TORONTO _ Before Toronto's 124-110 victory over the Timberwolves on Thursday, someone asked Raptors coach Dwane Casey how he intended to exploit the opposition's youthfulness that night.
"I want to do what Charlotte didn't do," he said. "They didn't close it out and Minnesota got them in overtime."
Casey referred to the Wolves' free-shooting, dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter's final minute that forced overtime and create a 125-120 victory over a Hornets team aimed toward the Eastern Conference playoffs.
This time, the Wolves faced another Eastern Conference opponent, this one a Raptors team that would be their conference's best if it wasn't for a guy named LeBron James and a team called the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This time, the Wolves pulled off no final-minute miracle, no three 3-pointers in 39 seconds like they did in Charlotte, N.C.
The Wolves trailed just 98-96 with fewer than 8 minutes remaining, even though both Andrew Wiggins and Ricky Rubio each found second-half foul trouble.
The Wolves allowed Toronto a 17-4 run that won the game mostly through Toronto's determination and some precious second-chance points.
The Raptors started that run with star guard Kyle Lowry's rare four-point play: A 3-point shot and foul drawn on Wolves rookie Kris Dunn as he flew by that in an instant turned a two-point game into a 102-96 lead with 7:17 left.
And the Raptors were off...
Lowry later provided another 3-pointer and reserve forward Patrick Patterson finished off that 17-4 burst with a made three of his own and the Raptors quickly led 111-99 with 4:47 left after the Wolves had pulled within as few as three points.
Lowry scored 25 points and backcourt mate DeMar DeRozan had 27 _ including a putback dunk over the top of Rubio just for exclamation _ while Zach LaVine scored 29 for the Wolves and Andrew Wiggins added 25 in his return home to Toronto.
The Wolves led by 13-9 early, were tied at 16 and led again 51-41 before they were tied by the Raptors at 59.
And that was just in the first half alone.
Trailing by those 10 points with 4 { minutes left, the Huskies _ er, Raptors _ went on an 11-0 run built around consecutive 3-point shots by DeMarre Carroll that pushed them into a brief one-point lead.
Carroll played Thursday and is expected to be held out of Friday's game at Boston because he has not yet been cleared to play back-to-back games. Raptors coach Dwane Casey chose to play him Thursday because he needed someone to defend the wing, primarily against Wiggins.
Wiggins had 15 of his points on 7-for-10 shooting in that first half during the third NBA game he has played back home.
The Wolves survived the third quarter that has vexed them so this season, starting slowly by allowing the Raptors an 11-2 run right out of halftime and a 70-61 before the second half was three minutes old.
But they battled back, getting within a basket three times before they broke through and regain a lead at 83-82 with fewer than four minutes left in the quarter.
They took an 89-88 lead to the fourth quarter with both Wiggins and Rubio still on the bench with their foul trouble.
