Raptors best turnover-plagued Bobcats
December 31, 2009
TORONTO (AP)—Another bunch of turnovers added up to another road loss for theCharlotte Bobcats.
Chris Bosh(notes) had 33 points and 13 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani(notes) matched his seasonhigh with 28 points, and the Toronto Raptors took advantage of 23 Charlotteturnovers to beat the Bobcats 107-103 on Wednesday night, their season-highfifth straight victory.
Marco Belinelli(notes) scored 13 points and rookie DeMar DeRozan(notes) had 10 as Torontoavenged its worst defeat of the season, a 116-81 loss at Charlotte on Nov. 25—the biggest margin of victory in Bobcats history.
Toronto Raptors forward Chris … AP – Dec 30, 10:27 pm EST Toronto Raptors forward Chris … AP – Dec 30, 10:26 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward Chris … AP – Dec 30, 10:24 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward Chris … AP – Dec 30, 10:08 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward DeMar … AP – Dec 30, 8:57 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward Andrea… AP – Dec 30, 8:56 pm EST
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Toronto Raptors forward Sonny … AP – Dec 30, 8:50 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward Chris … AP – Dec 30, 8:47 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 8; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.56be76a7b19d4944b7774bcefc056027.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng109.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=64&yc=1&wc=284&hc=316&q=70&sig=bViEDAEzKBWFoKWghkSvmA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.515c2fb60449487289e432b207658845.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng108.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=62&yc=1&wc=287&hc=319&q=70&sig=3LfOo4Dp6DIs1hAW6NBOcA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.06a1f3591ae84f639c29ca6a947fe7c4.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng106.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=273&hc=303&q=70&sig=xmE5Kj_4oWlpQR7dBi1cgQ--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.23cdf14c59e24b5580ab0d44fced3524.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng104.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=286&hc=318&q=70&sig=gzUBi0Ases6hD8b.NRJr9Q--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.4761936a8c4f4619933b299991c3da5c.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng105.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=294&hc=327&q=70&sig=BwLvt7x5DA8Qho5ZDezR7w--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.2b5c5ae8c57c4bc29a77a1c601cd963b.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng103.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=46&yc=1&wc=320&hc=356&q=70&sig=IG4uAta9xmMzEn5lgIAD9w--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.824136e3e2ee4daca2d5ba3be572fba0.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=287&hc=319&q=70&sig=ndESRafdEGH4eL0GW5FnPw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091231/capt.153c217bd2f548f1bdf0f694af8e2d14.bobcats_raptors_basketball_fng102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=311&hc=346&q=70&sig=39ZrO7W0XsnFs4QqMhWdzw--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 9 Cha-Tor Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
“It’s always good to retaliate by winning in the fashion that we did,”Bosh said. “We didn’t lose our composure when they took the lead late in thegame.”
Stephen Jackson(notes) scored 30 points and Raymond Felton(notes) had 23 for the Bobcats,who are 1-14 on the road, the second-worst mark in the NBA. Gerald Wallace(notes) had15 points and 16 rebounds.
Bobcats coach Larry Brown was still fuming when he met reporters for anabbreviated postgame media session.
“The defense was pretty solid but when you give up 30 points on turnoverson the road, it’s too big a hill to climb,” Brown said before marching backinto the locker room.
Charlotte made nine turnovers in the first quarter, four in the second andeight more in the third. They’d made just one in the fourth before Feltoncoughed the ball up trying to drive past Bargnani inside the final minute.Antoine Wright(notes) grabbed the loose ball and, following a timeout, Bargnani made a3-pointer that put the Raptors up 105-101 with 11 seconds left.
“The ball got loose, that’s all I’m going to say,” a downcast Felton said.
Center DeSagana Diop(notes) said Brown has badgered the team about taking bettercare of the ball “after every game, at halftime and after every quarter.” Butwhile the message has been delivered frequently, it still doesn’t seem to begetting through.
“We had some horrible turnovers,” Wallace said. “I think we had eight inthe first eight minutes of the game. That kind of put us down. As a team, we’vegot to sit down and look. We had 20-something turnovers for 30-something pointsand it comes down to a defensive stop for us and a big shot by Bargnani thatdecides the game. If you cut those turnovers in half, that’s about 25 shots thatwe didn’t even get.”
Toronto forward Hedo Turkoglu(notes) bruised his right knee in the first half anddid not return after the break. He had two points and five assists in 14minutes. Coach Jay Triano said Turkoglu first injured his knee during Tuesday’spractice. Turkoglu’s status for Saturday’s game at Boston is not known.
Toronto led 84-80 heading into the fourth after Belinelli ended the thirdwith a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Belinelli grabbed the ball after Stephen Graham(notes)had his shot blocked and raced up court before making a running jumper from thewing.
Jackson scored on three straight possessions, including a layup, a jumperand two free throws, to make it 96-95 with 3:53 remaining, but Belinelli made anoff-balance layup and Bosh drained a pair from the line to make it 100-95 with3:16 to go.
Felton pulled the Bobcats back with a pair of baskets, then fed Wallace fora driving layup to give Charlotte its first lead of the quarter, 101-100, with1:43 to play.
Bosh put Toronto back in front with a layup and, after both teams missed,Felton made his pivotal miscue. After Bargnani sealed it with his second3-pointer, he turned to the crowd and cheering as he danced back up court.
“I feel great,” Bargnani said. “(Bosh) passed me the ball and I justshot. The play was for CB in the low post but three guys went for him so he madea great pass to pick the open guy. It was me this time.”
Wallace, who had jawed with Toronto’s Amir Johnson(notes) after a foul earlier inthe third, had to be separated from Raptors guard Marcus Banks(notes) after Banksshoved Wallace to the floor under the Toronto basket with 28 seconds left in thequarter. After reviewing the play, the referees called personal fouls on Wallaceand Banks and technicals on Banks and Graham.
NOTES: Charlotte’s lone road win was a 92-76 victory at Washington on Nov.28. New Jersey (1-16) has the worst road record in the NBA. … Brown received atechnical for arguing at the end of the second quarter. … Toronto guard JoseCalderon(notes), who has missed nine of the past 10 games with a sore left hip, shouldreturn to the practice court next week, Triano said. … Raptors forward ReggieEvans(notes), who has yet to play this season because of a sore left foot, had an MRITuesday that showed no further damage. “He’s getting closer,” Triano said. …Bobcats center Tyson Chandler(notes) (left foot) missed his third straight game.
