Hey Raptors faithful, how’s that W taste? The answer is simply delicious! Andrea Bargnani brought his Primo game with 36 points, Leandro Barbosa added 19 against his former team and James Johnson chipped in with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors snapped their 8-game losing streak with a 99-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center.
Dwane Casey inserted Aaron Gray into the starting lineup and with the return of Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors hoped to prevent a slow start, a problem that has plagued them on their 8-game losing streak. Casey also went to the bench early to try and maintain the energy level. However, despite their best efforts, the Toronto still trailed by 10 after one.
In the second quarter, the Raptors managed to chip into the Suns lead with solid defensive effort, enabling them to push the ball more and get into their offense quicker. Barbosa had three 3 pointers in Toronto’s 31-point quarter, trailing 52-48 at the half.
The Raptors scored another 31 points in the third as Bargnani got it going, hitting 4-5 from 3. They seized control with their hot shooting which in turn, energized their defense, holding the Suns scoreless over a 4-minute stretch. The Suns rallied late in the fourth quarter behind Steve Nash (17 points and 14 assists) but came up short.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
