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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Jamal Mashburn taught the Toronto Raptors
two valuable lessons: Always double-team him and never let a rookie
guard him.
|  | | Jamal Mashburn picked his way through the Toronto defense for 27 points. |
Mashburn took advantage of rookie Morris Peterson on Wednesday
night, scoring 27 points to go along with nine rebounds in Charlotte's 111-95 victory over Toronto.
Mashburn scored 16 points in the decisive third quarter on easy layups and open jumpers when Peterson was the only Raptor guarding him.
"Mash is a guy who demands double teams," said Charlotte guard
David Wesley. "They left the rookie on him the whole third quarter
and Mash really handed it to him pretty good."
Peterson called his time against Mashburn "a mismatch."
"He got rolling," Peterson said. "A guy like him, he's got
experience and knows how to take advantage of a mismatch."
But Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens said it was unlikely that any of
the Raptors could have stopped Mashburn.
"He played very well and once a player of his caliber gets rolling, it's very difficult to find an answer," Wilkens said.
Wesley scored 26 points and Elden Campbell added 14 points for
the Hornets, who improved to 3-1 against the Raptors this season
with an average victory margin of 25 points.
Eddie Robinson came off the bench to score 13 points for
Charlotte on 5-of-9 shooting, the 20th straight game he's shot 50
percent or better from the field.
"I work too hard on my shot for me not to hit everything,"
Robinson said. "I think every shot I shoot is going in and I'm
surprised when they rattle out."
The Raptors, coming off a 102-81 win over Indiana on Tuesday
night, looked sharp early but wilted after halftime. They trailed
the Hornets on every fast break of the third quarter and never
found an answer for Mashburn.
"Fatigue is no excuse," said Vince Carter, who led the Raptors with 23 points.
"We couldn't hit shots, we couldn't play defense, a lot of things didn't go right."
Charlotte, which trailed by 13 in the first quarter, rallied to
take a 57-51 lead into halftime.
The Hornets then put Toronto away by scoring on their first six
possessions of the third quarter and shooting 70 percent for the
period.
Wesley hit a pair of 3-pointers in the period and the second one
gave Charlotte an 83-61 lead. Mashburn's reverse layup with 1:06 to
play in the third gave the Hornets their largest lead at 92-66.
"The key was when they jumped on us in the third quarter,"
said Toronto guard Alvin Williams. "Eddie came in and gave them
energy and was a big factor in turning the momentum in their favor
and Jamal lit us up most of the game."
Carter scored 13 of his points in the first quarter when he
opened the game by making all three of his 3-point attempts.
But Wesley tightened his defense on him after that, limiting him
to only 10 more points and only two more 3-point attempts – both of
which were no good.
"I'd been talking all week about how I was going to try to make him put the ball on the floor and when he hit a 3 on his first touch I said 'Oh, I better buckle up and get ready,"' Wesley said. "The thing is don't panic against him and you'll make it out just fine."
Game notes
The Hornets activated guard Eldridge Recasner from the
injured list before the game. ... Toronto starters Charles Oakley
and Williams combined to score just eight points. ... The Raptors
had seven turnovers in the third quarter, 15 in all. ... Although
Charlotte coach Paul Silas has long said he wants to acquire a
backup point guard, Hornets vice president Bob Bass said the team
had no interest in rookie Khalid El-Amin, who was waived Tuesday by the Chicago Bulls. ... Hornets owner George Shinn declined comment on a newspaper report that he was considering selling the team.
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NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Antonio 97
Boston 77
Indiana 96
Orlando 95
Charlotte 111
Toronto 95
Miami 109
Chicago 81
Milwaukee 107
LA Lakers 100
Minnesota 109
Dallas 97
Washington 99
Golden State 94
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