Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan: Scores 33 points Friday

The Toronto Raptors (26-15) are coming from a 112-100 win over Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

And with five games left on a seven-game home stand, they have an excellent opportunity to build something special.

The 10 year veteran has career highs in average points (20.9 per game), rebounds (5.0 per game), and three point percentage (38.3).

Whatever the case, you probably don’t really pay Demar DeRozan the attention he deserves.

NEW YORK – Gordon Hayward scored 21 points and Utah rallied from a pair of early double-digit deficits before pulling away in the third quarter of a victory over Brooklyn.

DeMar DeRozan scored 33 for the Raptors. Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing 9.1 rebounds and Cory Joseph is dishing three assists.

Toronto The Miami Heat are in a world of hurt right now, a bet-against team in any reasonable price range.

Kyle Lowry was voted an All-Star starter last night.

They also discussed the recent play of Kelly Olynyk, who is shooting 49 percent from three-point range since Thanksgiving.

“He’s so talented”, Lowry said of Thomas. Just give him the ball and get out of the way.

They’ve now won four of seven games on a season-long homestand and are creating some separation between themselves and a handful of Eastern Conference rivals. I’m a little talked out about it, but there is a brief look-back here and some further reading linked within.

Everything seemed to be “feeling good” for DeRozan in the third quarter, when he had 18 points to regain the lead for the Raptors. “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, we just have to find it”.

“That’s all I can do, is be ready to play 25, 30 but realize that’s not going to be the case most nights”, he said.

“I started off on fire and he took over and now we’re kind of gelling together, that’s what makes it a lot easier”, Lowry said. The Celtics have a bunch of young players and draft picks they could use to improve their roster but there may not be an impact player that warrants them trading assets this trade deadline.

Getting Derozan will be tough. As the saying goes: “You live and die by the 3”, well the C’s lived by it for 36 minutes as the 3-ball certainly kept them close up until the last quarter where they went 1-for-6 and ultimately suffered their second straight loss. They entered the second half with a 62-56 advantage led by Crowder’s 12 first-half points.

The Toronto lead reached 18 points when Scola scored on a hook shot to open the third quarter. With 367,472 votes heading into this week, Lowry trailed Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving by more than 32,000 before making a surge.

“If it’s there, I’ll shoot it”, DeRozan said of the three-pointer. After a Raptors miss, Bradley tied the game at 105-105 on a 19-foot pull-up jumper with 3:20 to play.

Houston hit 15 of 44 3-pointers.

The Celtics were left to lament the opening quarter of each half. “We’ve got to be a hungry team each night and not believe the hype because we’ve seen that story before”, he said.

Miami’s already slow pace has been exacerbated by a lack of offensive weapons and guards who can get the team into an offense.