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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Toronto faltered in the fourth quarter
against the Indiana Pacers, and produced their lowest scoring ouput
of the season. The Raptors can celebrate their first playoff berth
anyway.
Jalen Rose had 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and
Austin Croshere had five of his 15 in the period as the Pacers beat
the Raptors 77-73 Wednesday night.
|  | | Indiana's Jalen Rose, who scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, scores over Toronto's Charles Oakley, right, and Michael Stewart. |
But Toronto, which joined the NBA five years ago, was assured of
participating in the postseason for the first time because the
Orlando Magic lost at Boston on Wednesday.
Toronto (43-35) is sixth in the Eastern Conference standings,
four games ahead of eighth-place Orlando (39-39) and Milwaukee
(39-39) with four games left for each team.
But because the Magic and Bucks play each other -- Monday at
Orlando -- Toronto is assured of finishing no worse than eighth.
Toronto's 73 points were its lowest production this season and
also represented the fewest against Indiana.
The victory, combined with Miami's loss to Detroit, gave the
Pacers a two-game advantage over the Heat in their battle for
home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Indiana plays at Miami on Friday.
Vince Carter had 28 points for Toronto, which led 67-61 with
7:21 to play. Tracy McGrady added 19 for the Raptors, who will
clinch a spot in the playoffs with one victory or one Milwaukee or
Orlando loss.
"They made big shots at the end and we didn't. A couple of them
we missed, and the rest is history," said Carter, who missed two
shots in the final seconds. "We've got to go back to the drawing
board and prepare for New York (Friday) and get the win we need."
Rose, whose streak of 43 consecutive games in double figures was
snapped when he scored only nine in New York on Monday, ignited an
11-2 run with two consecutive baskets.
"I'm just trying to be aggressive and not tentative. ... The
guys got me the ball in position to make plays," said Rose, who
covered Carter most of the night. "Every time I play Vince Carter,
I'm the underdog, so I have nothing to lose. When I play somebody
like that I've got to bring my 'A' game."
Croshere's basket and a 3-pointer by Reggie Miller with 4:24
remaining put Indiana ahead to stay 70-69.
Two Rose free throws made it 72-69, and a dunk by Carter with
3:18 left made it 72-71. The Raptors, who never have won in nine
visits to Indianapolis, then missed their final seven shots from
the field.
Dale Davis, who contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds to the
victory, threw in a short jumper as the 24-second clock was running
down to make it 74-71 with 2:51 to play.
"I knew the shot clock was running down. I saw the opportunity
to take it. I got a fake and spin and I got it to go down," said
Davis, who was 6-of-8 from the field. "The main thing in this ball
game was our aggressiveness and improvement in the second half. We
did a better job of screening, blocking out and helping."
In the remaining time, Charles Oakley missed a jumper, Dee Brown
missed a 3-point attempt, Carter missed two shots and Oakley missed
a 3-point try. Antonio Davis, who had 11 points and 13 rebounds,
scored the Raptors' only points in the final minutes when he made
two free throws with 21.8 seconds to go.
Croshere hit two free throws with 17.5 left and then made one of
two attempts to close the scoring.
"We've been fighting ourselves for the past two-and-a-half
weeks," said Antonio Davis, who spent six seasons with the Pacers
before being traded to Toronto in August. "They played better than
we did tonight. We have nothing to put our heads down about."
The game had nine lead changes and nine ties. Indiana's biggest
edge was eight points in the first half; Toronto's biggest was
seven points.
There were four lead changes and eight ties in the first half,
which ended with the Raptors leading 43-40 after Carter scored
their final nine points in the half.
The Raptors trailed 19-16 after one quarter when they shot 26
percent from the field (6-of-23). Indiana shot 50 percent in the
period (8-of-16) with Rik Smits and Rose each scoring six points.
Game notes
Indiana has sold out all 40 of its games at Conseco
Fieldhouse. ... Doug Christie was not in uniform for the Raptors
due to a bruised right ankle. ... Muggsy Bogues made his fourth
straight start for Toronto. Bogues, who had the league's best
assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.92 going into the game, had two
assists without a turnover. ... Both teams had poor shooting
nights. Toronto shot 33 percent (27-of-81), Indiana 38 percent
(29-of-76). ... Oakley missed his final eight shots and was 1-of-10
from the field. ... Indiana helped itself by hitting 15 of 18 free
throws, while Toronto was 13-of-20 at the line.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Indiana Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 95
Orlando 91
Philadelphia 93
Washington 84
Charlotte 119
Atlanta 87
Milwaukee 101
Cleveland 100
Detroit 90
Miami 73
New York 91
New Jersey 89
Indiana 77
Toronto 73
Utah 102
LA Clippers 93
Phoenix 122
Vancouver 116
Seattle 110
Minnesota 83
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