Raptors Sting Hornets At Home
Written by WGNO ABC26 News
Saturday, 07 November 2009 02:45
ABC26 News
The Toronto Raptors were hot from 3-point
range in the second half against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday
night. All they wanted to talk about, though, was their blue-collar
defense.
After giving up 115 points to Memphis and 125 to Orlando in
recent losses, the Raptors held the Hornets to 14 points in the
third quarter in a 107-90 victory.
Chris Bosh scored 27 points for the Raptors, who used a 27-4 run
in the third quarter to take control and improve to 3-0 when
holding opponents under 100 points.
The Raptors trailed 56-51 early in the third quarter before
hitting a barrage of open 3-pointers to put the game away. Boshs 3
gave them the lead for good, 57-56, and Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea
Bargnani both hit three 3s in the next 7 minutes as Toronto went
ahead 81-63.
"It really started on defense," Turkoglu said. "We got stops
and rebounds. Weve been great offensively since they built the
team, but we were helping each other on defense tonight."
Turkoglu and Jose Calderon both had 16 points for Toronto, while
Bargnani added 14.
Chris Paul led New Orleans with 21 points and a season-high 18
assists, but he did not score in the third quarter, when the
Raptors hit more 3-pointers (8) than the Hornets had field goals
(6).
"Our focus tonight was on Chris Paul," Toronto coach Jay
Triano said. "Any time he gave it up for the most part our guys
had a hand in his face. He had to work for everything he got."
Bobby Brown added 16 points and David West had 14 for New
Orleans.
The Hornets (2-4), who are below .500 after six games for the
first time since 2005-06, trailed 83-65 at the end of the third
quarter and heard some boos as they walked to the bench.
The Hornets started the second half with a 3-pointer from Morris
Peterson and a dunk by Emeka Okafor to go ahead 56-51, but it was
all downhill from there.
Bosh hit all nine of his shots, mostly from inside, and the
Raptors were almost as proficient from the 3-point line in the
second half. After connecting on only 3 of 11 3s in the first half,
they made 11 of 18 after the break. Their eight 3s in the third
were a franchise record for any quarter.
"Out of the eight 3-pointers made, I saw us contend two,"
Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "I saw a lack of energy. For the
life of me, I cant understand why we came out without any
energy."
Toronto led 83-65 after its 34-point third quarter and stretched
the lead to 98-73 as the Hornets never made a run. Midway through
the fourth quarter, the New Orleans Arena was more than half-empty.
"We are feeling more comfortable with each other each game,"
said Turkoglu, in his first year with the Raptors after helping
Orlando reach the NBA finals last season. "We know where everybody
wants to get the ball."
Neither team led by more than seven points before Torontos
decisive spurt.
The first half was the "Paul and Bosh Show" as two of the
NBAs five leading scorers went back and forth. Paul hit 6 of 8
shots, scored 17 points and had 10 assists. Bosh went 5 for 5 from
the field and 6 of 7 from the line, leading Toronto with 16 points.
Paul scored seven points in less than 2 minutes as the Hornets
went ahead 33-26. Bosh responded with eight quick points to give
the Raptors a 46-43 lead.
The second half was a different story.
With the threat of Bosh inside, the Hornets repeatedly failed to
close out on the Raptors 3-point shooters. Bargnani had a
game-high nine rebounds, but the Hornets did not have much chance
to grab defensive rebounds as shot after shot fell for the Raptors
in the second half.
"Bosh got rolling, and we didnt do a good job of guarding as a
team," West said. "They move the ball and really make you defend
them."
The Hornets played their first game after learning that owner
George Shinn had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Hornets
announced that Shinn would miss their games for the next few weeks
while undergoing further tests and focusing on recovery.
NOTES: Toronto began a 2-week stretch where seven of eight games
are on the road. ... The Raptors snapped a three-game losing streak
to the Hornets. Hornets rookie Marcus Thornton, activated for the
first time, scored his first NBA points in the final minute. ...
Paul, a career 34.4 percent 3-point shooter entering the season,
improved to 13 of 16 when he hit his first 3 on Friday. He missed
his next two.
