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 Those misses gave the Raptors a chance to tie the game with one
second left, and Toronto did when guard DeMar DeRozan made one of
two free throws.
However, Walker had one more shot. With center Al Jefferson setting
a screen and forward Josh McRoberts making the outlet pass, Walker
hit an 18-foot fade-away jumper to give the Hornets a 104-102
victory.
Walker finished with 29 points.
"I guess there was a little confusion on the defensive end, and I
just found myself pretty open," Walker said. "Josh made a great pass
to me, and I had a second, so I had a chance to turn around and set
my feet and got a good shot up."
DeRozan led Toronto (9-14) with 30 points. Toronto guard Kyle Lowry,
who added 17 points, tied the game at 95 with a 3-pointer with 12.9
seconds left in regulation.
The Bobcats (12-14) led by three points when shooting guard
Henderson missed two foul shots. They led by one when Walker missed
twice from the free-throw line.
"I wanted the basketball," Walker said of his thought process in the
closing moments. "I wanted to make that shot. I was happy to have
the opportunity."
Lowry said, "It was a great play. It worked out well, really well
for them. We have to make the home court more of an advantage for
us."
Bobcats coach Steve Clifford added, "It was a good screen by
Jefferson. A great pass by Josh. And then obviously Kemba, which is
his nature, drilled the big shot. We were down double digits.
"The guys that were in there really battled hard, so it's really a
good team win."
McRoberts scored 13, while Henderson and guard Ramon Sessions had 11
each, and forward Anthony Tolliver contributed 10 for the Bobcats.
Center Jonas Valanciunas and forward Amir Johnson scored 10 each for
Toronto, and Johnson added 13 rebounds before fouling out in
overtime. Guard/forward John Salmons scored 11 off the bench for the
Raptors, who had a two-game winning streak end. The Bobcats won
their second in a row.
"This one really hurt," DeRozan said. "We've got to get over it,
come in tomorrow, watch film and correct mistakes."
The Bobcats held a three-point lead after Walker made two free
throws with 27 seconds left in overtime. DeRozan scored on a layup
with 12 seconds left, and then — after Walker missed two free
throws — DeRozan hit one of two foul shots to tie the score at
102-102 with one second left, setting up Walker's buzzer-beater.
[to top of second column] |
"Charlotte's a good team, they're better than people give
them credit for," Raptors coach Dwane Casey. "Jefferson is
handful down low, and Kemba Walker is a handful out front. We
had to trap and double-team those guys, and that causes
problems. That wasn't our 'A' game that we brought tonight — in
spots."
The teams entered the fourth quarter tied, but a 3-pointer by
Lowry put the Raptors up by five. Henderson hit a pull-up jumper
to cut the lead to one, and the Bobcats took an 82-81 lead on a
layup by Sessions.
The Raptors regained the lead on a 3-pointer by Lowry. DeRozan
banked in a shot with 5:47 to play for an 86-82 Toronto lead.
Jefferson tied the game with turnaround jumper with 3:46 to
play. Charlotte took a one-point lead when Sessions made one of
two free throws. Jefferson made a jumper with 2:31 to play, and
the Bobcats led by three points.
DeRozan cut the lead to one with a jumper with two minutes to
play in regulation. After Henderson missed a shot, forward
Patrick Patterson made a tip shot and Toronto led 90-89.
With 31.5 seconds left, McRoberts made a hook shot for a 91-90
Charlotte lead. After the Raptors missed, Walker made two free
throws for a three-point lead that was cut to one by Johnson's
layup.
Henderson made two free throws with 15.5 seconds to play as
Charlotte regained a three-point lead. Lowry made a 3-pointer to
send the game to overtime.
"We knew what we had to do," Jefferson said. "We knew what we
weren't doing, and we knew what it was going to take to win it."
NOTES: F Chuck Hayes was in uniform for the first time as a
Raptor after completing baseline cardiac tests. He was one of
four players acquired last week in a trade that sent three
players, including F Rudy Gay, to the Sacramento Kings. ...
Charlotte F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (left hand fracture) missed
his seventh consecutive game. He will stay in a cast until Dec.
27, when he will be re-evaluated. ... After a slow start to the
season, Bobcats G Kemba Walker averaged 20.4 points in eight
games leading into Wednesday. He scored 24 in a 95-87 win over
Sacramento on Tuesday. ... The Raptors will play five of their
next six games on the road, starting Friday against the
Mavericks in Dallas. ... The Bobcats visit the Detroit Pistons
on Friday before playing the Utah Jazz on Saturday in the opener
of a three-game homestand.
[© 2013 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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