On the 20th anniversary of Toronto's first game in the NBA on Tuesday, Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 27 points, leading the Raptors to a 102-91 win over the Mavericks.
The win moved the Raptors to 4-0 for the first time in franchise history.
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Toronto quietly boasts one of the best starting lineups in the league, led by Lowry and shooting guard DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan found himself in foul trouble early Tuesday, but rebounded to score 20 points.
Aside from the starting guards, the Raptors are also solid in the front court. Free agent signing DeMarre Carroll brings toughness and tenacity in the paint and center Jonas Valanciunas is averaging a double-double this season.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies (3-2) rebounded with a 103-89 win over the Kings just one day after losing by 50 points to the Warriors. Zach Randolph led Memphis with 20 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Oh, and the Lakers lost again, moving to 0-4. Kobe Bryant's struggles continued as he notched 11 points and five assists in 29 minutes.
Here's more news from around the league:
Andre Drummond continues to dominate:
Fresh off a 20-point, 20-rebound performance that helped him earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors last week, Drummond bettered those numbers in Tuesday's 94-82 loss to the Pacers. Drummond finished with 25 points and 29 rebounds, which is good for his second 25-25 performance since entering the league in 2012. To put it in perspective, the rest of the NBA has only done that twice during that time. Detroit may lack a bit of depth with Barndon Jennings and Jodie Meeks injured, but Drummond is poised for a monster season.
Tweets of the day:
Birdman sighting:
Birdman, Birdman! pic.twitter.com/juSqTVFkOd
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 4, 2015Victor Oladipo with the spin move:
Spin cycle! ♻️ https://t.co/7xCrynB3n3
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 4, 2015Kentavious Caldwell-Pope throws down with athority:
Here's that crazy KCP jam from earlier https://t.co/KiXGaVvvbx
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 4, 2015Stud of the day:
Magic forward Evan Fournier scored a career-high 30 points on 12 of 20 shooting in a 103-94 win against the Pelicans. Fournier has now scored double-digit points in three straight games and looks like a major breakout candidate. Orlando (1-3) has struggled so far this season despite averaging more than 103 points per game. But with players like Fournier and Oladipo coming into their own, the Magic should be able to turn their slow start around.
Dud of the day:
Something is clearly wrong with Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. The injury to his eye is bothering him, but his problems lie deeper than that. Rose scored just four points on 2 of 8 shooting Tuesday in a 130-105 loss to the Hornets. The former MVP was mainly a spectator, playing just over 23 minutes. And when he was in the game, Rose failed to make much of an impact. The most troubling part about the game is the fact that it's not an isolated incident. For the first time in his career, Rose has now scored less than 10 points in three straight games.
What's Next (all times Eastern):
Spurs (3-1) at Wizards (2-1), 7 p.m. — Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs have won three straight after falling to the Thunder in their season opener. They have another tough test Wednesday when they face John Wall and the Wizards.
Clippers (4-0) at Warriors (4-0), 10:30 p.m. — Can a game in November have a playoff buzz? Well, we say it can because these two teams have been nearly unstoppable thus far. Stephen Curry (50.5 player efficency rating) is playing on another level right now, but Blake Griffin (35.37 PER) isn't too far behind.