TORONTO – Mike James made a go-ahead jumper with 8.2 seconds left, and the Toronto Raptors ended a three-game losing streak with a 93-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Morris Peterson scored 25 points, Chris Bosh had 24 and James added 21 for the Raptors, who had lost nine of their previous 10.
After Bosh stole the ball from Peja Stojakovic with 32 seconds left, James made a high-arching 21-foot jumper over center Jeff Foster just before the shot clock expired.
Rookie Charlie Villanueva followed with a block on Anthony Johnson before James made two free throws to seal the victory.
Stephen Jackson had 26 points and Foster tied a career high with 19 – all in the first half. Foster, a career backup, dominated in the first half, going 8-for-8 from the field and grabbing 12 of his 16 rebounds.
He went 0-for-2 from the field in the second half.
Toronto trailed by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but Bosh faked a jumper and blew by Foster before throwing down a dunk late in the third, cutting Indiana’s lead to two.
Rookie Joey Graham, who had eight points and six rebounds in 26 productive minutes, tied it just before the end of the third with an offensive rebound and layup.
Bosh the gave Toronto its first lead since the first quarter with a dunk and a conversion of a three-point play with 6:40 left.
Toronto outscored Indiana 20-14 in the fourth quarter.
Peterson’s 3-pointer late in the first quarter set an NBA record for most consecutive games with at least one 3-point field goal. The previous record of 594 was set by the Miami Heat.
Notes: Toronto forward Eric Williams would have started at center, but a sore back sidelined him. … Foster tied his career high in points previously set Nov. 13, 2003, against Seattle.
AP-ES-03-12-06 2042EST
Comments are no longer available on this story