TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan returned to the Toronto Raptors' lineup Monday night and had an instant impact, scoring 31 points in a 118-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It puts things back in the pecking order," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "It's funny how things go when you have so many talented young men, but there is still a pecking order. There is a rhythm with DeMar back in there, offensively, how we play defensively."

DeRozan, who missed seven of the previous eight games due to a sprained ankle, shot 11 of 22 from the field to help the Raptors to their second straight win but only their fourth in the past 12 games.

"It felt great to be back out there, to be with my guys, putting up a victory, especially at home," DeRozan said. "I didn't have any problem, no pain, no nothing. I just got a little winded the last minute or two. It feels good."

Blake Griffin had his fifth career triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Clippers.

"We go into every game feeling like we can win, just because we have hit a skid right here doesn't mean we can't turn this trip around," Griffin said. "We are 0-2 on this trip, and we still have three games left to play. We just have to keep fighting."

The Raptors (32-21) led by 10 points after the first half and by 15 after the third quarter. They split their season series with the Clippers, who lost their third game in a row and their seventh of nine.

"I thought their passing and their dribble penetration, and I just though they controlled the game in the paint with their pick-and-rolls," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "(Kyle) Lowry was good, but I thought DeRozan with his size, he hurt us. He was a tough cover tonight."

The Clippers (31-21) have had to deal with health issues. Griffin recently returned from a knee injury, and star guard Chris Paul will be back soon from a thumb injury.

"We haven't had our whole team," Los Angeles guard Austin Rivers said. "We'll have our full team back after the All-Star break. ...

"This is going to really make us stronger. In a month from now, we might be saying we really built character."

Lowry added 24 points and eight assists for the Raptors, Jonas Valanciunas scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Cory Joseph chipped in with 12 points off the bench.

Austin Rivers added 22 points for the Clippers, while Marreese Speights scored 15 points off the bench, Jamal Crawford had 14, and J.J. Redick scored 12. DeAndre Jordan had nine points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles.

DeRozan scored the final four points of the first quarter to give Toronto a 35-31 lead. DeRozan finished with 13 points in the quarter, and Lowry added 11 for the Raptors. Griffin led the Clippers with 11 first-quarter points. The Clippers led by as many as 11 points in the quarter.

During the second quarter, Lowry's third 3-pointer of the game gave him the franchise record of 802, surpassing Morris Peterson's total.

The Raptors led by as many as 11 points during the second quarter and took a 70-60 lead into the intermission. DeRozan scored 20 first-half points for the Raptors, and Lowry had 18. Griffin led the Clippers with 18 points in the first half and Rivers had 11.

Lowry's 3-pointer with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter gave the Raptors a 15-point lead.

Toronto's Jakob Poeltl ended the scoring in the third quarter when he made a 3-foot hook shot and converted the free throw to give the Raptors a 97-82 lead.

A layup by Lucas Nogueira early in the fourth quarter had Toronto in front by 16 points.

Norman Powell's dunk increased Toronto's advantage to 17 points.

Valanciunas made two free throws with 6:41 to play to stretch the lead to 20 points. The margin was reduced to 16 when Redick made a 3-pointer and made the free throw for a four-point play.

"It's good to have (DeRozan) back," Joseph said. "That helps out a lot. We all know the points he can put up on the board, so we get back to Raptors basketball, regular players out there, and it was fun."

NOTES: Raptors F Patrick Patterson (left knee contusion) missed his second consecutive game Monday after being injured Friday against the Orlando Magic. ... The Clippers won the first meeting of the season between the teams, 123-115 Nov. 21 at the Staples Center. G Chris Paul recorded 26 points and 12 assists for the Clippers. Paul has not played since Jan. 16 because of a torn ligament in his left thumb. ... The Raptors play their next game Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. ... The Clippers will be at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to play the New York Knicks.