R.J. Barrett scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half to help the visiting Toronto Raptors to a 109-97 come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and extend their winning streak to four games.
Barrett, who scored 25 against the Hawks in their first meeting on Oct 22, had only two points in the first half. He finished 7-for-15 from the floor and was one of seven Raptors players to finish in double figures.
Toronto, which outscored Atlanta 36-20 in the fourth quarter, improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup games, while the Hawks dropped 1-1 in tournament games. The Raptors have won both games against the Hawks this season.
The Raptors also got 20 points from Brandon Ingram, 18 points from Immanuel Quickley, 14 from Scottie Barnes, 12 each Jakob Poeltl and Sandro Mamukelashvili and 11 from Gradey Dick.
Atlanta got 21 points and seven rebounds from Jalen Johnson, 20 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 17 points and seven rebounds from Kristaps Porzingis and 16 points from Zaccharie Risacher. Johnson sprained his right ankle late in the fourth quarter and left the game.
The game was tied 26-26 after the first quarter, but Atlanta led 53-44 at halftime when Toronto went ice cold from the floor. The Raptors were 0-for-12 on 3-pointers and had only five field goals in the second quarter, which saw the Hawks lead by 13 points on three occasions.
It was Atlanta’s turn to go cold from the floor in the third quarter. The Hawks shot only 30% (9 of 30) and saw Toronto cut the lead to two points on Dick’s jumper with 1:11 left. Atlanta took a 77-73 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Raptors took the lead with 7:31 remaining when Barnes drove for a basket and an 82-81 edge. The Hawks called timeout, but Alexander-Walker threw the ball away and Quickley drilled a 3-pointer for a four-point lead. It was part of an 11-5 run that allowed the Raptors to pull away.
The Hawks complete a home back-to-back on Saturday when they host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Raptors continue their five-game road trip on Saturday at Philadelphia.
