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Raptors Win, Nets Now 4-44
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani each provided 20 points, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the New Jersey Nets, 108-99, at Air Canada Centre.
Antoine Wright added a season-high 18 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who have won six of seven overall and six straight at home. Sonny Weems set career-highs with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jarrett Jack had 17 points and nine assists in the victory.
Yi Jianlian and Devin Harris paced six Nets in double-figures with 15 points apiece, although New Jersey fell to a dismal 4-44 on the season. The Nets are still equal after 48 games with the 1972-73 76ers, who hold the record for fewest wins in an 82-game season with nine.
Courtney Lee had 14 points for New Jersey, while Kris Humphries had 13 with 11 rebounds. Brook Lopez contributed 12 points, and Jarvis Hayes had 11 in defeat.
The Raptors led, 23-12, with two minutes left in the first quarter, but the Nets caught fire, making their next 11 shots from the field in a 30-7 surge that bridged two quarters.
New Jersey outscored Toronto by five over the final moments of the first, as a Lopez layup made it 28-22 in favor of the Raptors heading into the second.
The Nets then scored the first 10 points of the second quarter, with a Chris Douglas-Roberts basket putting the visitors ahead by four, 32-28.
The Raptors couldn’t hit anything from the field, missing 10 straight shots, and a pair of Douglas-Roberts free throws provided a 42-30 margin with seven minutes until halftime.
Toronto answered with a 16-4 run to tie the game at 46 on a Bargnani three- point play, and a Jack three moments later gave the Raptors a 49-48 lead.
The hosts held a 57-56 edge at halftime.
Neither team could pull away in a tightly contested third quarter, although Toronto scored the final six points to take an 83-78 advantage into the fourth.
The Raptors continued with their momentum into the final period, as Marcus Banks' basket capped a 6-0 run to take Toronto's lead to 89-79 with 9 1/2 minutes left.
The Nets were unable to put together an extended run from there, getting only as close as seven down the stretch. Hayes’ jumper just past the midway point had the score at 97-90, but Jack quickly answered with a three to put the margin back to 10.
The decision was never in doubt in the final minutes.
Toronto is 16-0 this season when holding opponents under 100 points...The Raptors extended their NBA record to 910 straight games with at least one three-pointer...Toronto has scored 100 points or more in 15 straight games...New Jersey is 1-24 on the road...The Raptors played without Hedo Turkoglu (orbital bone), DeMar DeRozan (ankle) and Jose Calderon (ankle).
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