By The Associated Press

TORONTO – Vince Carter ignored the boos and scored 39 points in his first game in Toronto since being traded, and the New Jersey Nets kept their playoff hopes alive by coming back from a 14-point halftime deficit for a 101-90 victory over the Raptors on Friday night.

Fans booed Carter from the moment stepped on the court, heckled him during the U.S. national anthem and jeered every time he touched the ball.

Additional security guards were posted by the Nets bench to protect Carter, who was once beloved but now reviled because he demanded a trade and acknowledged he didn’t push himself as hard as he should have in Toronto.

The jeering was far more sustained and louder than ex-Raptors Tracy McGrady and Damon Stoudamire received when they returned.

“I never bailed on the city,” said Carter, who demanded out less than halfway into a six-year, $94 million contract.

Carter went 15-for-26 from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists, and his four free throws in the final 1:23 put the game away.

Jason Kidd added 15 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Nets, who began the day two games behind Cleveland and Philadelphia for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. New Jersey has three games left.

Jalen Rose had 20 points for the lottery-bound Raptors.

Fans also brought signs mocking Carter, and they chanted his name derisively. One even brought crutches, wore a Carter jersey and had his head heavily bandaged. Others wore baby bibs with the No. 15 written on the front.

76ers 90, Pacers 86

INDIANAPOLIS – If Allen Iverson was tired after playing 53 minutes against Miami, it didn’t show against the Indiana Pacers.

The NBA scoring leader finished with 43 points, seven assists and four rebounds Friday night to lead Philadelphia past Indiana 90-86, giving the 76ers sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Iverson was quick enough off the dribble to consistently draw fouls, and he finished the game by scoring 16 of Philadelphia’s 24 fourth-quarter points. It was his ninth 40-point game of the season, extending his own franchise record.

Philadelphia swept the Pacers in the four-game season series and moved a game ahead of Cleveland, which lost at Washington. The 76ers have now won six of seven.

Wizards 119, Cavs111

WASHINGTON – The one-two-three punch of Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes and Antawn Jamison was too much for the one-man show named LeBron James.

The result was a 119-111 victory for the Washington Wizards on Friday night that further imperiled the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff hopes.

Arenas made 12 of 16 shots, scored 33 points and had nine assists, Hughes scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and had five steals, and Jamison had 21 points as the Wizards shot 59 percent and won their third straight in their bid for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Washington is jostling with Indiana and Chicago for seeds four, five and six in the Eastern Conference.

Bulls 117, Magic 77

CHICAGO – Rookies Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni each scored 17 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 117-77 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

On Thursday, Chicago learned that leading scorer Eddy Curry will miss the rest of the season with an irregular heartbeat. He will also be missing the team’s first playoff appearance since 1998.

The Bulls are 7-3 without Curry since he felt dizzy and lightheaded right before tip-off for a game in Charlotte.

Curry, who made the jump from high school in suburban Chicago to the pros, started 60 games for the Bulls this season, averaging 16.1 points and shooting 54 percent in nearly 29 minutes per game.

Wolves 100, Jazz 84

SALT LAKE CITY – Kevin Garnett had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves temporarily stayed alive in the Western Conference playoff race with a 100-84 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

Minnesota began the night needing to win its final four games and have Memphis lose four straight for the Timberwolves to overtake the Grizzlies for the final playoff spot. Memphis played at Denver later Friday.

Wally Szczerbiak had 17 points and eight rebounds and Fred Hoiberg scored 14 in reserve roles for Minnesota. Hoiberg held the ball for the final seconds before the final horn sounded, and the Wolves dashed off to the locker room not knowing whether they had really staved off elimination for the second straight game.

Pistons 99, Bucks 73

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Tayshaun Prince scored 17 points, and Ben Wallace added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons routed the Milwaukee Bucks 99-73 Friday night for their ninth consecutive victory.

The Pistons, already locked into the Eastern Conference’s second seed, extended their longest winning streak of the season despite none of the starters playing more than 30 minutes.

Milwaukee, which has lost 13 straight on the road, lost leading scorer Michael Redd early in the third quarter to a sore left Achilles tendon. Redd, who scored eight points on 2-of-9 shooting, did not return.

Ronald Dupree added a career-high 20 points, including five dunks, for the Pistons, while fellow reserve Antonio McDyess had 13. Rookie Carlos Delfino had a career-high seven assists.

Desmond Mason led the Bucks with 15 and former Piston Joe Smith added 14.

Nuggets 111, Grizzlies 102

DENVER – Nene took over late and finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets to their 10th straight win, 111-102 Friday night over the Memphis Grizzlies, who must wait at least another day to clinch a playoff spot.

The victory helped the Nuggets (48-31) match the third-longest winning streak in franchise history and pushed them into a tie with the Rockets for sixth place in the West, with a game at Houston on Saturday night.

Memphis needed a win or a Minnesota loss to clinch the last playoff spot in the West, but the Grizzlies lost their third straight and the Timberwolves won at Utah to keep the eighth position in limbo.

Memphis plays at San Antonio on Saturday.

Kenyon Martin had 19 points and nine rebounds and Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 22 points. Andre Miller finished with 15 points and eight assists.