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Raptors beat T-Wolves, extend home winning streak to 9

Xinhua, February 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Toronto Raptors won their ninth consecutive game at Air Canada Centre in a 114-105 victory over Minnesota Timberwolves in Wednesday night NBA action.

All-Star DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 31 points to help Toronto improve their home record to 20-6 on the season and 38-18 overall. The team has not lost a game at home since Jan. 3 against Chicago.

Raptors are one win away from matching the franchise record of 10-straight regular season wins set between two seasons, from Mar. 24 to Nov. 4, 2002.

"It was a gutsy win," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey told reporters following the game. "We found a way to win defensively."

After leading by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, Casey's squad allowed the 18-win Timberwolves to tie the game up at 101-101 with 3:48 left in the game. The team held Minnesota to four points on 1-5 shooting the rest of the game to secure the win.

"We can't wait to get kicked in the teeth like that," said Casey, who does not believe that his team plays with a sense of urgency until required.

After allowing Minnesota to shoot 61.1 percent in the first quarter and 54.5 percent in the second, Toronto's sense of urgency kicked in by holding their opponents to 46.2 percent in the third quarter and 38.1 percent in the final frame.

"We got to approach each game and every possession like it is important," Casey emphasized. "That's part of our growth process to becoming an elite team."

At 38-18, Toronto sit comfortable in second place in the Eastern Conference, six games ahead of the 33-25 Boston Celtics. Raptors trails first place Cleveland Cavaliers (41-15), who they will face at home on Friday, by three games. Enditem