Raptors clobber Heat as Bosh returns
Last Updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 | 12:42 AM ET
CBC Sports
All-star centre Chris Bosh returned to the lineup Wednesday night, and the Toronto Raptors returned to the win column with a record-setting performance.
Bosh posted eight points and eight rebounds as the Raptors clobbered the Miami Heat 96-54 at the Air Canada Centre, halting a five-game losing skid.
Raptors centre Chris Bosh, right, pressures Mark Blount in Wednesday's 96-54 triumph.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Toronto trailed just once, and led by as much as 43 points in the fourth quarter.
"We ran into a very good team that had lost five in a row," Heat head coach Pat Riley said. "They got Chris back, and it was absolutely complete right from the get-go."
Bosh missed the previous 10 games with knee problems and, not surprisingly, looked rusty at times, shooting only 2-of-10 from the field.
But buoyed by Bosh's return, the Raptors, who went 2-8 without him, set franchise records for fewest points allowed in a half (26), fewest points allowed in a game (54), and margin of victory (42).
"I just wanted to play defence," Bosh said. "I was not worried about offence tonight.
"Once I get in shape, it will come a little easier."
It marked a complete turnaround for Toronto, who had yielded an average of 114.6 points per game on its recent 0-5 West Coast swing.
"You don't get anywhere in this world by having sympathy, especially not in the NBA," Bosh said.
The Heat's scoring output was five points shy of the NBA record for fewest points (49 points by the Chicago Bulls in 1998-99) since the shot clock was introduced in 1954-55.
"I feel real bad for them that they could not make a few shots and just get out of the record books," Riley said. "But that's the way it goes."
Masked man
Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors (35-33) offensively with 14 points, despite wearing an acrylic mask to protect a root canal.
Anthony Parker matched him with 14 points, and Rasho Nesterovic provided 12 points coming off the bench.
Jose Calderon contributed 10 points and a game-high 10 assists, while rookie Jamario Moon had a career-best 14 rebounds to go with nine points.
"Like the good team they are, they had no mercy," Riley said. "They just put us away."
Quinn scored 14 points to lead the Heat (12-55), losers in nine of their last 10 games.
"It was very tough," he said. "It was pretty embarrassing to come out and lose like that."
Ricky Davis had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Mark Blount finished with 11 points as Miami shot a woeful 26.6 per cent (20-78).
"The worse it got, the more heart we lost," Riley said. "Every time a shot rimmed out, we got more and more frustrated.
"We have had four or five games like this this year. And when it goes, it just absolutely goes."
With files from the Canadian Press
