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DeRozan, Raptors rout Knicks

Mar 23, 2015 - 3:28 AM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists as the Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 106-89 on Sunday afternoon.

Tyler Hansbrough scored 18 points off the bench and Jonas Valanciunas added 17 points and 10 boards for the Raptors, who have won four of their last six games on the heels of a 1-9 stretch.

"We just got to stay focused ... We have to take something from every game," DeRozan said.

Lance Thomas netted 24 points to lead New York, which has dropped five of its last six contests.

"It's tough to play from behind as long as we did. We kept fighting," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said.

The Knicks trailed by as many as 17 in the third quarter and 74-66 going into the fourth, but Ricky Ledo nailed a 3-pointer and recorded a three-point play in consecutive possessions to whittle the deficit to 78-72 early in the fourth.

Toronto, though, netted the next 12 points to regain control. James Johnson capped the surge with a reverse layup for a 90-72 cushion at the 7:31 mark and it cruised to the finish line from there.

Earlier, the Raptors raced out to a 13-4 start and led 27-23 following a quarter of play. They caused even more separation in the second.

Johnson's three-point play finished off a 15-4 Toronto surge for a 47-31 cushion at the 7:05 mark of the frame.

The Raptors took a 56-41 spread into the break.

Game Notes

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry missed his second straight game due to a bruised back. Toronto improved to 2-3 without him this season ... Toronto, which shot 52 percent (39-of-75) from the floor, held a 52-38 advantage on points in the paint.