Charlotte Bobcats escape with a hard-earned win over Toronto Raptors
The Charlotte Bobcats snapped their three-game losing streak when they escaped with a thrilling 101-96 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, 10 November at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Stephen Jackson played big down the stretch for as he scored 10 of his 20 points in the final period, highlighted by a game-winning steal with less than five seconds left in the game, while
Tyrus Thomas also racked up 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Bobcats to their second win this season.
“We still have a long way to go, but I'm proud of them,” Bobcats head coach Larry Brown said. “We weren't feeling great at halftime and a couple of our players were kind of down. But the
best way to overcome adversity is to play like Jackson and Thomas did in the second half.”
Gerald Wallace also had an outstanding game, tallying 19 points and 14 rebounds, while starting point guard D.J Augustin added 16 points and seven assists for the Bobcats, who made some crucial
plays on both ends of the floor down the stretch.
With the score tied with less than six minutes left in the game, Jackson and Thomas made two-consecutive baskets to give the Bobcats a 91-87 lead with 3:46 left in the game, but DeMar DeRozan
answered with a rim-rattling dunk.
The Bobcats managed to held on to their lead and were still up by three points, 99-96, with only 12.7 seconds left in the game. Andrea Bargnani had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer,
but Jackson stole the ball from him that sealed the hard-earned win for Charlotte.
“That's one of those plays where you hope you get it,” said Jackson on his crucial steal down the stretch. “If you don't, you made a bad decision. If you do, you are the hero. Thank God,
I was able to get my hand on the ball. It was a fingertip.”
Bargnani paced the Raptors with his 23 points and nine rebounds, while Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson added 20 and 16 points, respectively, but their efforts were not enough as they absorbed
their seventh defeat in their first eight games this season.
“I lost the ball,” said a frustrated Bargnani after the game about the costly turnover he had late in the game. “There's no more to describe. He tipped it away.”
The Raptors played without Brazilian guard Leandro Barbosa, who is out with a strained left shoulder, and David Andersen, who is suffering from flu-like symptoms.
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