Dec 29, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (3) shoots while guarded by Orlando Magic guard-forward DeQuan Jones (20) and forward Josh McRoberts (17) at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, the Raps enjoy a laugher. Once Toronto seized the lead midway through Q1, they never looked back. Scoring 36 points in that quarter & the fourth was more than enough to bury Orlando.

The Raptors were white-hot in the first half against a crippled Magic squad. Our guys drained 10 of 14 from distance, with everyone (Calderon, Lowry, Pietrus, Anderson, Ross) in on the act. At closer range, Ed Davis was 5/8, on his way to 18 for the game. Several of his baskets were uncontested crams, as the Magic interior defense was invisible. DeMar DeRozan also found space inside for 11 points, & added 10 more in the second half . The 67 points racked up by the Raps was their highest half-total for the season. The pass-first Raps rang up 18 assists on 25 field goals, led by Jose’s 7. He and Kyle Lowry frequently used their speed to blow past Magic defenders in the open court, leading to odd man attacks.

The Magic weren’t suffering offensively, despite missing main men Glenn Davis & Jameer Nelson. The return of Hedo Turkoglu from injury provided some spark. Nicola Vecuvic continues to impress, with a solid baseline jumper complementing his rebounding. The Pride of Mississauga, Andrew Nicholson, enjoyed his best game as a pro with 22 points. However, the Magic’s backcourt was badly outplayed by Lowry & Calderon. Our Point Guards scored 31 points, & had 16 assists against 2 turnovers.

The second half was more of the same, except for a wobble halfway through Q3 in which Orlando crawled back to within 12, before the Raps restored a 16-point margin. Q4 was all Raps, as the Magic offered only half-hearted defense & the shots poured in.

Coach Casey seems happy to play his entire roster, and so he should. Nominal benchers like Alan Anderson & Amir Johnson are deserving of, & receiving, huge minutes. If Kyle Lowry is cranky about his second-string status, he’s showing no signs of it. Kyle hit his jumpers, & rolled inside for layups & dishes to the bigs. Terrence Ross bounced back nicely from his poor game in New Orleans; his 16 points included 4/5 from 3-ball land. The only Rap not to hit the floor was Linas Kleiza. Whether he’s suffering from another one of his myriad ailments, or Casey has had enough of his crummy play, is not clear.

This wipeout of Orlando was easily the Raps’ best game of the season. It was also their second straight road win, & their 7^th victory in 8 games.

The schedule is finally ticking over in the Raps’ favour. After playing 19 of their first 31 games as visitors, the team is home for six straight starting Wednesday against Portland.

Brian Boake is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.

Dec 21, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick (7) drives against Toronto Raptors forward Ed Davis (32) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Magic 93-90. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Unlike the previous games during this now-5 game winning streak, the fourth quarter didn’t belong to the Raps. Despite being outscored in that frame by a Magic squad that wouldn’t quit, the home team prevailed.

It was a night of extremes for the Raptors’ rookies, Jonas Valanciunas & Terrence Ross. JV broke his right-hand ring finger in a ball scramble early in the game, & will be lost for probably a month. Terrence, on the other hand, buried 3 3-balls & pounded in 2 highlight reel dunks for 13 exciting points. Six Raps scored in double figures, despite missing a number of easy buckets. DeMar DeRozan was having a dreadful time early, but persevered, & managed 17 points. Jose Calderon enjoyed another fine game, with 13 points & “only” 9 assists. The assist number should have been much higher, but Ed Davis & others chopped up good chances time & again. Ed did chip in 10 points & 6 boards.

The Raps were pushovers on the boards again tonight, this time losing the battle 37-25. Despite that disparity, Coach Casey refused to let Aaron Gray have a chance, although I don’t think he can be kept on the bench much longer now that JV is out. Orlando’s biggest men, Vecuvic & Ayon, split 25 rebounds by themselves.

Alan Anderson didn’t enjoy another memorable night, making only 1 3-ball, but he hit his free throws & managed to count 10. Amir Johnson, possessor of the world’s first Raptor logo hairdo, played another warrior-grade game. His 2 free throws iced the game, & it’s no surprise he was plus11, the highest number for any player on either team. The man is a quiet beast, & a coach’s dream.

The Magic got a fine game from Aaron Afflalo, who was perfect from distance & from the foul line on his way to 26 points. Fortunately for the Raps, J.J. Redick flubbed all 5 of his 3-ball attempts.

While this winning streak is a wonderful Christmas treat, the loss of JV is a serious blow. The Raps’ roster is being decimated, with 4/5 of the starters in street clothes. [20-second timeout: I'm taking some license with that statement. Landry Fields is dressed, but hasn't seen a second of action. I don't think he's truly fit to play, & is dressing to meet the 9 player minimum.] Only DeMar has avoided the injury blight. Don’t be surprised to hear the names of a lot of has-been/never-was Centres suddenly being bandied about as candidates for 10-day contracts.

The Raptors, not being a glamour team as far as U.S. networks are concerned, don’t have to suit up Christmas Day. Their next game is the first of 3 on the road, against San Antonio on Boxing Day (that’s the 26th for our non-Canadian readers).

Please drop in during this hiatus – I’ve got several articles pending I think you’ll enjoy.

Brian Boake is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.