The Toronto Raptors (21 - 13) outscored their opponents 30 - 12 in the fourth, defeating the Charlotte Hornets (17 - 15) 104 - 94. The division - leading Raptors continue to rise in the standings following the win over the Hornets. Per usual, the victory was led by the All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry (18 points, 11 assists, five rebounds) and DeMar DeRozan (23 points). The pair contributed heavily to Toronto's impressive 17 - for - 18 free - throw shooting night, combining to knock down 11 - of - 11 at the line. The Raps also saw a big double - double from recently - returned center Jonas Valancianus, who tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Despite a surprisingly hot start to the season, the Hornets have come back down to Earth and are now just 7 - 8 in the month of December. The weak stretch was made even tougher to swallow by the loss of center Al Jefferson (knee), who will be out for approximately six weeks with a torn meniscus. Even in the face of a loss, point guard Kemba Walker had a typically strong showing, pouring in 18 points and also recording four steals on the night. Toronto's homestand will continue on Sunday as they take on the Bulls in an afternoon contest. Charlotte, meanwhile, will be forced to take on the powerhouse Thunder in the second half of a back - to - back on Saturday.
["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 13 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 21 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 15 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 12 Points in 4th quarter ,has 17 Wins ."]