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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Two plays that won't show up on any Vince Carter highlight reels ruined his otherwise impressive night.
|  | | Despite Charles Oakley's best defensive efforts, Keith Van Horn netted 32 for New Jersey. |
A foolish technical foul and an unfavorable encounter with a
rookie offset a 39-point outing by Carter as the Toronto Raptors
lost for the fifth time in six games, 107-103 to the New Jersey
Nets on Thursday night.
Carter picked up a technical for halfheartedly throwing the ball
at Scott Burrell after a hard foul with 3:31 left, then had his shot blocked by rookie Evan Eschmeyer with 35 seconds left.
The two plays were keys for the Nets, who kept their slim postseason hopes alive and pulled within 4½ games of idle Orlando for the final playoff spot in the East.
The technical foul seemed to be borne out of frustration for Carter, who has been on the receiving end of increasingly physical play from opponents.
"Vince, if he's going to take a stand, is going to get some
techs. That's just the way it's going to work out," Raptors coach
Butch Carter said. "We are the hunted now, and it was a lot easier
when we were out there hunting other people and they couldn't see
us coming."
The technical foul sapped much of the momentum from the Raptors
after they had come back from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit.
Toronto had another chance with the score 102-98 with under 50
seconds left, but rookie Evan Eschmeyer blocked Carter's shot
underneath the basket. The ball went out of bounds off Toronto,
Stephon Marbury hit a foul shot and the outcome was all but
assured.
Eschmeyer ended up with four blocks, three against Carter.
"He's a big body, plays hard, but I don't know much about
him," Carter said. "I'm happy for him. A couple guys have blocked
my shot four times, but that's all right. Keep 'em coming, it makes
me play better."
Carter matched his third-highest scoring output of the season
but got little help from his teammates. Starting point guard Doug
Christie did not score, and shooting guard Tracy McGrady scored all
10 of his points in the second half.
The Raptors, currently fifth in the conference, had their lead
over sixth-place Charlotte cut to just a half-game. The Raptors and
Hornets play Friday night at Charlotte.
"A big part of our offense seems to run through two guys,"
Toronto's Antonio Davis said. "That puts a lot of pressure on
them. They have to realize there's three other people out there,
and they have to use them if we want to be a successful team. We
need to post up more, get more easy baskets."
Keith Van Horn had 32 points to lead the Nets, who got a big boost from Eschmeyer in his second straight start. The 6-foot-11
rookie from Northwestern also had eight points and eight rebounds.
Marbury added 17 points, Kerry Kittles had 16 and Elliot Perry 12.
The Nets opened a 21-point lead on a jumper by Kittles that made
it 60-39 before Carter started going to work to pull the Raptors
back into it. Carter scored 17 points in the third quarter, which
ended with the Raptors trailing 77-73.
Toronto took its first lead of the game on a dunk by Davis that made it 80-79 less than 2½ minutes into the fourth quarter, and Carter gave them their final lead on a pair of foul shots that made it 82-81 with 8:58 left.
Perry and Johnny Newman each had a jumper and a drive in an 8-0 run that put the Nets up 89-82 with 5:52 left, but Toronto had at least one comeback left.
The Raptors trailed only 93-89 when Carter picked up his
technical, and Van Horn made the foul shot to make it a five-point
game. Carter then went to the line and made just one of two,
turning an opportunity to make it a two-point game into a wash.
"One ref said he thought it was questionable, the other one
thought I threw the ball at him," Carter said. "I didn't throw
the ball, I was trying to finish the play -- get an 'and-one.' He
had both my arms, and that's what happens when you hold both a
man's arms."
The closest Toronto got after that was 96-95 on a three-point
play by McGrady with 2:12 left. Kittles and Van Horn followed with
3-pointers, and Eschmeyer's last block was the final big blow.
"He's a great player, but you can't be afraid," Eschmeyer
said. "You just have to keep going at him. Sometimes he's going to
dunk on you, sometimes you may get a piece of it."
Game notes
New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman attended the
game and visited with injured Nets center Jayson Williams at
halftime. ... Toronto coach Butch Carter picked up a technical foul
in the first half for arguing that a hard foul by Perry against
Vince Carter should have been ruled a flagrant foul. "If Oak does
that it's a flagrant," Carter yelled. ... Carter led the Raptors
in scoring for the 27th consecutive game. ... The Nets salvaged a
split of the season series. They lost by 20 and 29 in the teams'
first two meetings.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Phoenix 118
Atlanta 74
Miami 105
Chicago 80
New Jersey 107
Toronto 103
Minnesota 122
Houston 90
San Antonio 102
Golden State 90
Portland 96
Dallas 85
Milwaukee 104
LA Clippers 85
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