The Toronto Raptors remained on top of the Eastern Conference standings ahead of the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors held on to a 102-95 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 23 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Kyle Lowry ended up with 10 points on top of seven rebounds and five assists, while CJ Miles provided a huge lift off the bench with 20 points for Toronto.
“Tonight, CJ had it rolling,” DeRozan said of Miles , according to ESPN . “You come in the game and realize that and you kind of use him at times to get you a shot, or at times for you to get off a shot and that’s what we did.”
With the victory, the Raptors kept the Celtics afloat in the race for the top spot in the East. They improved to 44-17 and remained a game ahead of the second-running Celtics and eight games ahead of the third-running Cavaliers.
The Wizards dropped to 36-27 but are still just a game behind the 36-25 Cavaliers for the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Washington played without All-Star point guard John Wall, who is still out with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors stayed within striking distance of the Houston Rockets in the battle for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Warriors escaped with a 114-109 victory over the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Friday at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Steph Curry had to leave the game in the third period because of an ankle injury. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player did a lot of damage before exiting, scoring 28 points in 24 minutes of playing time against the Hawks. Kevin Durant also erupted for 28 points, while Klay Thompson added 15 markers for Golden State.
The Warriors improved their record to 49-14 and are virtually tied with the 48-13 Rockets on top of the NBA Western Conference standings. The Warriors extended their winning streak to five games and have won in eight of the last 10 matches.
The Warriors and the Rockets are both 12.5 games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers (36-26), San Antonio Spurs (36-26), Oklahoma City Thunder (37-27), and the Minnesota Timberwolves (38-28). The updated NBA Western Conference and Eastern Conference standings are available on the league’s official website.
