TORONTO, United States (AFP) — DeMar DeRozan poured on 41 points as the Toronto Raptors snapped their two-game losing streak with a 114-106 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
DeRozan grabbed 13 rebounds and made eight of nine shots from the foul line to help the Raptors improve to 25-13 at the Air Canada Centre.
Toronto’s win came courtesy of a fourth quarter scoring spree which saw them go on a 19-4 run that swung the game decisively in their favour.
It was the Celtics’ first defeat in five games and saw them fall to 23-15.
DeRozan’s masterclass was backed by a stalwart display from center Jonas Valanciunas, who finished with 23 rebounds and 18 points.
Kyle Lowry also caught the eye, weighing in with 24 points, nine assists and four rebounds.
Isaiah Thomas top scored for the Celtics with 27 points and seven assists while Marcus Smart contributed 16 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Gerald Green and Al Horford also scored double digits for Boston with 14 points each while Kelly Olynyk added 13.
The Toronto victory followed a sustained fightback after they had trailed by 16 points during the third quarter.
Seven unanswered points reduced the deficit but a Thomas layup gave Boston an 84-80 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
That however was the cue for Toronto’s late scoring surge, with DeRozan to the fore as the Raptors clinched victory by eight points.
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