Toronto hands OKC first home loss
Thunder also has nine-game win streak snapped.
IF THE TORONTO Raptors can play at home the way they've been playing on the road, they might just remain atop the Atlantic Division for a while.
Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, making a pair of clinching free throws with 9.8 seconds left, and the Raptors handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their first home loss with a 104-98 victory last night.
The Raptors outscored Oklahoma City 6-0 in the final 1:25, all on free throws, and ended the Thunder's nine-game winning streak. Oklahoma City had been 13-0 at home, the NBA's longest unbeaten stretch to open a season since the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first 23 home games during the 2007-08 season.
Amir Johnson had 17 points and 13 assists for Toronto, which won its fourth straight road game, its longest such streak since March-April 2002. Oklahoma City lost for the first time since Dec. 4 at Portland.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey called the win, which moved the Raptors past Boston into first place in the Atlantic, his team's biggest of the season. Toronto's road streak began with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 8 and the Raptors added wins at Chicago and Dallas before beating the Thunder.
"It's one of those mysteries we have, of our focus on the road," Casey said. "We're a different team. I see it in our eyes before the game."
Russell Westbrook scored 27 points and Kevin Durant added 24 for Oklahoma City, which missed its final four shots.
Veteran forward John Salmons, who scored 14 points and hit the go-ahead free throws for Toronto, said winning on the road "just shows our mental toughness as a unit . . . Sometimes it's fun to play on the road, because it's just us against everybody else."
Toronto will play at San Antonio today.
Oklahoma City surged ahead with a 24-4 run during the third quarter that gave the Thunder an 82-71 lead. Toronto regained the lead in the fourth before a 3-pointer by Durant tied the game, but Salmons hit two free throws with 1:25 left to put Toronto up 100-98.
The Thunder's next two possessions ended in a missed three-point attempt by Reggie Jackson and a block by Valanciunas on a layup attempt by Westbrook, with Toronto winning the scramble for the loose ball.
Johnson hit two free throws with 14.5 seconds left to extend Toronto's lead to 102-98. Durant missed a three-point attempt and Lowry rebounded before hitting the Raptors' final two free throws.
"It's the NBA," Casey said. "It happens. They're one of the best defensive teams in the league. We knew they were going to come out in the third quarter with their best effort, which they did. We sustained it and took the punch."
"Losses happen in this league," Durant said. "They beat us fair and square, you know? We missed some shots, too. I think our defense was good. They got some shots late in the fourth quarter that helped them a little bit but I think our defense was good. We were swarming them and they hit some tough ones, too, but we missed some good looks."
The Thunder, who have won 17 of their last 19 games, were coming off a win at San Antonio on Saturday night. Asked if the Thunder lacked energy down the stretch, Durant answered, "Nah."
In another game:
* At Indianapolis, Paul George scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson recorded his third triple-double of the season, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 106-79 victory over the Boston Celtics.
Stephenson had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Indiana won its second straight and maintained its grip on the Eastern Conference's best record. He's the only player in the league with more than one triple-double this season.