November 16, 2007

TORONTO -- With the clock ticking down to end the third quarter, Anthony Parker glanced at the basket from way down the court, then unleashed a spectacular 66-foot shot that sailed in.

The Toronto Raptors' shots were finally falling Friday, and the result was a 110-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

``I thought it had a chance and it looked like it was on line, and after I shot it I yelled, `Come on, give me something,' I had just missed a free throw and a little five-foot floater,'' said Parker, who finished with 15 points.

``I think (the shot) gave us some momentum, a little bounce to our step.''

Chris Bosh scored 22 points as the Raptors shrugged of a couple of woeful shooting performances, ending a three-game losing skid at home with a solid performance from almost the entire team.

``It's a relief,'' Bosh said on winning at home. ``But we're not worried, we don't get too frantic. We have to do a better job of being aggressive, we have to do a better job of playing defence, and once we do those things, we're going to defend our home court just fine. I think tonight is going to start it off for us.''

Six Raptors scored in double figures as Jose Calderon had 15 points and 10 assists, while fellow point guard T.J. Ford finished with 15 points and seven assists. Jason Kapono added 12 points and Carlos Delfino, 11.

Jamaal Tinsley and Troy Murphy had 20 points apiece to top the Pacers, who dropped to 3-6 with their sixth straight loss.

The Raptors managed to overcome another sluggish start. After trailing by 11 in the first quarter, they took their first lead in the second, then opened the third quarter with a 14-4 run. Parker tossed up his long-distance shot to end the quarter that brought the capacity crowd of 19,800 at the Air Canada Centre to its feet and sent Toronto into the fourth quarter with an 81-74 lead.

A three-pointer by Delfino, followed by a long jumper by Parker gave Toronto a 99-90 advantage with 3:20 left to play. The Pacers pulled to within three points with just over a minute to go, but Calderon sunk a three with 49 seconds left to put the home team back up by six and ice the win for Toronto.

The Raptors shot 47 per cent on the night, a huge improvement over the shooting woes that had plagued them in the previous few home games. They shot 12-for-23 from three-point range.

The Pacers outrebounded Toronto 47-35 and outscored the Raptors 30-18 in the paint.

But a win at home meant plenty to Toronto, who were 3-1 on the road, but 1-3 at home before Friday night. Last season, the Raptors never lost more than two in a row in the friendly confines of the ACC.

Bosh was solid, going hard to the basket from the opening whistle. He shot 12-for-13 from the free throw line.

``I wanted to start off the game aggressive,'' Bosh said. ``By me driving, I think we got more open shots, we were able to step right to it and knock them down. I think if I begin the game aggressive and they start to clog up the lane, that will give our three-point shooters a chance to knock some down.''

Jorge Garbajosa, who'd been cemented to bench, played a season-high 24 minutes and scored eight points, but it was his intensity on the defensive end that stood out.

``I don't feel myself that important that I have to open the eyes of anybody, I just do my job,'' Garbajosa said. ``It is easy. When I come into the court, I try to do the best I can, sometimes I play more, sometimes I don't play, but it's not my job to choose when I play.''

Andrea Bargnani's troubles continue. The second-year centre picked up three fouls in his first five minutes and never saw the floor again.

The Pacers, meanwile, were reeling after yet another loss.

``I don't know what it is,'' Tinsley said. ``I've been here seven years and it seems like the same thing. It's frustrating when you go out there and play good for one half and in the second half, you lay an egg. We've go to get together some day, somehow. It's getting frustrating. You get tired of hearing the same old thing.''

Danny Granger was assessed a flagrant foul midway through the third quarter. Jamario Moon was in the air about to sink a fastbreak dunk when Granger lunged at him from behind, sending the Raptor rookie sprawling into the basket stanchion.

The Raptors had yet another shaky start, hitting just four of their first 15 shots and trailed by as much as 11 points in the first quarter. The Pacers took a 30-22 lead into the second.

Toronto rallied in the second, shooting 50 per cent from the field, and a three-pointer by Garbajosa put the Raptors up 46-45 for their first lead of the game. The Pacers led 56-53 at halftime.

Ford led the way with 11 points in the third quarter, as the Raptors outscored the Pacers 28-18 in the frame and led 81-74 with a quarter left to play.

NOTES: Maceo Baston started in place of Rasho Nesterovic, who sprained his right ankle Wednesday against Utah. . . The Raptors host Golden State on Sunday before heading on the road for three games, at Dallas, Memphis and Cleveland. . . Toronto FC striker Danny Dichio was at the game, as was Toronto Argonauts slotback Arland Bruce III.