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Raptors deny Popovich's 1,000th win behind James Johnson's heroics

Ron Turenne / National Basketball Association / Getty

Talk about going from zero to hero.

Three weeks ago, James Johnson found himself on the outside looking in. With the Raptors prioritizing floor spacing over defense, Johnson received a pair of DNP-CDs between several single-digit-minute outings.

Fast forward to Sunday night. Shortly before tipoff, it was announced that Johnson would start at small forward. He then went on to score a game-high 20 points, including an improbable corner 3-pointer late in the game, to lead Toronto over the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 87-82.

The game featured a hard-fought, defensive battle between two surging playoff squads. Toronto managed to hold San Antonio to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, but the Spurs grabbed a whopping 20 offensive rebounds to keep things even.

Johnson, again, was instrumental in the Raptors' defensive schemes. He routinely defended positions one through five, as his size and quickness made him an amorphous linchpin that adapted to suit every occasion. On certain possessions, he started off checking a wing like Kawhi Leonard, but would switch onto Tim Duncan when necessary without missing a beat.

Jonas Valanciunas anchored Toronto's defensive efforts with a strong showing in the paint. The third-year center was the only presence that managed to slow the Spurs' attack on the glass. He grabbed 16 rebounds and recorded four blocks in 34 laborious minutes.

Down the stretch, Toronto managed to out execute San Antonio. 

The Raptors took the lead with two minutes remaining thanks to a layup by Johnson. Two plays later, Johnson drained a corner 3-pointer (only his seventh of the season) to put Toronto up two and later grabbed a key offensive rebound which led to a free throw to push the lead to three.

This man

That set up a chance for San Antonio to tie with four seconds remaining. However, Duncan's inbounds pass sailed out of bounds as he overshot Manu Ginobili. The Raptors went on to close the game on a pair of free throws from DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan chipped in 18 points in 36 minutes on the court. The Spurs were led by Duncan and Marco Belinelli, who dropped 12 apiece.

The loss cost Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich a chance to net his 1,000th career win. Popovich will have another chance Monday, as the Spurs travel to face the Indiana Pacers.

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