Sonny Weems Scores Career-High 20 Points as Raptors Defeat Knicks 102-96

by

Mar 5, 2010

TORONTO — Sonny Weems scored a career-high 20 points, Jose Calderon had 16 and the Toronto Raptors snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 102-96 on Friday night.

Jarrett Jack and Amir Johnson each scored 14 and Hedo Turkoglu had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who won on a night when All-Star Chris Bosh was forced to go to hospital an hour before the tip.

Johnson started in place of Bosh, whose plans to end a six-game absence caused by a sprained left ankle were ended when he left for tests about an hour before the game complaining of severe stomach cramps. A Raptors staff member said during the third quarter that Bosh was still in hospital, receiving intravenous fluids.

Weems scored 10 of his points in the fourth and finished with nine rebounds, while Johnson had eight rebounds for the Raptors.

David Lee had 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Knicks, while Wilson Chandler added 18 points. Tracy McGrady and Danilo Gallinari each scored 13, and Al Harrington and Sergio Rodriguez both had 10 for New York.

Toronto led 92-83 with 5:53 left but Bill Walker made a layup, Gallinari hit a 3-pointer and, after a timeout, added a jumper from the top to make it 92-90. Jack stopped the run with a reverse layup and Calderon hit a jumper, giving the Raptors a six-point lead, 96-90, with 3:16 remaining.

Lee (12) and Harrington (seven) combined for 19 of New York's 24 points in the first, but Johnson scored eight and Antoine Wright had seven for the Raptors, who led 31-24 after one.

The Knicks tied it with a 9-2 run to begin the second and, just over a minute later, Turkoglu went to the locker room to get his sore left ankle re-taped. Toronto pushed its lead back to seven before the Knicks rallied again, but Turkoglu returned and made two free throws with 3 seconds left, giving the Raptors a 53-52 lead at the half.

Andrea Bargnani had to leave in the third after he was knocked backward into Johnson and suffered a cut on the back of his head. He needed three skin staples to close the gash, but returned before the end of the quarter and helped Toronto take an 78-77 edge into the fourth.

Notes
Knicks center Eddy Curry (left knee surgery) was inactive. Coach Mike D'Antoni said Curry will need three or four more practices before he's ready to play. … Wright received a technical foul for arguing in the second. … The Raptors wore their blue-and-white Toronto Huskies throwback jerseys. … Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky attended the game.

Previous Article

Rajon Rondo’s Strong Second Half Helps Celtics Net 96-86 Win Over Sixers

Next Article

Bobcats Hand Lakers Second Straight Loss, 98-83

Picked For You