NBA Game Summary - Toronto at Orlando

03.31.2005

Orlando, FL (Basketball News) - Grant Hill scored 21 points, hauled down eight rebounds and handed out five assists to lead Orlando over Toronto, 108-96, at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Steve Francis and Pat Garrity each netted 16 points for the Magic, who have won two in a row after a three-game slide to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Magic are now just one game behind Philadelphia for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after the Sixers lost in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Rafer Alston paced the Raptors with 17 points, while Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson each posted double-doubles in a losing effort. Bosh ended with 16 points and 11 boards, while Peterson finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Jalen Rose chipped in 11 points for the Raptors, who have lost two in a row and four of five.

"I’m disappointed in the turnovers," said Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell. I don’t know if it was the fatigue or just mentally not here. Probably a combination of the two."

The game was knotted up at 21-21 after one quarter of play, but Orlando would gain some breathing room in the opening stages of the second. A 14-7 spurt was capped by Stacey Augmon’s jumper, staking the Magic to a 35-28 lead with around eight minutes left in the first half.

Orlando would then carry a 55-45 cushion into the locker room. Hill led all players with 15 points for the Magic, while Bosh netted 12 to pace the Raptors at the break.

The Magic started to pull away in the third. Garrity’s three from the corner stretched the lead to 79-64 with 3:47 left in the third stanza. Orlando then held a comfortable 85-69 advantage into the fourth.

"I am lucky to get some extra time," said Garrity. "It is fun to come off the bench and provide energy."

Toronto, though, fought back and trimmed the deficit to 87-78 with just under 10 minutes left in the contest. However, that was as close as the Raptors would get the rest of the way. A quick 6-0 run ending with two free throws by Dwight Howard pushed the lead back to double-digits, 93-78, at the 7:45 mark of the contest.

"You can’t help but be pleased with the effort this evening," said Orlando head coach Chris Jent.

The Raptors never recovered from that point on en route to the 12-point loss.

Toronto has dropped five of its last seven trips to Orlando...The Magic are 23-8 when they allow under 100 points this season...The Raptors have lost eight of their last 12 road contests to fall to 8-29 in foreign buildings...The Magic have won eight of 11 at home against Toronto...Howard finished with 18 points and nine rebounds for the Magic.

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