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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
ATLANTA (AP) -- The last time Toronto visited the Atlanta Hawks,
Vince Carter was too injured to play and the Raptors lost by five
points.
Everything was back to normal Wednesday night.
Carter scored 32 points and Antonio Davis added 18 points and 15
rebounds as Toronto beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-88.
"It's getting better as a team," said Carter, who hasn't
missed a game since the Raptors lost 102-97 in Atlanta on Jan. 31.
"We're getting to understand what it takes. We're just playing,
trying to get as many wins as possible. We're comfortable."
The Raptors, who never trailed, won their third in a row as
Carter topped 30 points for the fifth time in six games.
One night after his 32 points led Toronto past Cleveland, Carter
hit a 12-foot turnaround jumper at the end of the third quarter to
keep the Hawks down 75-70.
Atlanta, which lost its fifth in a row, got a pair of free
throws from Brevin Knight to close to one point before Carter's
lay-in made it 85-82 with 4:59 remaining.
"That was the most important thing," said Carter, the NBA's
fourth-leading scorer. "We executed when it counted."
Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens, who spent the previous six seasons
in Atlanta, was pleased to finally beat his former team after two
unsuccessful tries.
"They showed a lot of character," Wilkens said. "We wanted to
get the win. We wanted to put something together. I think as we get
the other guys more acclimated to what we're doing, there won't be
as many miscues."
The Hawks, who lost for the 12th time in 14 games, trimmed the
lead to 90-88 on Jason Terry's 20-foot jumper from the top of the
key with 2:01 remaining.
They missed their next four shots, failing to grab an offensive
rebound on each possession.
"From top to bottom, including myself, we need to get a little
nastier," Terry said. "You've got to be upset when you lose a
game. Collectively, we have to come out and play our man head-up."
Terry led Atlanta with 22 points, and Knight finished with 20.
Toni Kukoc, making his debut with the Hawks, had 12 points in a
reserve role. His former Philadelphia teammate, Nazr Mohammed,
contributed 10 points and had a team-high 11 rebounds.
"Toni is going to help us every night," Terry said. "He's a
great asset for the team. It's going to help us defensively."
Kukoc was hardly impressed with his own effort.
"It was all right," he said. "I think we had a chance to win
the game, but we ran out of energy."
Game notes
Charles Oakley, in his third season with Toronto, became
the leading rebounder in franchise's six-year history by grabbing
11 boards. The 15-year veteran now has 1,449 with the Raptors. ...
Toronto outrebounded the Hawks 54-39 and outscored them 22-8 on
second-chance points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 99
Milwaukee 86
Toronto 95
Atlanta 88
Charlotte 91
New Jersey 88
Minnesota 111
Detroit 100
Philadelphia 79
Miami 69
Houston 95
Chicago 78
Orlando 97
Phoenix 91
Utah 101
Vancouver 83
Denver 107
LA Lakers 101
Sacramento 122
Golden State 101
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