Crucial mistake puts damper on DeRozan's emotional Toronto return

All of the emotions that come with a return to the home of the franchise you spent the first nine seasons of your NBA career with didn’t seem to hinder DeMar DeRozan on Friday night.

Well, not until the final minute of the game.

With the Spurs up 117-116 and in possession of the ball late, it looked like Toronto would need to foul to get the ball back. That’s when disaster struck for DeRozan as he trotted up the floor.

The Raptors went on to grab the closely contested 120-117 victory, but you can’t deny that DeRozan’s stat line looked good as he finished with 23 points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Coming back to Scotiabank Arena (a building he’s only known as the Air Canada Centre) for the first time since being traded to the San Antonio Spurs over the summer, the 29-year-old shooting guard generally shone. His performance wasn’t anything like the first time he played against the Raptors in early January (a night when he posted the first triple-double of his career in a 125-107 win, but the guy had his moments.

Following a loud cheer from those in attendance when he was introduced, he picked up the first points of the night for his new squad.

Then, following an emotional video tribute that likely led to the loudest ovation in Raptors history, the four-time All-Star reminded fans of his ability to make shots and score points in creative fashion. With the Spurs down five early in the second quarter, he picked up a pass, spun towards the basket and converted for the highlight reel field goal.

He collected a team-high 11 points, along with three assists and a rebound, to lead the Spurs to a 56-55 advantage at halftime.

In the third, DeRozan simply did what Toronto fans have seen him do for years. Whenever he got the ball with some time and space, he made the short jumpers that he’s been hitting for years and quietly continued to rack up points.

With the Raptors getting production from a variety of sources (four had ten or more points by the midway mark of the third quarter), DeRozan kept his side within reach. And, honestly, that’s all that his head coach Gregg Popovich could ask for against one of the NBA’s strongest squads.

Despite their temporary shooting struggles and defensive lapses, the Raptors fought back into the game down the stretch as Jeremy Lin began to heat up in the fourth.

Toronto’s triumph extended their winning streak to seven games, the longest in the league, and improved their record to 44-16. San Antonio, meanwhile, falls to 33-27.

While DeRozan’s turnover at possibly the worst time must have been a tough pill for him to swallow, thankfully he had a good friend to comfort him after the final buzzer.

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