Chris Bosh rang a shot off the rim as time expired, permitting the Orlando Magic to escape with a 104-103 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final on Tuesday night.

"I got a decent look and just missed the shot," Bosh said.

Carlos Delfino drives to the basket in Tuesday's 104-103 Raptors setback.
(John Raoux/Associated Press)

Dwight Howard poured in 29 points and pulled down 20 rebounds to pace the Magic, who won the opener 114-100 and lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Game 3 goes Thursday at Toronto (7:30 p.m. ET).

"A series doesn't start until somebody loses a home game," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We have just held court here, that's it.

"And we're going up there, so there's no cushion whatsoever. Until you break through, nothing has really happened."

It was Howard's second straight 20-20 performance in the playoffs, making him the first player in 39 years to accomplish the feat.

"It was tough to come back and try to play the same way I played the first game, said Howard, who posted 25 points and 22 rebounds in Game 1.

"One of the things Stan has put in my head, and [assistant coach Patrick Ewing], is just trying to play as dominant as I could on both ends of the floor. The only thing on my mind, when I go to sleep, when I wake up, at the gym with the guys, is to dominate."

Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson scored 18 points apiece and Hedo Turkoglu had 12 points, including Orlando's final four points on a driving layup and two free throws. 

Bosh led the Raptors with 29 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Jason Kapono with 20 points.

Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino provided 18 and 16 points, respectively.

"We definitely need to have a better start," Bosh said.

Orlando outscored Toronto 43-23 in the first quarter of the series opener, tying a playoff record with nine three-point baskets.

And it was much the same start for the Raptors in Game 2, falling behind 35-18 with Andrea Bargnani committing three fouls in the first 7½ minutes.

"For whatever reason, we're falling behind," Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell said. "We just cannot do that.

"It is a different basketball game if the score is tied or if we're down two or three [points] at the end of the first quarter."

But led by Bosh, with significant contributions from Delfino and Kapono, Toronto staged a remarkable comeback in the second quarter.

Kapono knocked down a three-pointer to cap a 9-2 run that shaved it to 37-27, and later popped in a short jumper to bring the Raptors within nine points with six minutes left in the quarter. 

Bosh was fouled on a running jumper, a three-point play to make it 46-39, and Delfino followed with a layup that trimmed the deficit to five points with five minutes to go.

The Raptors crept to within two points on Bosh's trey, and tied it 55-55 on Delfino's left-handed layup with 62 seconds remaining to intermission.

Orlando took a 59-57 lead into the break, but Toronto's 39 points were a franchise record in the playoffs. 

"I think we were too cross-matched," Bosh said in explaining the turnaround. "There are too many mismatches early in the game."

Bargnani began the second half with back-to-back jumpshots that put the Raptors ahead 61-59 - their first lead of the series - and Moon landed a trey to make it 64-59. 

But the Magic replied with an 18-4 run, highlighted by a missed Bosh dunk at one end and a two-handed slam from Howard at the other, to push ahead 77-68 with 4:38 left in the third quarter.

Calderon closed out the quarter with a trey that brought the Raptors to within five points at 83-78.

Seven straight points

With Bosh and Howard resting on the bench, Kapono and Lewis traded baskets until Toronto struck for seven straight points on Calderon's jumper and Bargnani's jumper and three-pointer that chopped Orlando's lead to 89-87 with 7:05 left.

After Keith Bogens hit back-to-back treys to put the Magic up 98-91 with less than four minutes to go, Delfino and Calderon replied with three-pointers and a blocked shot by Bosh put the Raptors in position to retake the lead. 

Toronto coughed up the ball and Lewis scored on a putback to make it 100-97, but Calderon countered with a game-tying three-pointer and 1:46 on the clock.

After Delfino hit one of two free throws, Turkoglu scored on a slick drive to the basket, with Anthony Parker draped all over him, putting the Magic in front 102-101 with 30.3 seconds left.

Bosh tried to drive the lane and was rejected by Howard, setting up a pair of free throws from Turkoglu that made it 104-101 with 18.7 seconds to go.

Delfino struck back on a driving layup to make it 104-103, and the Raptors regained possession when Keyon Dooling smacked Calderon in the nose with an errant elbow with 9.3 seconds remaining.

That set up Bosh's final jumper, which hit the front of the rim and bounced out.

"I knew I was going to have space," he said. "The time before I drove the basket and I didn't get a call.

"I didn't want to put it in the referee's hands. I wanted to get a clean look."

With files from the Canadian Press