Carter, Redick bedevil Raptors
Last Updated: Sunday, November 22, 2009 | 6:32 PM ET
By Chris Iorfida, CBC Sports
The Toronto Raptors might want to make a trade for J.J. Redick, just so they don't have to face him again.
Redick scored 19 points as Orlando rode a big fourth quarter to a 104-96 victory on Sunday afternoon. The Magic are responsible for both of Toronto's home defeats so far this season.
Redick poured in 27 in a win over the Raptors on Nov. 1, but the shooting guard had been mediocre since then, averaging just seven points in 10 games. He led all shooters on Sunday with a quartet of three-pointers.
Vince Carter, once a longtime Raptor, didn't play in that first game due to injury, but he again relished playing as a visitor in Air Canada Centre on Sunday, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds, including 18 points in the second half.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Carter played inspired basketball in the second half.
"I thought [Carter] played real good late," Van Gundy said. "He was driving the ball to the basket, he was trying to get to the free-throw line."
It was the second straight solid game for Carter, who scored 26 points in the Magic's 83-78 win over Orlando on Friday.
"Both games on the road, we put the ball in his hands late and I think he's making pretty solid plays," Van Gundy said. "He will be the guy that will probably have the ball in those situations, not necessarily to take the shot all the time but to make the plays."
Carter's efforts helped make up for the second straight game where big Dwight Howard didn't have his offensive game fully clicking. Howard was just 4-for-13 shooting, although he pulled down 12 rebounds and made nine free throws for 17 points.
The Raptors kept things close until the fourth quarter, when the Magic opened with a 14-4 run to take a 10-point lead. Toronto trimmed the deficit to six, but couldn't get any closer.
"I thought they did a pretty good job throughout the whole game," Raptors head coach Jay Triano said. "Their defence is one of the best. That is why they are 11-3."
Lead short-lived
Toronto (6-8) briefly led by 11 points in the second, but for the better part of three quarters the two teams exchanged leads of less than five points.
Chris Bosh paced the Raptors with 22 points and five rebounds. Jose Calderon had 16 points and four assists.
Andrea Bargnani looked to be a force early after scoring seven points and five rebounds in the first quarter to give Toronto a 28-22 lead. Bargnani was held in check after that, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds.
The Raptors were working with a short bench due to the absences of swingman Antoine Wright and guard Marco Belinelli, but they weren't dominated in that regard despite the play of Redick.
Amir Johnson came off the bench with 13 points, while Jarrett Jack had nine.
The Magic ran the floor better than the home team, putting up 115 attempts to 93 for Toronto.
Former Orlando linchpin Hedo Turkoglu gave Toronto its biggest lead with a three-pointer and a layup shortly after for a 35-24 lead.
Redick hit a pair of treys to help the Magic creep back, with Rashard Lewis tying it at 37 apiece with a bucket.
Howard put Orlando back on top with a strong move inside for a 43-42 score.
Ryan Anderson made a three with one tick left to put the Magic up 50-49 at the break.
Carter silences crowd
Seconds after Bosh got a rise out of the crowd with a deft jumper midway through the third, Carter quelled it with a running stuff to give Orlando a 63-60 lead.
The Magic would extend the lead to eight points, but it was back down to three when Johnson converted an alley-oop from Calderon.
Johnson and Sonny Weems were effective late in the third to spell Toronto's starters.
Weems hit a jumper to cut the Magic lead to 74-73 and on the next possession Johnson took it hard to the rim, making the shot and converting on the Orlando foul that resulted.
Carter made a fadeaway jumper at the end of the quarter for a 76-76 tie.
The game was lost for the Raptors early in the fourth. Orlando scored 19 of the first 26 points in the quarter to seize control.
Redick had seven of his points during the run, while sub Jason Williams came off the bench for a key three as the lead climbed to 95-82.
Jack, who hit 12 of 17 points Friday in the fourth quarter, nailed a three to help the Raptors cut the lead down to six with 2:32 left.
Jack could have made it a four-point deficit with just over one minute left, but his three-point attempt rimmed out.
The Magic extended their winning streak to five games, the last four coinciding with the return of Lewis to the lineup after serving a 10-game suspension for elevated testosterone levels. Lewis had 11 points and came up with a key offensive rebound late in the fourth.
Toronto finishes its three-game homestand against Indiana on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, playing in Charlotte the following night.
