Fred VanVleet sets Raptors record for most assists in a game

Fred VanVleet (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

According to CBC Sports on Sunday, Fred VanVleet of Rockford, Illinois set a Toronto Raptors franchise record for most assists in a game with 20. He accomplished the feat in a 128-109 Raptors win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Three Raptors had the previous record with 19. Damon Stoudamire of Portland, Oregon was the first to accomplish the feat in a 105-100 Raptors loss to the Houston Rockets on February 27, 1996. Next was Jose Calderon of Villanueva de la Serena, Spain, who had 19 assists in a 134-129 Raptors overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on March 29, 2009. Then Kyle Lowry of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tied Calderon and Stoudamire by having 19 assists in a 132-125 Raptors loss to the Boston Celtics on March 4, 2021.

In the Raptors win over the Hornets, VanVleet had a double-double as he also scored 20 points. He also had five rebounds and three steals. VanVleet made seven of his 17 field goal attempts, one of eight three-point attempts and all five free throws.

All five Raptors starters reached double digits in scoring. Pascal Siakam led the way with 36 points. OG Anunoby had 23 points, Jakob Poleltl had 16 points and Scottie Barnes had 12 points.

On the season, VanVleet is averaging a career-high 7.2 assists per game. He also has a career-high 476 assists.

VanVleet also has the Raptors record for most points in a game. He had 54 points in a 123-108 Raptors win over the Orlando Magic on February 2, 2021.

With the win, the Raptors improved to a record of 39 wins and 39 losses. They have also qualified for the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament.

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