DeRozan scores 30 but Raptors lost 104-102 to Bobcats in overtime | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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DeRozan scores 30 but Raptors lost 104-102 to Bobcats in overtime

Charlotte Bobcats' Kemba Walker (centre) drives between Toronto Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas (right) and Terrence Ross during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday December 18 , 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO - Kemba Walker's jump shot at the buzzer spoiled what was yet another strong night for Raptors DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson on Wednesday.

Walker scored 29 points, including the 18-footer that sealed the victory as the Charlotte Bobcats beat Toronto 104-102 in overtime.

DeRozan scored a game-high 30 points for Toronto (9-14), while Johnson had a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 10 points. Kyle Lowry had 17 points and six assists. Newcomer John Salmons finished with 11 points, while Jonas Valanciunas added 10.

Al Jefferson added 24 points for Charlotte (12-14).

The Raptors led by as much as 16 points midway through the third, but the Bobcats closed the quarter with a 25-9 run to send the game into the fourth locked at 70-70 in front of an Air Canada Centre crowd of 15,201.

The Raptors led by four early in the fourth, but couldn't put any more ground on the Bobcats, and Jefferson's basket with 2:31 left gave the Bobcats a three-point lead. But DeRozan drained an 18-foot jumper, then newcomer Patrick Patterson — acquired in last week's seven-player trade that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento — scored on a tip-in to put Toronto up by a point.

The Raptors trailed by three points twice in the last 21 seconds, the difference negated the second time by Lowry's three-pointer with 12 seconds to go to tie the game 95-95. DeRozan then stripped Walker on the Bobcats' last possession to guarantee overtime.

Valanciunas, Johnson and DeRozan had the Raptors' only three field goals in a sloppy five minutes of overtime but DeRozan made one-of-two free throws with a second left to tie it up 102-102. Walker was wide open when he made the winning buzzer-beater.

The Raptors shot 43 per cent from the floor to Charlotte's 46 per cent. The Raptors outrebounded the Bobcats 50-40.

It was another strong game for Johnson, who injected some desperately-needed energy into one of the ugliest quarters of basketball by either team in a while. The Raptors' two assists were the only assists in the quarter, and both teams shot just under a lowly 32 per cent. The Bobcats led 18-15 heading into the second.

The Raptors pulled away in what was an only slightly more exciting second quarter, outscoring their visitors 32-19. DeRozan had 11 points in the frame, and Lowry's driving layup with 23 seconds left put the Raptors up by 12. They took a 47-37 lead into the halftime break.

Walker scored 11 points in the third quarter as the Bobcats chipped away at Toronto's lead, tying it up on a Jefferson layup with two minutes to play.

NOTES: The Raptors open a tough four-game road trip Friday in Dallas that sees them also play at Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and New York. . . The Raptors play eight of their next 10 games on the road. . . Chuck Hayes dressed for Toronto for the first time since last week's trade. Hayes had missed four games because he had to undergo baseline cardiac testing.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2013
The Canadian Press

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