SAN ANTONIO – DeMar DeRozan had 27 points and the San Antonio Spurs rallied in the final minute to beat the Toronto Raptors 119-114 on Saturday night.
DeRozan’s 3-pointer with a minute remaining pulled the Spurs within 114-113, and they took a 115-114 lead on LaMarcus Aldridge’s fadeaway put-back with 29.9 seconds remaining.
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Toronto’s Kyle Lowry missed a pull-up 19-footer with 22.3 seconds left, and Rudy Gay made two free throws at the other end.
Fred VanVleet had 27 points and Chris Boucher added 22 points for the Raptors in their first road game.
Patty Mills added 21 points for San Antonio. Aldridge had 12 points and Dejounte Murray had 11 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
San Antonio was playing its first home game since March 10 prior to the league imposing a four-month layoff due to the pandemic.
The Spurs played a standard message outlining league rules for fans in attendance even as the AT&T Center was essentially empty. There were a few family members scattered in the lower bowl, but their support was drowned out by recorded cheers.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich expects more 3-point shooting this season, and the Spurs responded by going 14 for 34 after attempting 25 in their season opener against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Spurs had four 3-pointers in the second quarter to match their output in the opening period, but quickening their pace enabled them to add three dunks in the second.
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Raptors: Lowry had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double in two games. He is averaging 17 points and 10 assists for Toronto. ... Aron Baynes made his San Antonio debut as a member of the Raptors. In his ninth season, Baynes spent his first three seasons in the NBA with the Spurs before moving on to Detroit, Boston, Phoenix and Toronto.
Spurs: Popovich said Derrick White is progressing and “should return soon” after not playing in the preseason and missing the team’s opener following left toe surgery. The team’s starting point guard was running, cutting and shooting 3-pointers prior to the game with no visible signs of discomfort. ... Second-year player Quinndary Weatherspoon remains out after undergoing left knee surgery during the offseason.