SPORT / BASKETBALL
DeRozan’s career-high 52 propels Raptors
Harden out for two weeks with leg injury
Published: Jan 02, 2018 10:23 PM

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors goes to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday in Toronto, Canada. Photo: VCG

DeMar DeRozan scored a career-high 52 points as the Toronto Raptors won their 12th straight home game with a 131-127 overtime victory over the ­Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

DeRozan shot 17 of 29 from the floor and made all 13 of his free-throw attempts for Toronto, who are a league-best 14-1 at home.

He is the third Toronto player in history to score 50 or more points, joining Vince Carter and Terrence Ross, who each scored 51.

"When you come out here and you're in those moments, you've got to make the best out of them," DeRozan said.

DeRozan also had five three pointers while Kyle Lowry tallied 26 points and Serge Ibaka chipped in 11 for the Raptors.

"He was playing with a lot of juice," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "You could see the bounce in his step. ­Tonight, DeMar DeRozan played like a superstar."

Eric Bledsoe scored 29 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 for the Bucks, who had their modest two-game winning streak stopped in the matchup between two Eastern Conference first-round opponents from last season. Toronto won the series in six games.

DeRozan hit a jump shot in overtime to give Toronto a 121-117 lead. His basket came just moments after Fred VanVleet gave the Raptors the lead for good by nailing a three-pointer.

Elsewhere, CJ McCollum scored the tiebreaking basket with 56 seconds left in overtime as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls 124-120.

McCollum had a team-high 32 points while Al-Farouq Aminu finished with 24 points and Evan Turner had 22 for Portland, who were without leading scorer Damian Lillard for a fifth straight game.

Houston Rockets star James ­Harden will be out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, the NBA team announced Monday.

The Rockets said Harden suffered a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Harden scored 40 points before leaving late in the fourth quarter of the ­Rockets' double-overtime win.

He is averaging 32 points, nine assists, five rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for the Rockets (26-9), who have been struggling of late, losing five of their last six games.

The team said doctors would re-evaluate Harden's injury in two weeks.