Pascal Siakam scored 35 points (7 during a 10-0 run in the first quarter), and the defending champion Toronto Raptors beat the San Antonio Spurs 110-106 for their seventh straight win.
Fred VanVleet’s 3-pointer put the Raptors ahead for good with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs got within 108-106 on Lonnie Walker IV’s free throw with 35 seconds to play, but VanVleet answered with 2 free throws, and the Spurs got no closer.
During clutch time, the Raptors outscored the Spurs 9-7. VanVleet scored 5 of the Raptors’ 9 on 1 for 2 shooting and 2 for 2 at the line. Late in the fourth quarter, VanVleet had 2 of his 4 steals, 1 of them during a 14-0 Raptors run.
Siakam and VanVleet set each other up for 6 baskets and 17 points, 2 of them in the fourth quarter.
For the Spurs, DeMar DeRozan had 14 points (8 in the fourth quarter) and 7 assists. The Spurs had 7 players in double-digit scoring.
The Spurs turned it over 17 times, about 4 more than usual for this many possessions. They outscored the Raptors 56-28 off the bench. The Raptors outscored the Spurs 12-2 in 3 minutes with Gasol, Ibaka, Powell, Siakam and VanVleet on the floor together.