Game Rap: Raptors 112, Timberwolves 117

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com

Karl-Anthony Towns made a pair of free throws to put the Timberwolves up five with four seconds remaining. Towns helped lead Minnesota in a second-half comeback as the Raptors dropped a 117-112 decision heading into the All-Star break. With the loss, Toronto falls to 35-17 on the season.

Bismack Biyombo left the game late in the first half after a nasty fall and landing hard on his back. After slowly getting to his feet and walking off, the team announced that he had suffered a bruised lower back, but that he would be available to return in the second half and he did. The All-Star break will be good for Biyombo and the rest of the roster to rest up and heal the bumps and bruises that come at this midway point of the season.

Toronto led 68-55 at the half and then allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 57 percent (making 12-of-21 field goals) in the third while they went cold offensively. The Raptors connected on just 35 percent of their shots in the quarter as Minnesota outscored Toronto 33-21 to trim Toronto’s lead to one going into the fourth.

The Timberwolves didn’t cool off in the fourth, shooting 53 percent from the floor to Toronto’s 40 percent. Andrew Wiggins scored 13 points in the quarter, and the Wolves made 12-of-16 attempts from the line to complete the 18-point comeback.

It was another efficient night for DeMar DeRozan, even if he didn’t get to leave the court with a victory. DeRozan finished with 35 points on 11-for-19 shooting and was 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 10-for-13 from the free throw line. He added three rebounds, four assists, a steal and a blocked shot in 39 minutes.

Bismack Biyombo toughed it out after hurting his back in the first half to play 20 minutes and finish with six points, six rebounds, six blocked shots and a steal.

“Our whole disposition, we came out like this team was going to lay down and it’s a great example to everybody that if you don’t come out and perform and do your job, any team in this league can beat you. We aren’t good enough to come out and throw out press clippings and our record on the court and not perform. We came out and played like that in the second half.”- Dwane Casey summing up the loss

46… Points in the paint for the Timberwolves, compared to 34 for the Raptors.85… Combined free throws attempted in this game. Minnesota tied an all-time opponent high in regulation with 43 made free throws on 53 attempts at the line. Toronto made 24-of-32 free throws.11… Points off the bench for Terrence Ross who has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 12 games.35… Points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots for Wolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns. Andrew Wiggins added 26 points.20… Second chance points for Minnesota, 12 for Toronto.8… Points for Norman Powell in his fourth straight start. Powell shot 4-for-6 from the floor in 12 minutes of action.

“We didn’t feel it. We started fighting, but it was just one of those games where we’ve been so good getting ourselves out of holes. We get in the hole and now things weren’t going our way. We couldn’t get a stop, we continued to put them on the free throw line. We couldn’t get any calls to go our way. I guess the luck was against us tonight.”- DeMar DeRozan on if he felt like it was a trap game with All-Star around the corner“They came out with a lot more energy. They were hitting shots, beating us to the 50-50 balls. Outrebounding us, getting a lot of second chances. Getting to the foul line, getting a lot of easy points on the board and we weren’t able to get into a rhythm of things. They came out, hitting us in the mouth and when we tried to start picking it up, they already had the momentum and kept pushing on it.”- Cory Joseph on the Wolves turning things around in the third quarter“I don’t know if it’s a step back, it’s a step in human nature. It’s a fact that if you don’t come out and perform and play…I thought we tried to make a stand in the first half, but it didn’t continue. We got in foul trouble. You put a team on the line 53 times, that’s not focus. That’s not down in the stance. You can’t win that way. And then 20 second-chance points, that’s the ballgame.”- Dwane Casey when asked if the loss was a step back for his team

The Raptors will get some much-deserved time off during the All-Star break. While Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will be representing Toronto in All-Star festivities, they will also get a break after the weekend is complete. The team will meet in Chicago to play the Bulls on Friday, Feb. 19 at 8 P.M. ET.