Lowry has 30 points as Raptors beat Celtics to avenge Christmas loss - TSN | Canada News Media
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Lowry has 30 points as Raptors beat Celtics to avenge Christmas loss – TSN

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BOSTON — The Toronto Raptors didn’t need any speeches. That loss on Christmas was sticking in their minds the last few days.

Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, Serge Ibaka had 20 and the Raptors beat Boston 113-97 on Saturday night, snapping the Celtics’ five-game winning streak.

Patrick McCaw and Fred VanVleet each added 18 points for Toronto, which avenged the loss on Christmas and sent Boston to just its second loss in 15 games at home this season.

“I think it was internal. It didn’t sit well with me on Christmas Day,” McCaw said. “We definitely didn’t give it our best effort and I think tonight guys took it personally. It wasn’t talked about. Guys just went out and gave it their all.”

Kemba Walker led the Celtics with 30 points, and Jaylen Brown had 17 after getting consecutive 30-point games for the first time in his career. Brown had a career-high 34 in a win over Cleveland on Friday.

“We beat those guys two times already (this season), and obviously a few days ago on Christmas,” Walker said. “They definitely remembered that, of course. But those are the defending champs. They’ve got a target on their back, you know? They’re the team to beat. They came in like they were the defending champs tonight.”

Playing their first game since losing by 16 to the Celtics on Wednesday — the first NBA game in Canada on Christmas — the Raptors never trailed in breaking a two-game losing streak.

“I think we just wanted to go out there and kind of compete a little better than we did on Christmas,” Lowry said.

Toronto was without two of its top four scorers due to injuries — Pascal Siakam (groin) and Norman Powell (left shoulder subluxation). Siakam leads the team with 25.1 points per game, and Powell is averaging 14.4.

They also were missing centre Marc Gasol (left hamstring). All three were injured in the same game, a Dec. 18 win at Detroit.

The Celtics had used a 10-0 spree to slice a 13-point deficit down to 70-67 midway into the third quarter, but the Raptors — like they did all night when Boston made a charge — answered with a quick 8-0 spurt that was highlighted by consecutive 3s from McCaw and VanVleet.

“Toronto just raised their level of intensity and we weren’t ready to handle it,” Brown said.

The Raptors also had a 12-point lead cut to five late in the third.

Toronto led by 10 after the third and Boston never threatened in the fourth.

McCaw’s 3-pointer made it 109-92.

TIP INS

Raptors: It was the fifth straight game that the trio of Siakam, Powell and Gasol was sidelined. … They shot 71.4 % (15 of 21) in the opening quarter and led by 11 at the break. … Toronto’s loss on Christmas was the first either team had won on the road in 13 tries.

Celtics: Guard Marcus Smart returned after missing eight games with an eye infection that spread to both eyes. He hadn’t played since Dec. 6 and got a loud ovation when he entered midway into the opening quarter. He scored seven points in 23 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

Smart hit a 3 from the top of the key at the horn at the end of the first quarter and Walker hit one from the top closing the second.

ROLLER COASTER

Raptors coach Nick Nurse talked about his team’s struggles without some key players the last few games.

“We’ve had some up-and-down moments,” he said. “I think that’s been the hardest part of it — consistency. We’ve seen it even in the same games. We’ve looked awesome in eight or 10 minutes and then we look like we can’t do anything right in three or four minutes.”

THAT’S NEWS TO ME

When Boston coach Brad Stevens was asked about his team being the NBA’s top rebounding club for the month, he paused and said: “Us? Shocker.”

He didn’t have an explanation for the statistic.

“I don’t know, the ball’s bounced our way, I guess,’’ he said. We haven’t changed anything on either side of the floor.”

UP NEXT

Raptors: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.

Celtics: At the Charlotte Hornets on New Year’s Eve afternoon.

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Cavaliers and free agent forward Isaac Okoro agree to 3-year, $38 million deal, AP source says

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.

ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.

The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.

The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.

Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.

His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.

Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.

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Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

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GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.

Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.

In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

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TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.

Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.

Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.

He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.

The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.

Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.

He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.

George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.

Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.

In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.

St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ON DECK

Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.

The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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