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'Championship performance by a championship team'

Coach Dwane Casey praises Spurs after his Raptors are handed their worst defeat of the season

SAN ANTONIO SPURS TORONTO RAPTORS
110 82

The San Antonio Spurs dominated Toronto 110-82 yesterday morning (Singapore time), handing the Raptors their worst defeat of the NBA season in a clash of elite teams.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey called the victory "a championship performance by a championship team".

He added: "That's the way you come out with a championship approach and desperation mode and we didn't meet it.

"It started from the first play of the game."

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 as the Spurs, second in the Western Conference behind the Golden State Warriors, raced to a big first-quarter lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

Firing on all cylinders on their home floor at the AT&T Center, the Spurs led by 30 points going into the fourth quarter, which starters Leonard, Aldridge, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol all sat out.

The Spurs, who fell in overtime to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, are now 6-1 in games after a defeat this season.

Parker added 15 points and his eight assists matched the total produced by the Raptors.

The Spurs, in contrast, had 32 assists, along with a season-high 15 blocked shots.

  • 28

     

    The Toronto Raptors’ 28-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs is their worst defeat of the season.

Toronto's DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 26 points.

Terrence Ross poured in 17, Cory Joseph added 11 points and DeMarre Carroll hit for 10 for the Raptors, who are second in the East behind the Cleveland Cavaliers but were showing signs of fatigue in the final game of a 13-day, six-game road trip.

TOUGH SCHEDULE

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich concurred, saying: "We all get tough spots in our schedule, and it showed a little bit.

"That's a hell of a basketball team. I'm sure they had more energy at the beginning of the road trip than they do now.

"They'll come back.

"We did take advantage of that, but I felt we played very well. We played with a lot of desire and a lot of fibre tonight."

The Spurs shot 55 per cent from the field, collecting 32 assists on 43 field goals while capturing their eighth straight win at home.

"I thought we made the extra pass," Aldridge said. "It's just the way our guys play here.

"Guys found the open guy trying to get to the rim. The guys were playing with confidence, moving the ball out there."

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who was held to a season-low six points added: "They did what they wanted to do and we couldn't do what we wanted to do...

"They just came out and beat our (butt)." - WIRE SERVICES

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