Wizards 84 - 103 Raptors
Final
  for this game

Raptors down Wizards for best start in franchise history

Nov 8, 2014 - 6:40 AM

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Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Raptors are off to their best start in franchise history.

Kyle Lowry had a triple-double and DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points as the Raptors crushed the Washington Wizards on Friday, 103-84, sending a message to the rest of the Eastern Conference in the process.

Lowry went for 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, posting a triple-double for the sixth time in his career. DeRozan shot 7-of-13 from the floor and made all 11 of his free throws, and Terrence Ross dropped 18 points for the winners.

"We played well from start to finish," said Lowry. "There were a lot more positives than negatives this game. We can finally say that."

The Raptors are 5-1 for the first time in team history.

Washington's starters shot 11-for-48, with none of them cracking double digits in the scoring column in the humbling setback. Otto Porter led three reserves in double figures with 13 points.

"We didn't come out with playoff intensity and obviously they did," said Paul Pierce.

Toronto landed the first blow, jumping out to a 14-2 lead five minutes in. The spread reached 14 after DeRozan's three-point play at 3:50, and it could have been worse had it not been for Washington's bench. Porter and Drew Gooden made 5-of-6 shots combined off the bench, and it was 28-18 after one.

Louis Williams helped Toronto rebuild a comfortable lead early in the second. Williams scored nine straight Raptors points during an 18-1 run that made it 48-25. DeRozan converted an alley-oop from Lowry at 5:37 to cap the flurry.

Amir Johnson's hook shot just before halftime extended the lead to 59-35.

Nene scored six points during Washington's 10-0 run early in the third quarter. Marcin Gortat's layup at the tail end of the surge had the Wizards within 18.

John Wall cut it to 16 with a layup late in the third, but Washington never got over the hump. James Johnson's stepback 3-ball with seconds remaining made it 82-58 heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

Washington's four-game winning streak was snapped ... Toronto welcomed back Johnson, who missed three games with an ankle injury, and Jonas Valanciunas, who missed a game with a hand injury ... Washington shot just 3-of-19 from behind the arc.






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