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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
TORONTO (AP) -- A distracted Vince Carter played so poorly he
wanted to take himself out of the game.
Eddie Jones scored 25 points and Charlotte held Carter to 18
Friday night as the Hornets handed the Toronto Raptors their third
straight loss, 102-84.
"It's tough to stay focused when everybody is putting so much
emphasis on the wrong things," Carter said.
|  | | Hornets rookie Baron Davis rejects Toronto's Vince Carter from behind. |
Carter, who accepted an invitation to replace injured Tom Gugliotta on the U.S. Olympic team for the Sydney Games on Friday,
was 4-for-16 from the field. He saw his streak of 23 straight games
with 20 or more points end.
"There is a lot going around here. Outside things are
distracting," Carter said. "When it goes like this I just want to
beat myself in the face sometimes. There were a couple of times I
wanted to take myself out because I was felt I was hurting the
team."
Anthony Mason, who frequently posted up Carter, had 20 points
and nine rebounds, and Derrick Coleman added 19 points and 12
rebounds. Elden Campbell had 14 points and nine rebounds, and David
Wesley scored 12.
"Not only was Vince off, but he was taking some really tough
shots," Wesley said. "They were just out of sync."
Charlotte moved within two games of the Raptors for second place
in the Central Division.
"Mason was posting deep and going to work," Charlotte coach
Paul Silas said. "And Vince was just missing shots."
Muggsy Bogues brought Toronto within five with a jumper late in
the third quarter, but Coleman sparked a 21-4 run with a 3-pointer
off the glass. The decisive run included a three-point play and
jumper by Mason, a 3-pointer and a jump shot by Jones, and three
jumpers by Eddie Robinson.
Robinson's last jump shot made it 88-66 with 9:15 remaining.
"It was a tough time to run into Mason and Coleman. They're
playing so well, and Vince is not shooting well," Toronto coach
Butch Carter said.
Carter started 0-for-8 from the field before making three
consecutive 3-pointers in the final 3:19 of the first half as the
Raptors cut Charlotte's 13-point lead to five.
Game notes
Carter is dunkless in his last three games. ... The Hornets
have won two straight ... The last time Carter was held below 20
points was Feb. 3 at San Antonio. ... The Hornets outrebounded
Toronto 48-38. ... Charlotte shot 49 percent from the field, while
Toronto shot 36 percent. ... The Hornets outscored Toronto 38-18 in the paint.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
Toronto Clubhouse
Carter accepts invite to play on U.S. Olympic team
RECAPS
Philadelphia 117
Boston 115
Charlotte 102
Toronto 84
Minnesota 116
New Jersey 115
New York 95
Atlanta 83
Orlando 112
Houston 96
Miami 99
Milwaukee 87
Chicago 70
Denver 68
Utah 98
Seattle 95
Portland 96
Golden State 83
LA Lakers 109
Phoenix 101
Sacramento 113
Detroit 103
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