TORONTO — Marvin Williams dropped a 26-foot three-pointer with 8.7 seconds left in the game as the Charlotte Hornets staged a fourth-quarter rally in a 110-106 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
The loss snapped the Raptors’ six-game win streak and Toronto missed an opportunity to gain ground on the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Celtics.
Former Raptor Marco Belinelli had 21 points off the Hornets’ (34-41) bench, despite getting seven stitches the night before after taking a shot to the face against the Milwaukee Bucks. Kemba Walker was also instrumental for Charlotte, draining 19 points, with three three-pointers. Williams finished with 18 points.
DeMar DeRozan’s 28-point performance led the Raptors (45-30). Jonas Valancunas had a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Point guard Cory Joseph added 18 while dishing out five assists and grabbing seven rebounds.
Jeremy Lamb made a reverse lay-up with 7:47 left in the game to tie the score 82-82 for Charlotte after Toronto had led 74-66 at the third intermission.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey called a timeout to settle his team down after the play. It worked, as DeRozan hit a floating bank shot and a free throw to re-establish a three-point lead. Toronto’s Norman Powell picked up a turnover on the next Hornets possession and got a roar from the Air Canda Centre fans with a breakaway dunk.
A Walker three-point shot with 3:44 remaining made it 96-95, but Joseph came right back with a pull-up jump shot that bounced around the rim and in. Williams tied it 98-98 with a three on the next possession.
After an officials’ timeout, DeRozan hit a jump shot but Walker nailed a three-pointer to make it 101-100 for Charlotte. Stifling defence from the Raptors forced a shot clock violation, giving Toronto the ball.
Powell drew a foul on the ensuing possession, and made 1-of-2 free throws to tie it up again but Walker made a rainbow 26-foot three-pointer of his own to take a 104-101 lead.
Chants of M-V-P rained down as DeRozan made two free throws, but Williams hit a three-pointer to give the Hornets a 107-103 lead. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made two free throws, followed by a Serge Ibaka three for the Raptors to make it 109-106.
Frank Kaminsky drained a free throw for the final score.
At the end of the first quarter, DeRozan made a buzzer-beating turnaround jump shot from 16 feet out to cut Charlotte’s lead to 22-19.
The Hornets pulled away in the second, leading by as much as 10 points. But DeRozan hit another shot at the buzzer, this time a pull-up jump shot from 19 feet out, to make it a 50-47 Charlotte advantage at halftime.
The Raptors returned from the locker-room with a fire lit under them after the intermission.
DeMarre Carroll made a three-pointer with 7:59 left in the third as Toronto took its first lead since the first quarter, 54-53. DeRozan followed that up with a steal and a driving lay-up on the next play to add to the lead.
It was Carroll’s first game back in the Raptors lineup after he missed two straight with a sore lower back. He was day-to-day after taking a bad fall on in Toronto’s 101-84 win in Miami on March 23.
A behind-the-back pass from DeRozan fed Valanciunas, who brought the 19,800 in attendance to their feet with a slam dunk. Belinelli replied for the Hornets with a three-pointer to make it 74-66 at the end of the third.
Notes: Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes of Pickering, Ont., was courtside for the game, as was tennis superstar Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont.
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