DeRozan scores 34 to send Raptors past Celtics, 115-109

DeRozan scored 18 in the quarter to send the Raptors into the final 12 minutes with a 96-90 lead. DeRozan’s solid play had a lot to do with that. That meant both DeRozan and Kyle Lowry had to once again play more than 35 minutes, which has been the nightly ask this season and surely has to catch up with them at some point. “He’s going to shoot his little Kobe Bryant fadeaways and he’s going to make them”. “He’s now shooting the three-ball and teams are going to have to run out to him now”. DeMar was ridiculous. He finished the night with 34 points and six assists.

If you voted “Kyle Lowry #NBAVote”, give yourself a pat on the back, cause you are the real MVP!

The Raptors opened a 13-point lead in the first quarter. Terrence Ross chipped in with 14, including four three-pointers, and Lowry had 14 to help Toronto improve to 19-8 against Eastern Conference opponents this season. It’s just the second time in his career he has scored 30 points in three straight games – he last did it in February of 2014. “They’re a prideful team even though they’re riddled with injury”.

“We’re just playing, man”, Lowry said.

– Amir Johnson didn’t contribute much on the court, but Wednesday was a pretty special night for the Celtics big man. “I thought we were active”. Incredibly, Olynyk has already drilled more 3-pointers than Nowitzki did that season. The Raptors have a clear opportunity to tie the second-longest winning streak in franchise history with a seventh consecutive victory Friday, but nothing should ever be taken for granted, especially with how the Raptors can struggle to put teams away. “We haven’t won anything”.

“It just shows the different type of ways we can win games….” The Raptors have been able to find these combinations in short doses, with * a href=”http://stats.nba.com/league/lineups/#!/advanced/?sort=NET_RATING&dir=1&CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*TOR&Season=2015-16&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&Conference=East” *3 of the top 6 lineups in terms of Net Rating (Offensive Rating minus Defensive Rating) featuring only one of the pair.

Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) tries to keep the ball from Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.

For the Celtics, 3-pointers are like heat in the winter or rain in a long drought.

Toronto coach Dwane Casey says DeRozan is evolving and adding to his repertoire. “There’s no pressure on one or the other… we can lean on each other, we can lean on everybody so that we can sustain. But offensively, we were really spaced, and that’s what got us back in the game, to be honest, was that spacing, that movement and those guys not only making shots but drawing everybody else out from the paint”. “He tried to make a play and unfortunately they got the steal and we had to foul”.

The Toronto lead reached 20 points when Scola hit two free throws with 6:57 left in the third quarter.