RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
TORONTO (AP) -- The Portland Trail Blazers went from embarrassment to victory.
|  | | Arvydas Sabonis rejects Vince Carter, one of his two blocks to go along with eight points. |
Rasheed Wallace scored 25 points, including three key baskets in the closing minutes, as the Trail Blazers beat Toronto 86-80 Thursday night and snapped the Raptors' four-game winning streak.
The Blazers, coming off a 99-97 loss to the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, got back on track against Toronto.
"We had a letdown (in Atlanta) but that's life," Dale Davis said. "We felt like we should have been a better team and we were a lot more focused (Thursday)."
Wallace echoed Davis.
"We were able to sink the basketball and their double-team came a little late," Wallace said. "They have a good ball club and they weren't just going to go away."
Vince Carter, who scored a season-high 37 points, led a fourth-quarter rally as the Raptors tied the game at 79 with 2:49
remaining.
But Wallace answered with a turnaround jumper, and then a pair
of long outside shots within in a 1:30 span and gave Portland an
85-80 lead with 41.2 seconds to go.
Rookie Morris Peterson missed a field goal attempt on the
Raptors' next possession, ending Toronto's comeback attempt.
"We didn't get it done and now we have to bounce back," said
Carter, who along with Corliss Williamson (11 points) were the only
Raptors to score in double-digits. "It doesn't matter if I get 60
points if we're not winning. I missed some shots, Antonio (Davis),
everyone. They're a bigger team and were able to shut us down."
Antonio Davis grabbed 12 rebounds for the Raptors, but was
0-for-11 from the floor and finished with a point as Toronto shot
35 percent from the field. Mark Jackson was 0-for-4 and Charles
Oakley 2-for-8.
"I was really pleased with our defense tonight," Portland
coach Mike Dunleavy said. "Toronto's been scoring a lot of points.
We couldn't slow Vince Carter down, but he had to work hard for his points."
Portland's Steve Smith scored 15 points and Davis added 14 rebounds. Damon Stoudamire finished with 14 points and six assists against his former team.
The Raptors rallied in the second half and kept it close on a
pair of 3-pointers by Carter. Bonzi Wells gave the Blazers a 68-61
lead early in the fourth on a pair of outside jumpers.
Stoudamire found Smith open at the top of the arc for a
3-pointer to make it 75-69 with 5:33 left. Thirty seconds later,
Smith converted a missed shot by Wallace as Portland opened an
eight-point lead.
Toronto matched up well against the Trail Blazers early, but Shawn Kemp and Wallace used their height advantage to begin an 8-0
run as Portland built a 44-35 lead at the half.
The Blazers continue their seven-games-in-10-days road trip this
weekend with stops in Miami and Orlando.
"We caught them on a night when no one could score. We needed
to get back on track for this road trip," said Stoudamire, who was
booed by the fans in his second game in Toronto since being traded
in February of 1998. "(The booing) makes you play better, I think.
We tried not to let the crowd get into the game. They're a team
that feeds off the crowd."
Kemp, who grabbed seven rebounds in eight minutes, bruised his
right knee midway through the game and did not return.
Game notes
Stoudamire and Alvin Williams are the only players remaining
from the six-player swap three years ago. ... Carter's previous
season-high was 34 points. ... Toronto shot only 29 percent from
the floor in the first half. ... Dale Davis grabbed seven rebounds in the first quarter. ... Toronto (26.6 assists) and Portland (25.6) lead the league in assists. ... Portland had the second-best
road record last season (29-12). ... Toronto is one of two teams
averaging 100 points (100.7). Sacramento is the other (100.4). ...
Oakley set an NBA record on Saturday in Chicago for the longest
stretch between triple-doubles (13 years), breaking Gail Goodrich's
eight-year streak.
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NBA Scoreboard
Portland Clubhouse
Toronto Clubhouse
RECAPS
Portland 86
Toronto 80
San Antonio 99
Washington 95
LA Lakers 112
Sacramento 110
Houston 84
Charlotte 80
Denver 89
Chicago 85
Utah 99
Orlando 84
LA Clippers 76
Vancouver 72
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