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Jay Satur - Raptors.com
It Was Over When....
The Raptors turned in another strong fourth quarter, made even more impressive given the loss of DeMar DeRozan in the third to a left groin strain, but they just couldn't quite get over that hump against a Mavericks team that always seemed to find a way to get a timely bucket.
Down 97-83 with 2:21 to go, the Raptors rattled off a 13-2 run that cut the Dallas lead to just three with 33 seconds remaining. The Raptors then fouled Monta Ellis (instead of trying to make a defensive stand and playing for a final shot), who drilled two free throws to restore a five-point cushion with 25 seconds to play. A Kyle Lowry layup would get the deficit down to two with 9.9 seconds to go, but Devin Harris sealed the deal for Dallas with two more free throws the other way.
"I really loved our fight in the fourth quarter, the way we ended the game and kept scrapping," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said post-game. "I told the guys this a few minutes ago: If we continue to compete like that at a high level, we're going to win a lot of games.
"(Dallas) is a good team. They're not chopped liver at all. They're going to be in the deep money in the West when it's all over with."
The Game Changer
Potent performance from Ellis, who dropped 15 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter to keep the hard-charging Raptors at bay. That 30-point plateau from the veteran guard has typically been a great sign for the Mavericks -- they've won now won all three games when he's scored at least that many this season.
"People seem to forget about Monta," Raptors forward Patrick Patterson said post-game. "Of course you have Dirk [Nowitzki], you sign a big name with Chandler Parsons and bring back Tyson Chandler, but a lot of guys forget about Monta. He's a guy who can put up countless numbers game in, game out. He's a tough matchup -- he's quick, he's athletic, he hit his shots, made his free throws. He's a guy who put them on his shoulders down the stretch and he was able to come through for them."
The Underrated Raptor
Scrappy effort from Amir Johnson at both ends of the floor in defeat on Friday. Johnson turned in a season-high 20 points on nine-of-15 shooting, including matching a career high with a pair of threes. Six of his nine total rebounds came on the offensive glass, which matched the Mavericks' total. Factor in his solid defensive work keeping Dirk Nowitzki (relatively) quiet and it was just a solid overall game for the Raptors' warrior.
More from Johnson after the loss below (mobile users click here).
That's A Rap
"We missed some good looks. They did a good job of really corralling us using their length. Again, I thought we missed some really, really good looks. DeMar (DeRozan) couldn’t get going, but again I thought they did an excellent job defensively. They challenged our shots, using their length against our shooters, and you have to give them credit. They came in here with a big time attitude." - Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, on the Mavs storming back after an early double-digit deficit
By The Numbers
-9 - Raptors turnover differential after they turned it over 17 times vs. just eight for Dallas. That differential is Toronto's worst of the season to date
7 - Consecutive sellouts at Air Canada Centre for the Raptors, their longest streak since selling out 39 straight regular season games over two seasons between 2001-02
55-37 - Rebounding differential favouirng the Raptors.
9-9 - Mavericks' record all-time in Toronto after Friday's win.
12 - Season high in rebounds for Patrick Patterson, who also contributed 10 points for his first double double of the season.
They Said It
"It’s some big shoes to fill, the next guy has to be ready to step up and pick up the slack." - Head coach Dwane Casey on potentially losing DeMar DeRozan for any length of time
"We just couldn't get over the hump tonight, that four or five point hump. They made some big shots and every time we would make a run they seemed to make a big play."- Kyle Lowry, on the loss
"You don’t like to see a guy like DeRozan (DeMar) go out like that. I’m not sure what happened but he’s a great young player having a terrific year and we hope he is okay."- Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle, on the injury to DeRozan
Up Next
With or without DeRozan able to go, the Raptors head out West for their first road trip of the season. The trip begins against the Lakers on Sunday in LA (9:30 PM ET, Sportsnet, FAN590), where so much changed for these Raptors during their last visit back on December 8th, 2013. The team will round out the trip against the Kings in Sacramento and the Jazz in Salt Lake City.