Raptors coach Dwane Casey blasts players for abysmal defence

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Just before Sunday's game, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, sitting on the Toronto Raptors bench, appeared on the Air Canada Centre video board and Lowry began going wild, motioning to the crowd to give it up for his best friend. After a three-game absence with a sprained ankle, DeRozan was back.

It seemed like a good omen. Orlando was in town, and Toronto had won 14 of its past 15 meetings against the Magic, including a 109-79 thumping last month. But Sunday didn't go as might have been predicted.

The Raptors – who were in second spot in the Eastern Conference – had to chase the 13th-place Magic all night and lost a 114-113 nail biter.

Lowry, who had been averaging 30.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the three games fellow all-star DeRozan was out, carried the team on his back in the second half. He finished with 33 points, including six three-pointers. DeRozan had 22 points on 6-of-18 shooting in his return, while Terrence Ross added 17. But Toronto coughed up 13 turnovers, which resulted in 21 points.

"It's as bad as we've played all year," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "We've got to go back to the fundamentals, back to basics, almost back to training camp to get our defence back."

The Raptors, 29-19, have dropped five of their past six games and are 7-9 in January. The team will finish a month with a record below .500 for the first time since March, 2015.

Former Raptor Bismack Biyombo had a quiet night in his first trip to Toronto since helping the Raps reach the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. He played 14 minutes and contributed four points and five rebounds.

The Congolese big man checked into the game at 1 minute 24 seconds of the first quarter to a rousing ovation from the fans who had adored him when he was a Raptor. It seemed to light a quick fire under his replacement in Toronto – Lucas Nogueira. In the next minute, Nogueira swatted away Biyombo's first shot, erupted for a dunk, nabbed a rebound and drained a two-footer on what would be a four-point, two-rebound night for the new Raptor backup centre.

Biyombo had averaged a career-best 5.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, while recording a team-high 133 blocks during his single season in Toronto, where the fiery centre had become a fan favourite for his big blocked shots and animated celebrations. His big personality and vocal, athletic defence rubbed off on Toronto's other big men. The 24-year-old holds the Raptors' single-game playoff record for the 26 rebounds he nabbed in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Toronto wanted to keep him, but Orlando signed him as a free agent for $72-million (U.S.) over four seasons. The 6-foot-9, 255-pounder is averaging 6.3 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. He has been used mostly off the bench – having started just 23 of 47 games.

"His communication, I would say, is one thing you miss, that big baritone voice," Casey said. "While he was here, guys were emulating him talking. But once he left, I think they forgot how much Biz talked on defence."

Toronto, wearing special red uniforms to honour Chinese New Year, led 36-27 by the end of the quarter.

The Magic turned the tables in the second quarter, going on a 21-2 run as Toronto had no answer for Nikola Vucevic, who was beginning what would be a 23-point night. The Raptors failed to hit a field goal over the final 6 minutes 51 seconds of the quarter, and Orlando took a 60-51 lead into halftime.

But that's when the Raptors heated up – especially DeRozan, Lowry and Ross – and Toronto pulled to within two heading into the final quarter.

The final quarter was dramatic, with some key buckets from the all-stars as well as Jonas Valanciunas, and Toronto pulled within two in the dying seconds. But Toronto couldn't keep Orlando contained at the other end.

Orlando, 19-30, broke a three-game losing streak.

Next up for the Raptors is a Tuesday night home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.