NBA: Pascal Siakam lifts Raptors to second straight win over Hornets
FILE–Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors. Mark Blinch/Getty Images/AFP
Pascal Siakam scored 35 points on 11-for-13 shooting and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets 124-114 on Thursday night.
Scottie Barnes added 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who swept the two-game set with Charlotte and have won three straight for the first time this season.
Gary Trent Jr. added 19 points for Toronto. O.G. Anunoby had 15 points and four steals, Fred VanVleet contributed 11 points and eight assists and Precious Achiuwa contributed 10 points for the Raptors.
LaMelo Ball scored a season-best 32 points for the Hornets, who have lost three in a row. Terry Rozier added 21 points for Charlotte, Mason Plumlee had 16 points and 15 rebounds, P.J. Washington scored 11 points and Jalen McDaniels scored 10 points..
Toronto took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter. Achiuwa’s dunk increased the lead to 14 with 10:23 to go.
Charlotte responded with a 7-0 run, but Barnes later gave Toronto an 11-point lead on a jumper with 6:17 remaining.
Plumlee’s layup and free throw cut the lead to five with 1:39 left in the fourth quarter. VanVleet hit a 3-pointer to bump the margin to eight with 48.5 seconds remaining.
Charlotte made 22 turnovers.
Toronto led 38-29 after one quarter. The Raptors opened the second quarter on with an 11-2 run to increase their lead to 18.
The Hornets answered with an 8-0 surge. The Raptors again took an 18-point lead on Chris Boucher’s layup with 5:58 to play.
Charlotte scored the next seven points. Ball later made one free throw with 2:34 remaining in the first half, cutting the lead to eight. Siakam’s 3-pointer gave Toronto a 69-55 halftime lead.
Ball and Siakam each had 18 points in the first half with Toronto shooting 59.5 percent (25-for-42) from the field and Charlotte shooting 51.2 percent (21-for-41).
Plumlee’s layup and free throw cut the lead to nine with 9:49 left in the third quarter. Rozier’s layup trimmed the margin to 82-75 with 4:38 to play. Cody Martin’s layup and free throw reduced the lead to six with 1:25 left. Toronto led 97-88 after three quarters.
Gordon Hayward (hamstring) did not play for Charlotte.
