Kyle Lowry has season-high 36 points as Raptors beat Hornets 126-113

Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) charges towards the net against Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) in first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Text:

Dhiren Mahiban, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, November 29, 2017 10:17PM EST

TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry's season-high 36 points led the Toronto Raptors to a 126-113 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night.

The Raptors (13-7) have won eight of their past nine meetings with the Hornets (8-12) and improve to 7-1 on home court this season. Charlotte has dropped three straight.

Lowry finished with a career-high eight three-pointers made while shooting 12 for 18 from the field.

DeMar DeRozan rebounded nicely after injuring his knee in a win at Atlanta on Saturday. DeRozan, who finished with just two points in 27 minutes of action against the Hawks, added 30 points in the win.

The Hornets used a 7-0 surge cutting the Raptors lead down to five with 4:42 to play in the fourth, but that's as close as they'd get.

Dwight Howard had a team-high 22 points in the loss while Jeremy Lamb had 18 off the bench and Frank Kaminsky chipped in with 18.

Toronto struggled in the third quarter as Charlotte opened the second half on a 19-2 run and cut Toronto's lead down to two at one point in the period. Howard led the way with 10 points for the Hornets while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had eight and Michael Carter-Williams added seven.

The Raptors recovered to lead by eight, 93-85, through three. DeRozan had eight for Toronto in the third quarter.

Lowry had 17 second-quarter points, giving the Raptors a 19-point cushion at the break. Lowry was a perfect 5 for 5 from the field and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc capped off with a three-pointer with 4.6 seconds left as the Raptors led 71-52 at halftime.

DeRozan had 13 first half points on 6 of 10 shooting. Norman Powell added seven off the bench.

Kaminsky paced the Hornets with 10 points off the bench.

Notes: Raptors C Lucas Nogueira left the game in the fourth quarter with a strained right calf and did not return. ΓÇª Hornets G Kemba Walker missed his first game due to a left shoulder contusion. ΓÇª Emmy Award-winning actress Elizabeth Moss, who stars in the Toronto-filmed "The Handmaid's Tale," received a jersey from the Raptors during a stoppage in the second quarter.