NBA: Raptors hold on for win over Clippers
FILE–Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors. Kelsey Grant/Getty Images/AFP
Pascal Siakam scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Fred VanVleet added 21 points as the visiting Toronto Raptors completed a Los Angeles double on Wednesday, earning a 103-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Scottie Barnes scored 15 points as the Raptors extended their winning streak to five games and won in downtown L.A. for the second time in two days after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 114-103 on Monday.
Article continues after this advertisementToronto went 5-1 on a six-game trip that started March 6 with a loss at Cleveland.
The Raptors moved into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with the Cavaliers as they make a bid to avoid the play-in tournament, but Cleveland owns the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams.
Reggie Jackson had 23 points and nine assists for the Clippers and Marcus Morris Sr. added 22 as both returned to the court after getting a rest day Monday in a loss at Cleveland.
Article continues after this advertisementTerance Mann had 16 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles, which has lost five of its past seven games.
The Raptors jumped out to a 28-26 lead after one quarter, then shot 62.5 percent (10 of 16) from the field in the second quarter to take a 54-44 lead into the break.
Toronto pushed its lead to 65-48 with 9:42 remaining in the third quarter before the Clippers made a charge. Los Angeles pulled within 78-74 heading into the fourth quarter and got within a basket twice in the first four minutes of the final period, both times on hoops by Mann.
The Raptors regrouped to go on a 10-2 run and take a 93-83 lead with 6:34 remaining on a basket by Siakam. The Clippers refused to go away, pulling within 101-100 on a 3-pointer by Nicolas Batum with 35.1 seconds remaining.
VanVleet made just two of four free throws in the final 16 seconds but Toronto’s Precious Achiuwa successfully defended Morris’ 3-point attempt with 1.3 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Achiuwa finished with 11 points, while the Clippers’ Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 points.
