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Raptors close in on Bulls in playoff race
Source: Agencies |
April 14, 2010, Wednesday
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THE Toronto Raptors kept their playoff hopes alive with an 111-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday, pulling within half a game of Chicago for the Eastern Conference's final postseason spot.
Andrea Bargnani scored a game-high 33 points and added seven rebounds while Amir Johnson scored a career-high 26 points to help snap a five-game losing streak for the Raptors, who have struggled without injured All-Star Chris Bosh.
Toronto (39-42) owns the tie-breaker over the Bulls because they won two of their three meetings this season, but they must win their final game and hope Chicago loses at least one of their remaining two to claim the East's eighth seed for the postseason.
"We control a bit of our destiny," Raptors guard Jose Calderon told reporters. "We've got to win one and Chicago's got Boston and Charlotte. Those are no easy games. They've got the pressure now."
Bargnani scored 17 points in the second quarter to propel the Raptors to a 12-point lead at halftime. The loss was the Pistons' (26-55) second in a row.
After losing to the Bulls a day earlier to fall one game behind in the playoff race, Toronto shot 60 percent from the field and the three-point line.
Bosh sidelined
With Bosh sidelined for the rest of the regular season with a facial fracture, the Raptors needed a team effort to escape their slump and got it with 15 points and 12 assists off the bench from Jarrett Jack along with 11 assists from Calderon.
"It's been difficult at times (without Bosh)," Jack said. "Typically when the game gets rough we're able to go to our horse down low and with him not here it leaves us searching at the tough point in the game."
Ben Gordon led Detroit with 24 points but the home team went scoreless for about three and a half minutes in the third where they fell behind by 22.
In Milwaukee, Joe Johnson scored 31 points to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-96 in a matchup between potential first-round playoff opponents.
Marvin Williams added 18 points for the Hawks, who had six players score in double figures and continued to solidify their spot as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
John Salmons scored 28 and Brandon Jennings added 21 in the regular-season home finale for the Bucks. Jennings was 2 for 11 from 3-point range.
In Philadelphia, Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and assisted on Udonis Haslem's go-ahead basket with 1.3 seconds left as the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-105.
Elsewhere in NBA, it was: Magic 118, Pacers 98; Bobcats 105, Nets 95; Knicks 114, Wizards 103; Spurs 133, Timberwolves 111; Nuggets 123, Grizzlies 101; Rockets 117, Kings 107; Trail Blazers 103, Thunder 95; and Mavericks 117, Clippers 94.
Andrea Bargnani scored a game-high 33 points and added seven rebounds while Amir Johnson scored a career-high 26 points to help snap a five-game losing streak for the Raptors, who have struggled without injured All-Star Chris Bosh.
Toronto (39-42) owns the tie-breaker over the Bulls because they won two of their three meetings this season, but they must win their final game and hope Chicago loses at least one of their remaining two to claim the East's eighth seed for the postseason.
"We control a bit of our destiny," Raptors guard Jose Calderon told reporters. "We've got to win one and Chicago's got Boston and Charlotte. Those are no easy games. They've got the pressure now."
Bargnani scored 17 points in the second quarter to propel the Raptors to a 12-point lead at halftime. The loss was the Pistons' (26-55) second in a row.
After losing to the Bulls a day earlier to fall one game behind in the playoff race, Toronto shot 60 percent from the field and the three-point line.
Bosh sidelined
With Bosh sidelined for the rest of the regular season with a facial fracture, the Raptors needed a team effort to escape their slump and got it with 15 points and 12 assists off the bench from Jarrett Jack along with 11 assists from Calderon.
"It's been difficult at times (without Bosh)," Jack said. "Typically when the game gets rough we're able to go to our horse down low and with him not here it leaves us searching at the tough point in the game."
Ben Gordon led Detroit with 24 points but the home team went scoreless for about three and a half minutes in the third where they fell behind by 22.
In Milwaukee, Joe Johnson scored 31 points to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-96 in a matchup between potential first-round playoff opponents.
Marvin Williams added 18 points for the Hawks, who had six players score in double figures and continued to solidify their spot as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
John Salmons scored 28 and Brandon Jennings added 21 in the regular-season home finale for the Bucks. Jennings was 2 for 11 from 3-point range.
In Philadelphia, Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and assisted on Udonis Haslem's go-ahead basket with 1.3 seconds left as the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-105.
Elsewhere in NBA, it was: Magic 118, Pacers 98; Bobcats 105, Nets 95; Knicks 114, Wizards 103; Spurs 133, Timberwolves 111; Nuggets 123, Grizzlies 101; Rockets 117, Kings 107; Trail Blazers 103, Thunder 95; and Mavericks 117, Clippers 94.
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