| |
|
|
| |
T.J. Ford
Points: 17
Rebounds: 9
Assists: 8
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| |
| "I think the (good) start helped us confidence wise and it's what we're supposed to do." Who said it?
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The Raptors held Vince Carter and Jason Kidd to a combined 21 points.
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| Team |
RB |
ST |
BLK |
TOT |
| NJN |
45 |
5 |
0 |
50 |
| TOR |
45 |
5 |
4 |
54
|
|
|
December 15, 2006
TORONTO (CP) -- With Chris Bosh on the sidelines nursing a knee injury, and Toronto facing two of the NBA's hottest players in Vince Carter and Jason Kidd, the Raptors could easily have submitted to the New Jersey Nets on Friday.
They did the opposite.
T.J. Ford scored 17 points while five other Raptors finished in double figures as Toronto (9-14) beat the Nets 90-78.
At the other end, they held Carter to a season-low 12 points, and Kidd to just 10 points.
``Our guys gave an unbelievable effort,'' said Raptors coach Sam Mitchell.
Anthony Parker and Joey Graham finished with 15 points apiece, Rasho Nesterovic added 12 points, Morris Peterson chipped in with 11 points and Jorge Garbajosa scored 10 points for the Raptors.
``We got some big play out of a lot of guys tonight,'' said Peterson. ``We had more than one or two guys play well and I think that was the difference.''
Hassan Adams scored 13 points to top the Nets (9-13), who were missing Richard Jefferson (sore right ankle).
The win was the Raptors' second straight without the all-star Bosh, who has missed the past four games and is sidelined indefinitely with a bone bruise on his left knee.
``We know how to play now without Chris, we're creating an identity without Chris,'' said Ford. ``Everyone understands we're a little different team, and our strengths are different without Chris.''
The Raptors led for most of the night against their Atlantic Division foe, and took a 64-56 advantage into the final frame. But the Nets rallied in the fourth to cut Toronto's lead to 70-69 on a pair of free throws by Antoine Wright with 8:13 left.
The Raptors tightened up their defence from that point on, and three consecutive field goals from Ford capped a 14-3 Toronto run to put the home team up 84-72 with 2:53 remaining.
``I felt it was time for me to make some plays,'' said Ford. ``I caught a nice little rhythm and started making some shots.''
Peterson converted a three-point play with 1:11 left to make it 89-76, sealing the victory for Toronto.
The Raptors pestered Carter all night long, holding the perennial all-star to 4-for-17 shooting to the delight of the capacity crowd of 19,800 at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto threw a slew of players at Carter defensively, including Graham, Peterson, Parker and Fred Jones.
``The house,'' said Mitchell. ``The way he's been playing, we wanted to crowd him, we wanted him to see a lot of bodies.
``We didn't want to give him any threes, because he's been shooting them so well. And then you've got to worry about him driving to the basket and we just wanted to not give him any open lanes.
``He's such a good player but our guys, they just continued to work hard.''
Almost two years to the day since the Raptors traded the disgruntled player to the Nets _ Dec. 17, 2004 _ the crowd still booed Carter loudly during team introductions and whenever he touched the ball. When he stepped to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, the crowd broke out in a deafening chant of ``Carter sucks!''
Carter shrugged it off after the game.
``I could care less,'' Carter said. ``It doesn't bother me at all.
``I don't hear it, it's basketball. I can't get caught up in that, I have been playing basketball too long for that to bother me.''
The Raptors shot 45 per cent from the field, while holding the Nets to 39 per cent. Graham and Ford led Toronto on the boards with nine apiece as the Raptors and Nets both had 45 rebounds on the night. Ford added eight assists.
The Raptors got out to a strong start, shooting 45 per cent in the opening quarter to take a 12-point lead. Toronto led 24-14 heading into the second quarter.
The Nets managed to tie the game in the second quarter on a jump shot by Marcus Williams, but the Raptors roared back, a dunk by Graham with 0.1 seconds on the clock giving them a 45-35 lead at the break.
The Raptors stretched their advantage to 11 points on a running jumper by Ford with 2:37 left in the third and led 64-56 going into the fourth.
NOTES: The sellout was the Raptors' third this season. . . The Raptors host Golden State on Sunday before heading out on a tough western road trip that will take them through Phoenix, L.A. (Clippers), Portland and Seattle. . . Jones left the game at halftime with a left calf contusion.
