TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points and reserve Terrence Ross added 20 as the Toronto Raptors beat the Miami Heat 96-87 on Friday night.
It was a team-record fifth straight 30-plus-point game for DeRozan, the NBA’s leading scorer coming into the game averaging 36.3 points. Mike James had four straight 30-plus-point games for Toronto in 2005.
According to the Elias Sport Bureau, the last player to start a season with five games with at least 30 points was Michael Jordan from Nov. 1-11, 1986.
Hassan Whiteside had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Goran Dragic added 17 points for the Heat, who lost their fourth straight regular-season game to Toronto.
This was the first meeting between the teams since Toronto beat Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.
The Heat looked to be back in the game after reducing a 16-point deficit to just three over the last 4 minutes of the third quarter. But Toronto opened the final quarter with a 7-0 run and Miami never got closer than five points the rest of the way.
DeRozan found himself the subject of double coverage early on and committed four of the Raptors’ six turnovers in the first quarter, leading to seven Miami points. The Heat surged into a 12-point lead, but 10 points from DeRozan and seven from Ross reduced the deficit to 27-25 after 12 minutes.
Ross didn’t let up in the second quarter either, adding another nine points as Toronto took the lead for the first time at the 3:12 mark, benefiting from a 9-2 edge in fast-break points to take a 52-46 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Heat: G Wayne Ellington (quadriceps) missed his fifth straight game to open the season. . Whiteside recorded his fifth straight double-double, a franchise record streak to open the season. Rony Seikaly had four straight to open the season in 1990-91 and 1991-92. . Whiteside registered a block for the 34th straight game, extending his career-long streak and putting him just one behind Alonzo Mourning for the third-longest streak in team history, set in 2006-07.
Raptors: DeRozan broke a tie with former teammate Jose Calderon for the second-most games played in franchise history, playing his 525th game in a Raptors uniform. . Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBA Development League affiliate, announced three additions to head coach Jerry Stackhouse’s staff on Friday night. Former
Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall will serve as an assistant coach; Nicki Gross, the only female coach in the D-League, was appointed player development coach; and John Corbacio was promoted to video-co-ordinator/player development coach.
THE CENTURION
Former Raptor James Johnson made the most of his return to the city he has called home twice in his NBA career by registering his 100th career 3-point field goal with 1:58 to play in the third quarter. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and two assists, the first of which was the 600th of his career.
BACK IN BUSINESS
After partially tearing the MCL in his right knee eight weeks ago, Heat guard Josh Richardson made his season debut with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter. He had no points on 0-for-4 shooting in 12 minutes.
UP NEXT
Heat: Continue two-game road swing in Oklahoma City, where Miami has lost two straight.
Raptors: Host Sacramento as the Kings wrap up a five-game trip in Toronto, where they have an all-time record of 8-12.
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