Bosh Leads Raptors To Eighth Consecutive Home Victory
Posted February 10, 2010 11:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto Raptors won their eighth in a row at home Wednesday, surviving a furious fourth-quarter comeback from Philadelphia to beat the 76ers 104-93.
Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrea Bargnani added 16, including an important three-pointer late. Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan each scored 14 points for Toronto (29-23).
Louis Williams scored 26 points for the 76ers, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Thaddeus Young added 15 for Philadelphia.
The 76ers (20-32), winners of five in a row coming in, trailed by as many as 23 in the third quarter and entered the fourth down by 15.
They cut the lead to five points when Elton Brand made two free throws to make it 86-81 with 5:20 to play.
Williams hit a three-pointer with 3:45 to play and scored on a driving lay-up with 3:18 left to pull the 76ers to within four at 90-86.
After Bargnani made one of two free throws, Williams hit another three with 2:52 left to cut the lead to 91-89. Bosh hit two free throws, but Williams again cut the lead to two and Young tied it at 93-93 with 2:06 to go.
But the Raptors’ Jose Calderon was fouled by Willie Green on a three-point attempt and made the ensuing free throw to make it 97-93. After Antoine Wright came up with a steal for Toronto, Bargnani hit a three-pointer with 41 seconds left to seal it and send the crowd of 16,651 at Air Canada Centre into a frenzy.
With the win, the Raptors equalled a club record of 29 victories at the all-star break.
In the 2001-2002 season, the Raptors won 29 times in 50 games before the all-star break.
The Raptors led 30-24 after a free-wheeling first quarter in which they shot 60 per cent from the field and the 76ers shot 57 per cent.
Forward Reggie Evans, a former 76er, played his first regular-season game for the Raptors and finished with two points. He had been out with a sprained left foot suffered in an Oct. 14 pre-season game.
“I really don’t know what to expect (from Evans),” Raptors head coach Jay Triano said before the game. “I know we’ll get energy…We’ll see how far he can go and what he can do.”
The crowd began to cheer and chant “Reggie, Reggie” as Evans prepared to enter the game with 7:43 to play in the second quarter.
Evans picked up three quick rebounds and scored his first points on a hook shot with 4:25 left in the half. Then with 3:37, left he picked up an assist on Wright’s dunk.
The Raptors led at the half 50-41, thanks in large part to Bosh’s 10 points. They shot 52.2 per cent from the floor and Philadelphia shot 46.2 per cent.
Toronto scored the first nine points of the third and led 78-63 heading to the fourth.
