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Morris Peterson
Points: 27
Rebounds: 2
Assists:3
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| "It’s going to be a lot different next year. My expectation is to go out and win next year." - Peterson
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Indiana shot 83% in the first quarter.
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| Team |
RB |
ST |
BLK |
TOT |
| IND |
39 |
5 |
8 |
52 |
| TOR |
41 |
7 |
3 |
51
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|
|
April 17, 2006
TORONTO (CP) -- Peja Stojakovic scored 27 for Indiana on Monday, as the Toronto Raptors lost their final home game of the season 120-95 to the Pacers.
The ugly loss was a fitting end to yet another disappointing season for the Raptors, who dropped to 27-54.
Peterson scored a Raptors game high 27 points
(Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)
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Morris Peterson scored 27 points to lead Toronto, while rookie Joey Graham added 18.
The Raptors trailed by just three points early in the second quarter but that only served as a wakeup call for the playoff-bound Pacers (40-41), who poured it on to lead by 19 points at halftime and a whopping 35 points heading into the fourth quarter.
The Raptors wrap up the season Wednesday in Chicago. They'll sit out the playoffs for the fourth straight season and finish with their worst record since they went 24-58 in 2002-03.
Raptors star forward Chris Bosh, sidelined with a sprained thumb, thanked the fans before tip-off.
``We know it's been a tough season, but we have a good group of guys that work hard every day,'' Bosh said, addressing the crowd of 18,267 at the ACC. ``Thank you for your support and we look forward to next season.''
The mood in the arena was surprisingly upbeat for most of the game. One fan held up a sign that said: ``2007: Raptors bite back.''
Dubbed ``fan appreciation night,'' the game featured major giveaways everything from TVs, digital cameras and barbeques to a pair of two-year leases for cars.
Loren Woods tied his career high in rebounding with 14, one of the lone bright spots in the game, and the Raptors outrebounded the Pacers 41-39. The Pacers shot 57 per cent from the field to Toronto's 38 per cent.
The Raptors gave up 13 points on 11 turnovers, which was actually better than Indiana, which committed 14 giveaways for 20 points.
If the fans weren't totally sold on the Raptors, there's a feeling of optimism amid the players and head coach Sam Mitchell.
Mitchell pointed out that his team lost 11 games this season by three points. The Raptors started the season 1-15, but were turning things around before Bosh went out in late March. Since, the Raptors have won once in 11 games.
The hiring of Bryan Colangelo, last year's NBA executive of the year, as president and GM on Feb. 28 fuelled more optimism.
``We were young, we weren't quite good enough this year, but hopefully with a year of maturity, we get a good player in the draft and just start adding to what we have, I'm already excited about next year,'' said Mitchell.
Veteran Alvin Williams said the most positive thing about the season was the team chemistry.
``We started out 1-15, in a slump, just all the negative criticism from the beginning, but the team as far as in the locker-room and on the court stuck together,'' said Williams, who spent the season recovering from knee surgery and played just one game.
``If someone was down, not playing as well, there was never that blaming each other, blaming one person, we never did that, I never saw that in the locker-room.''
The Pacers shot a whopping 83 per cent in the first quarter and raced out to a 14-point lead, ending the quarter up 40-29.
The Raptors opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run to cut Indiana's lead to three points. But Toronto was never in the game, as the Pacers woke up to lead 70-51 at halftime.
The Pacers continued to run roughshod over the Raptors in the third, outscoring them 33-17 in the quarter to lead 103-68 heading into the fourth.
Notes: Speedskater Cindy Klassen, a six-time Olympic medallist, received a standing ovation when veteran official Dick Bavetta took her hand and led her out to centre court. ... Toronto Mayor David Miller was also at the game.
