The Toronto Raptors defeated the host Charlotte Hornets 113 - 111 at Spectrum Center on Friday. There are n't many teams in the Eastern Conference playing up to the standards of the Hornets and Raptors and they left it all on the floor on Friday. While there were only four ties and five lead changes, there were some serious swings. In fact, the Raptors won the second quarter 30 - 17, with the Hornets firing back with a 38 - 21 third quarter. Charlotte actually led this game 91 - 81 with nine minutes left, but Toronto responded with a 28 - 11 run over the next seven - plus minutes to pull away. Defense was key for the Raptors, as they held the Hornets to 41 percent from the field. In addition, they won the turnover battle 12 - 5 and the steal differential 8 - 1. The Raptors (6 - 2) continue to fly under the radar and they may have pulled out their biggest win of the season against the Hornets here. DeMar DeRozan continued his torrid scoring, as he led the team with 34 points, three rebounds and three assists. Kyle Lowry was second on the team, as he tallied 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. DeMarre Carroll, Jonas Valanciunas, Cory Joseph and Lucas Nogueira all scored between 10 and 12 in the Raptors win. Toronto will return to action on Saturday, as they host the New York Knicks for their next game. The Hornets (6 - 2) got some great efforts from their stud players, but fell just short when it mattered the most. Kemba Walker did n't let up though, as he scored a season - high 40 points on 12 - of - 19 shooting. Walker also provided 10 rebounds and six assists with his 40 - spot in the defeat. Nicolas Batum recorded a double - double as well, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Marvin Williams finished the game with 10 points and 13 rebounds of his own. It does n't get any easier for the Hornets, as they travel to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday for their next game.
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 "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 12 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 3 Assists ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 6 Assists ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 12 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Lucas Nogueira') has 10 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 10 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 6 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 19 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 40 Field goals made ,has 10 Points ."]