Raptors down depleted Thunder
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - The Raptors had eight players score at least eight points on Tuesday.
The Thunder finished the same game with just six available players.
DeMar DeRozan led a balanced scoring attack with 16 points as Toronto upended the depleted Thunder, 100-88, at Air Canada Centre.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Patrick Patterson donated 14 points and eight rebounds, while Tyler Hansbrough and Lou Williams each added 12 points off the bench for the Raptors, who improved to 3-1 on the young season.
"Their energy was unbelievable," Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said of his teammates. "They were just everywhere all over the floor."
The Thunder not only fell to 1-4 but also lost another key contributor when Perry Jones suffered a right knee injury early in the third quarter. Jones was helped into the locker room after colliding with Patterson, and his absence, coupled with Sebastian Telfair's late ejection, forced Oklahoma City to play the last two minutes with just six healthy bodies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Head coach Scott Brooks described Jones' injury as a knee contusion and said the third-year forward will be re-examined on Wednesday.
Serge Ibaka led OKC with 25 points and 11 boards, and Reggie Jackson chipped in 13 points and 14 assists in his second game back from injury.
"It was an effort that I'm encouraged with. These guys are scrappy," Brooks said of his bunch. "This is all new for all of us."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jackson, who committed seven turnovers in a loss to the Nets on Monday, came out strong in the opening quarter and handed out seven assists with no giveaways.
His exploits helped the Thunder take a 30-23 lead, and a tight second quarter saw the visitors enter the locker room a 52-21 edge.
Any momentum Oklahoma City had ended after Jones went down less than a minute into the third. The Raptors took the lead on the ensuing possession via Lowry's reverse layup and went into the fourth holding a 73-70 advantage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Toronto opened the final stanza on a 7-0 run and was on top by 14, 92-78, following a James Johnson slam at the midway point.
Ibaka and Nick Collison each connected from long range to give Oklahoma City a puncher's chance, but the Raptors eventually pulled away.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Raptors scored 16 fastbreak points to Oklahoma City's three ... Toronto outscored the Thunder at the foul line, 28-14 ... Oklahoma City shot 52.3 percent from the field but committed 21 turnovers.