CHARLOTTE—The first Raptors outing after DeMar DeRozan was named an all-star starter and Donald Trump was officially inaugurated as his nation’s 45th president, Toronto was outplayed from the opening tip to the final buzzer, dropping a sloppy clunker to the Hornets, 113-78, after trailing by seven at the half. It was the lowest point production of the season and was the second straight loss to end this brief three-game road trip down the East Coast.
The Raptors are built to win based on the consistent performances of their two talented guards: DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, who was an all-star starter each of the past two years.