Toronto Raptros defeat New Jersey Nets
Toronto 106, New Jersey 69
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 2 (AP) -- Payback was sweet for the Toronto Raptors.
Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points Friday night to lead Toronto to a 106-69 victory over New Jersey in the first meeting between the teams since the Nets ousted the Raptors in the opening round of last season's playoffs.
"It added a lot to it,'' said Chris Bosh who had 15 points. "We did lose in this building in the playoffs. It was a significant factor.''
Juan Dixon scored 14 for Toronto. Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker all had 10 as the Raptors set a team record for margin of victory in a road game. Their previous best was 33 at San Antonio on Feb. 19, 1997.
"We played well,'' Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "I didn't realize what the score was because we were on our guys about playing defense. It was a good win, but is only game 2 with 80 more to go.''
Richard Jefferson was the one bright spot for Nets with 27 points.
"We didn't play very well,'' Jefferson said. "To their credit, they shot the ball extremely well.''
Nets stars Vince Carter and Jason Kidd had dismal nights. Carter scored only seven points against his former team, while Kidd had two.
"We took one straight in the mouth,'' Carter said.
Toronto broke open the game with a 17-2 run to start the second quarter and grab a 38-23 lead. Calderon sparked the run with six points.
The Nets, other than Jefferson, were ice cold. He had 13 points in the period on 3-for-4 shooting from the field, including a 3-pointer. He also made all six free throws, giving him 22 points for the half. The rest of the Nets shot 3-for-11 from the field in the second quarter.
The Nets narrowed the gap late in the quarter, but Bosh closed the half by intercepting a pass and beating the buzzer with a shot from beyond the center stripe to give the Raptors a 56-41 lead at the half.
"It's line of vision,'' Bosh said. "I lined up with the goal and I thought I had a good shot. I'm just happy it went in and I think it kind of sparked us.''
It deflated the Nets, as Toronto crushed New Jersey to start the third. After Nenad Krstic scored the first basket of the half for the Nets, the Raptors poured in the next 18 points for an insurmountable 74-43 lead. Parker and Bargnani had 3-pointers in the run. The Raptors closed out the period with an 80-53 advantage.
Notes: Carter scored his 15,000th point with 1:57 remaining in the first period. He became the third-fastest active player to reach that level, doing it in his 623rd game. Shaquille O'Neal got there in 547 games. Allen Iverson needed 557. ... The Raptors ended a six-game losing streak in New Jersey, including three in last season's playoffs. ... Malik Allen was called for a flagrant foul on Calderon in the fourth quarter. ... Jefferson hasn't missed a free throw yet. He has made all 21 to start the season.
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