozan finished with 21 points.
Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points.
Forwards Paul Millsap and and DeMarre Carroll each had 17 points for Atlanta (31-37).
Toronto (39-30) used a 9-0 surge to erase a 14-point deficit and trailed 74-69 with 8:32 remaining.
Then with Toronto down 74-70, DeRozan hit a 3-pointer, pulling Toronto to within one with 7:30 left.
The Raptors tied it at 79 after center Amir Johnson tipped in a missed free throw by guard Terrence Ross.
Toronto avoided dropping three straight home games for the first time since Nov. 26-Dec. 1. The Raptors improved to 16-6 at home since Jan. 1.
With the win, Toronto matched its win total at home last season at 21. The Raptors now have a winning home record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Toronto is 32-7 this season when holding an opponent below 100 points. Atlanta has lost 11 of 13 road games.
The teams split the season series, with each winning twice at home.
Toronto opened the second half on an 8-3 run to close the gap to 52-50. Lowry led the way with six of the eight points. Atlanta weathered the storm and added its own 9-1 run to lead 71-60 after three quarters.
The Hawks led 49-42 at halftime.
Carroll scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in the first half. Millsap had 13 points and six rebounds.
Ross capped a 6-0 run to pull the Raptors to 40-32 with a monster dunk over Millsap.
After a Raptors timeout with 6:05 left in the second quarter, Millsap drained a 3-pointer, giving the Hawks their largest lead of the half at 40-26.
The Raptors struggled with their shooting early, going 3 of 14 from the field. Toronto also had six turnovers in first nine minutes and trailed 25-16 after one quarter.
Lowry played just five minutes in the first quarter and started the second quarter on the bench.
NOTES: Hawks G Kyle Korver (back spasms) did no travel to Toronto with the team and missed his second straight game. G Shelvin Mack replaced Korver in Atlanta's starting lineup. ... Atlanta entered Sunday is 1-4 without Korver in the lineup this season. ... The Hawks entered Sunday with a three-game lead on the surging ninth-place New York Nicks in the Eastern Conference. ... Toronto holds a game and a half lead on the Brooklyn Nets, who are 9-2 in March entering Sunday, for the Atlantic Division lead. ... Toronto FC goalkeeper, and Brazilian international, Julio Cesar was courtside for the game. ... Raptors F Patrick Patterson (elbow) missed his ninth game.
