TORONTO — For the first time in nearly a month, the Toronto Raptors won back-to-back games.
Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan led the way with 21 points as the Raptors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-100 at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night.
DeRozan added seven rebounds and four assists in the win.
Raptors (41-27) are winners of seven straight meetings vs. Minnesota (14-53), 19 of 20 and 11 straight at home. The Timberwolves have not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004.
Raptors forward Terrence Ross added 15 points while center Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 15 rebounds.
The T-Wolves have now dropped 10 of their last 11.
Minnesota guard Kevin Martin had a game-high 37 points and seven rebounds while forward Chase Budinger added 19 points and eight rebounds.
Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins finished with 15 points. The 20-year-old is the 15th Canadian to appear in a regular season game in Toronto. Only Jamaal Magloire has scored more than 10 points (16 points in 2000).
Toronto lost guard Kyle Lowry to a back contusion at 4:59 of the third quarter. Lowry finished the night with nine points, six assists and three rebounds.
In the absence of Lowry, forward Patrick Patterson and guard Greivis Vasquez stepped up off the bench. Patterson finished with 15 points while Vasquez had 11 points and five assists.
The two teams were tied 54-54 at the break.
Minnesota used a 12-5 surge over five-and-a-half minute span of the second quarter to pull ahead 50-48 with 2:15 remaining in the second quarter.
Raptors guard Lou Williams and Vasquez hit 3-pointers to get the Raptors on top before Budinger even the score with a second remaining. Budinger finished the half with nine points and five rebounds.
Raptors center Tyler Hansborough left the game with 7:03 remaining in the second quarter due to a left hip contusion. He did not return.
Patterson had a team-high 10 points at recess while DeRozan had nine and Lowry finished with seven.
Wiggins ran into foul trouble early and was limited to just 7:53 of action in the first half scoring six points and two assists.
Martin had a game-high 18 points helping Minnesota to a 32-31 lead after one quarter. The 18 points are the most by any Raptors’ opponent in one quarter this season.
Valanciunas had seven rebounds in nine minutes of work during the first quarter, but did not see the floor in the second quarter.
NOTES: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in attendance to watch Ontario native Andrew Wiggins’ first game in Canada. … Raptors F/G Terrence Ross (back) was active. … Timberwolves G Ricky Rubio (ankle) returned to action after missing two games. … Timberwolves F Anthony Bennett, a Toronto native, missed his 13th game due to a sprained right ankle. … Minnesota coach Flip Saunders left the club to be with his ailing father in Cleveland.