Ibaka’s basket lifts Raptors past Hawks 104-101

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Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry shared the court for the first time in almost a month for Toronto, yet it was Serge Ibaka who scored the biggest basket of the game for the Raptors.

Ibaka scored the winning points on a dunk with 17 seconds remaining and the Raptors won their sixth straight home game, 104-101 over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

"We pulled one out,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “We were trying to get away from them and never really could.”

Leonard scored 31 points, Pascal Siakam had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Lowry scored 16 points as the Raptors earned their sixth consecutive win over the Hawks.

OG Anunoby scored 14 points and Ibaka had 13.

Lowry and Leonard played together for the first time since a December 9 home loss to Milwaukee. Toronto has not lost at home since. Lowry had missed 10 of the past 14 games because of hip and back injuries, returning Sunday against Indiana. Leonard missed that game to rest.

Toronto is 16-6 when Lowry and Leonard both play.

John Collins had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Jeremy Lin scored 20 points and Trae Young added 19 for the Hawks, who have lost four of five. Atlanta made a season-worst 27 turnovers, leading to 34 Toronto points.

"If we keep it under 20, the result is a little different,” Atlanta's Vince Carter said.

Atlanta Hawk and former Toronto Raptors star Vince Carter came back to his old home maybe for the last time. /VCG Photo

Neither team led by more than five in a tight fourth quarter. Atlanta's Dewayne Dedmon made a pair of foul shots at 2:15 to put the Hawks up 101-98, but Toronto finished the game with a 6-0 run.

Anonuboy's layup with 1:57 remaining cut the gap to one and, after a steal by Leonard, Ibaka's dunk with 17 seconds to go put Toronto up 102-101.

Following a timeout, Young drove against Leonard but missed his shot. Ibaka grabbed the rebound that led to a fast break dunk for Anunoby with less than a second to go.

"You had a rookie going up against probably the best defensive player in the league,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “He just kind of fell for the bait.”

Carter, a former star with the Raptors, launched a long 3-point try at the buzzer but came up empty.

"Tip your hats to the Hawks,” Lowry said. “Those guys, they're playing extremely hard.”

The banged-up Hawks were without guard Kevin Huerter (back). Guard Kent Bazemore missed his fifth straight game because of a sprained right ankle, while center Miles Plumlee sat for the third straight game because of a sore left ankle. Forward Taurean Prince has not played since December 3 because of a sprained left ankle.

"I'm personally not a big fan of the moral victories, but with a lot of guys down, guys stepped up and played hard,” Carter said.

A former slam dunk champion whose career began in Toronto, Carter received a brief standing ovation when he checked in for the first time at 5:13 of the first quarter. He scored six points in 13 minutes.

"The joy of stepping into this arena each and every year is something I always look forward to,” Carter said.

Making his first start of the season in place of Huerter, Lin made all four of his shots and scored 10 points in the first as Atlanta led 31-28 after one.

After shooting 0 for 6 from 3-point range in the first, the Raptors shot 6 for 10 from long range in the second. Atlanta led 57-56 at halftime.

Leonard and Lowry each scored eight points in the third and Toronto took an 80-77 lead into the fourth.

Others games included:

Indiana Pacers 123 Cleveland Cavaliers 115

Philadelphia 76ers 132 Washington Wizards 115

Denver Nuggets 103 Miami Heat 99

Minnesota Timberwolves 119 Oklahoma City Thunder 117

Phoenix Suns 115 Sacramento Kings 111

Golden State Warriors 122 New York Nicks 95

Los Angeles Clippers 128 Charlotte Hornets 109

Source(s): AP