Hornets-Raptors Preview

Posted Feb 09 2013 1:19PM

About two weeks ago, Rudy Gay matched his worst shooting effort of the season against the New Orleans Hornets as part of a dismal slump for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Now he's breathing new life into the Toronto Raptors.

Gay leads the Raptors into Sunday night's home matchup against a Hornets team seeking a third straight victory behind strong play from emerging point guard Greivis Vasquez.

Gay's next-to-last game with Memphis was a 91-83 loss to New Orleans (17-33) on Jan. 27 in which he shot 3 of 17 and scored 10 points. That capped an eight-game stretch in which he averaged 13.1 points and 35.9 percent shooting.

Since being acquired by Toronto (18-32) on Jan. 30, Gay is averaging 24.3 points. He scored 17 of his 23 after the third quarter of a 100-98 overtime victory Friday that snapped Indiana's 15-game home win streak.

"The Raptors have been playing great since I've been here, and we've been playing well with each other," Gay said. "You know, I just want to be in at the end of games where I can give the team a chance to win."

Vasquez has been giving the Hornets that lately. He posted his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 111-100 victory over Atlanta on Friday that opened a three-game trip.

"This one really feels great," he said. "It's special because it's my first one, and with a win. I can't be satisfied. I want more, and I want to help the team win games."

Vasquez has averaged 11.1 assists in his last 11 games, and he's third in the league in that department with 9.4 per contest.

"A lot of NBA guys don't want to be coached," coach Monty Williams said. "They want to be babied and coddled. That kid is probably the toughest guy I've been around."

Vasquez nearly recorded his first triple-double with 20 points, 14 assists and nine boards in a 104-97 overtime loss to Toronto on Dec. 28, but he won't go up against the departed Jose Calderon in the rematch.

Kyle Lowry has started the last five games at point guard for Toronto with Calderon having left as part of the three-team deal that netted Gay. Lowry had 17 points, eight assists and no turnovers in the first matchup.

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 in that contest for Toronto for his second-best output of the season while rookie Anthony Davis had his second-best scoring effort for New Orleans with 25.

The Raptors will get their only look of the season at Eric Gordon, who missed the first meeting with knee soreness. Gordon scored a season-high 27 points against the Hawks after sandwiching nine-point efforts around a game he missed to rest the knee.

Toronto is 13-9 against teams below .500, and believes it can reach the postseason.

"We definitely want to finish strong before the All-Star break," forward Amir Johnson said. "We're still in the run for the playoffs, we've just got to keep playing."

Raptors upend Hornets 102-89

By IAN HARRISON
Posted Feb 10 2013 10:22PM

TORONTO (AP) John Lucas was eager to make amends for his part in giving up an early lead.

Spurred on by a halftime challenge from his coach, he finished the game with a flourish.

Lucas scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to match his season high, Rudy Gay had 20 and the Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Hornets 102-89 on Sunday.

"He ignited them," Hornets forward Ryan Anderson said of Lucas. "He's the type of player that can come out and really change the flow of a game and he did."

Kyle Lowry had 14 points and 10 assists and Amir Johnson scored 14 points for the Raptors, who won consecutive games for the first time since beating Philadelphia and Charlotte on Jan. 9 and 11.

Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors blew open a close game by outscoring the Hornets 33-23 in the final quarter.

Lucas and the rest of Toronto's second unit got a halftime talking to from coach Dwane Casey after New Orleans started the second quarter with a 10-0 run, eating up most of an 11-point lead.

"He just called us out, point blank," Lucas said. "That's what we needed, a wake-up call."

The veteran guard and his fellow bench players vowed to bring more energy when they were called on next. And when the time came, no one did it better than Lucas.

"Lucas came in and just changed the game," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "I thought we had a chance to win, but he came in and knocked down some shots."

Williams warned his team before the game about Lucas' offensive abilities. Apparently, the message wasn't received.

"That's what coach was talking about tonight before the game, that he's a guy you don't want to let come out and not think about," Anderson said. "You want to be tough with him and guard him."

Coming off an emotional overtime win at Indiana on Friday, Gay was thankful for the big effort by Toronto's bench.

"Our bench really picked us up," Gay said. "In the first half, they relaxed and gave away the lead. In the second half, they really picked us up and played well and got us that win."

Robin Lopez scored 19 points, Greivis Vasquez had 17 and Anderson 15 for the Hornets, who lost for the first time in three games. Brian Roberts had 13 points for New Orleans, which has won more than two straight just once this season.

"We had a lot of breakdowns, especially on the defensive end," Lopez said. "We had a game plan and we didn't really execute it."

New Orleans didn't get much from Eric Gordon, who had as many turnovers (six) as points, or rookie Anthony Davis, who made just one of six field goal attempts.

"AD just didn't have it for whatever reason," Williams said. "Guys are coming after him and he's got to accept the challenge."

A three-point play by Roberts cut Toronto's lead to 73-71 early in the fourth, but Lucas answered with back-to-back jumpers and Alan Anderson made a pair of free throws to give the Raptors a 79-71 lead with 8:55 left.

Lopez converted a three-point play for New Orleans, but Valanciunas hit a jump shot and Lucas made a 3 from the corner, putting Toronto up 84-74.

Lucas made all five of his 3-point attempts.

"He was the spark they needed," Ryan Anderson said of Lucas. "He hit some big shots."

Johnson scored 12 points in the first and Gay had eight as the Raptors took advantage of six New Orleans turnovers to take a 32-21 lead after one quarter.

Roberts scored eight points as the Hornets closed the gap with their 10-0 run to begin the second. Lowry returned and scored six points for Toronto, helping the Raptors take a 50-47 lead at the half.

The Hornets committed six more turnovers in the third, but the Raptors couldn't turn them into points. Toronto led 69-66 heading into the fourth.

"We just settled for too many jump shots tonight," Williams said.

NOTES: Toronto C Andrea Bargnani did not dress because of flulike symptoms. ... Valanciunas started for the first time in five games since returning from an 18-game injury absence. ... Toronto F Landry Fields returned after missing the previous three games with back spasms. ... The Hornets had a four-game winning streak between Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, beating Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Minnesota. ... The Raptors are 13-13 at home. ... New Orleans wore its green, gold and purple Mardi Gras uniforms. ... Former Blue Jays outfielder Joe Carter attended the game.

Notebook: Raptors 102, Hornets 89

Josh Lewenberg, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:52 PM - Updated Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:00 PM

THE FACTS: After flirting with disaster for most of the first three quarters, the Toronto Raptors (19-32) cruised to a 102-89 victory over the New Orleans Hornets (17-34) at the Air Canada Centre Sunday night. Toronto outscored the visiting Hornets 33-23 during a deciding fourth quarter led by its second unit and the team's newest player.

Rudy Gay had a game-high 20 points, leading the Raptors in scoring for the fifth consecutive contest. Gay -- one of six Raptors to score in double figures -- poured in eight points during the final frame, assisted by reserve John Lucas III who added 10 of his 19 in the quarter. Kyle Lowry (14 points, 10 assists) and Jonas Valanciunas (11 points, 10 rebounds) each registered double-doubles while Amir Johnson scored 14 and Alan Anderson chipped in with 11 off the bench.

The Hornets fell behind early, allowing Toronto to shoot 67 percent in the opening quarter. Despite opening the second with a 12-0 run New Orleans was unable to slow down the Raptors, who outscored them 16-7 on the break. Robin Lopez had a team-best 19 points on the evening, Greivis Vasquez tallied 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists while reserves Ryan Anderson and Brian Roberts scored 15 and 13 respectively.

QUOTABLE: "I challenged the second unit at halftime. We struggled a little bit in the first half when the second unit gave up a 10 point lead, but [I] challenged them [to come] in being ready to play, perform, you can't play the starters 48 minutes and they came in and played [in] the second half."
-- Raptors coach Dwane Casey.

THE STAT: The Raptors held a 39-33 advantage on the boards, outrebounding their opponent for a season-best sixth straight game. Toronto grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, leading to 19 second chance points compared to just eight off of six offensive boards for New Orleans.

TURNING POINT: Although the Raptors maintained their lead for the duration of the second half, New Orleans hung around until Toronto's bench engineered a 12-4 run midway through the fourth quarter. Led by Lucas, the Raptors' reserves stretched Toronto's advantage to 13 and the Hornets were never able to recover.

QUOTABLE II: "It meant so much. The fact that we played through not just an overtime game but an emotional game a couple nights before, it was good for us to actually be able to cruise to it at the end of this game."
-- Raptors forward Gay.

HOT: Lucas played the entire fourth, scoring 10 of his season-high tying 19 points in the quarter. Toronto's backup point guard shot 7-for-11 from the field, including a perfect 5-of-5 from 3-point range

NOT: Coming off a season-best 27-point performance in the Hornets win over Atlanta on Friday, Eric Gordon scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting, turning the ball over six times.

NOTABLE: Andrea Bargnani was a late scratch for the Raptors, battling flu-like symptoms. Bargnani missed 26 straight games with a torn elbow tendon before returning and coming off the bench in Toronto's previous two contests. ... Valanciunas replaced Aaron Gray in the Raptors' starting lineup, making his first start since fracturing his finger on December 21st. ... Landry Fields (back spasms) returned from a three-game absence, scoring four points in 18 minutes off the bench. Gay has scored 20 or more points in each of his first five games with Toronto becoming the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat. ... Blue Jays legend and World Series winner Joe Carter was in attendance for the Raptors win.

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Monday @ Detroit, Wednesday vs. Portland. For the Raptors, Tuesday vs. Denver, Wednesday @ New York.

• Hornets: --
• Raptors: Haddadi, Kleiza

• Hornets: --
• Raptors: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #6 Tony Brown, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 17177
• Duration: 2:12