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Toronto Raptors: The other 50-point games in Raptors history

By Avishai Sol

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 27: Terrence Ross #31 of the Toronto Raptors prepares to pass in front of Matt Barnes #22 of the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on December 27, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 27: Terrence Ross #31 of the Toronto Raptors prepares to pass in front of Matt Barnes #22 of the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on December 27, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 21: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors  (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 21: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors  (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

January 1st, 2018:  DeMar DeRozan Beats the Bucks

Try and remember the mood of Raptors basketball in 2018. That year the Raptors would go on to break the franchise record for wins in a season, and with the Kyrie Irving trade crippling LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, we in Toronto really thought we had a chance to finally make the Finals.

Toronto was playing the Milwaukee Bucks on New Year’s Day. In 2018 Giannis Antetokounmpo went from MIP candidate to MVP candidate and the Bucks were looking more and more like an equal to the Raptors in the East.

DeMar started off the game by nailing a corner three. Slicing through the D with a Euro-step, nine points. Behind the back with the dribble for a left-handed finish, 11 points. Post up, fadeaway jumper on Brogdon, 13 points. Step into a 3-pointer over the outstretched hand of Thon Maker, 16 points.  Dance around a Jakob Poeltl screen, 3-pointer, 19 points. Euro-step, switch hands, left-handed finish, 21 points. All of it in the 1st quarter.

With a minute and a half to go in the game, the Raptors are down 106-110.  DeRozan has 42 after completing an and-one. Under a minute to go, Raptors down 3. They double-team DeRozan at the top so he swings it over to Kyle Lowry for a game-tying three (DeRozan also had 8 assists in this game).

The scoring excellence continued in overtime, where DeRozan turned it into high gear and set himself a record.

For the final few seconds of the game, DeRozan gets the inbound and is immediately tied up by Bledsoe. At the line, he scores 51 and 52. Until this undersized kid out of Wichita State came around, this was as dominant a performance as any Raptor had ever had in one game.