Raptors nab first win vs. Magic, get back to .500

By Dick Scanlon, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday January 6, 2010 11:52PM

ORLANDO (NBA.com exclusive) -- The red-hot Toronto Raptors went cold down the stretch Wednesday night, but seven free throws in the final minute were enough to hold off the Orlando Magic 108-103 for the Raptors' seventh victory in eight games.

Chris Bosh and Marco Belinelli made four free throws in the final 7.6 seconds to clinch the Raptors' first win in four tries against the Magic this season.

Toronto took an 18-point lead into the fourth quarter, then held on without the help of a field goal in the final five minutes.

"We stopped executing and moving the ball," said Toronto forward Hedo Turkoglu, who scored 17 points. "They had to make a run; they're a good team. We lost our composure, but finally won the game."

The Raptors, who were 11-17 after losing here three weeks ago, reached .500 at 18-18.

"It's a big deal," Bosh said. "We know we are a better team than .500. We just had to get over that hump and we still have to get better. We are finally getting it on defense and rebounding a lot better."

Bosh and Andrea Bargnani scored 18 points each for the Raptors, who also got a boost from the return of point guard Jose Calderon from a hip injury.

The loss was the third straight for the Magic (24-11), who got 24 points from Rashard Lewis and 22 off the bench from J.J. Redick.

Dwight Howard put up 20 points and 12 rebounds, but also committed nine of the Magic's 14 turnovers and committed four fouls in the third quarter while the game was slipping away from the Magic.

Excluding three straight throw-away losses in the final four games of last season, the Magic had not lost three straight -- regular or postseason -- since the first three games of calendar year 2008.

"The reality is there are periods during the 82-game season that are like this," said Redick, who missed a 3-pointer that could have tied the game with about 10 seconds left. "There are cycles in the NBA season and right now we've got to get out of this cycle."

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy noted before the game that "what you've got going into the game is two teams going in opposite directions. They want to keep it going the way it's been, and we want to turn things around 180 degrees."

The Magic did turn things around Wednesday night, but too late.

Toronto shot 62 percent in the first half, and when Turkoglu opened the second half with a long 3-pointer, the Raptors had a 12-point lead.

They stretched it to 18 when Howard had to sit down with five fouls late in the third quarter, and it was still 18 when Turkoglu dunked with 6:34 remaining. When Turkoglu nailed a 3-pointer with 5:12 left, Toronto led, 101-88, but the Raptors never converted another field-goal attempt and went more than four minutes without scoring at all.

The Magic closed to within two points twice, and when Jarrett Jack missed the second of two free throws with 16.9 seconds left, the margin was three. Redick missed a 3-pointer, Bosh got the rebound and made two free throws to lift the Raptors out of danger.

Upgraded defense has been the key to the Raptors' surge, according to coach Jay Triano.

"For the most part we're holding teams to a low percentage, shooting," Triano said. "That's how you're going to win games is playing better defense, and we've been doing that a lot."

The Magic's mid-season swoon appears to be a little more complicated.

"I think we're thinking a little too much, and we're not sure of ourselves at times," Jameer Nelson said. "Eventually every team is going to go through a little funk, but the good teams come out of it on top."

According to Van Gundy, the Magic's offensive failure has been a collective effort.

"Until tonight, our defense hasn't really been a problem, and even tonight we shot 41 percent . . . it makes it hard on your defense," Van Gundy said. "They work hand in hand, but the frustration of our offense is getting to us, the fact that we're struggling so much to score."

• Raptors: Evans, O'Bryant
• Magic: Foyle

• Raptors: --
• Magic: Carter, Howard

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Amway Arena, Orlando, FL
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #54 Derrick Collins, #31 Scott Wall
• Attendance: 17461
• Duration: 2:32