Canadian RJ Barrett's 20-point performance led the Toronto Raptors past the Los Angeles Clippers 115-108 on Sunday afternoon.
Barrett, from Mississauga, added seven assists and six rebounds as Toronto (16-33) won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Scottie Barnes had 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Jakob Poeltl registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
James Harden led Los Angeles (28-21) with 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Former Raptors star Kawhi Leonard had 14 points, six rebounds and three assists.
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The NBA trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Thursday. It's still unclear if the red-hot Raptors will be buyers, sellers, or stand pat.
Toronto point guard Immanuel Quickley had 11 points and six assists in 17 minutes of playtime, but didn't get on the court in the fourth quarter after playing only 4:52 in the third.
Takeaways
Clippers: Toronto played tight defence on Harden and Leonard throughout the game. Although the pair of all-stars led the Clippers' offence, Harden was limited to 35 per cent shooting from field-goal range and Leonard shot 33 per cent.
Raptors: Tied 61-61 at intermission, Toronto exploded for a 12-2 run in the third to take an 18-point lead by the end of the quarter. Tough defence and a quick transition led to Barrett and Gradey Dick scoring six points on three consecutive drives to the net after stymying L.A. at the other end. That run, punctuated by the Barrett-Dick combo forced the Clippers to take a timeout with 3:31 left in the third.
Key moment
Fans loudly booed the American national anthem, then cheered and joined the 15-year-old singer when "O Canada!" began. The strong reactions were presumably in response to a mounting trade war between Canada and the United States.
Key stat
Toronto shot 52 per cent from three-point range, just short of its previous high of 54.2 per cent. That came earlier in the Raptors' hot streak when Toronto beat the Orlando Magic 109-93 on Jan. 21.
Up next
Toronto hosts the New York Knicks on Tuesday in the third game of their four-game homestand.
