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PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- Vince Carter returned from a one-game absence and pumped in 28 points, helping the Toronto Raptors extend the Portland Trail Blazers' season-high losing streak to six games, 95-84. Carter, who missed the Raptors' 26-point loss to Seattle on Saturday because of a shoulder injury suffered against the Los Angeles Lakers one day earlier, was 11-of-22 from the field and stopped a fourth-quarter rally by Portland with a pair of clutch buckets. The Raptors led, 75-60, early in the period, but the Trail Blazers went on a 7-0 run that was capped by a reverse layup by Scottie Pippen with 8:56 to go. Carter then scored on a spinning layup and 3-pointer that gave Toronto an 80-67 lead with 7:54 left. Portland never got within single digits thereafter. "It was a complete team effort," Carter said. "We played together, made easy baskets and knocked down the open shots. Chris Childs pressed up top and pushed the ball up. It was a complete game. It's what we expect, but one game doesn't determine how we will be." "The guy wants to win and he wants to do everything he can to help," Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens said. "He wants to set a tone because he and Antonio (Davis) are team captains, and when the guys see, 'Hey, this guy's playing hurt, I'm going to be out there, too.'" Morris Peterson scored 16 points and Dell Curry added 14 for the Raptors, who had five players in double figures. Rasheed Wallace led Portland with 22 points and tied his season high with 13 rebounds but shot just 8-of-26. Pippen had 17 and seven assists in his second game since missing the previous 10 with a bruised right knee. "The problem we're having right now is that teams are scoring a lot of points on us," Pippen said. "Anytime you're struggling it tends to be more magnified than what (the problem) really is. We have to continue to play hard and have a little more pride. There's no reason to feel sorry for ourselves." With the game tied at 10, Toronto reeled off a 12-1 burst that ended emphatically on a dunk by Carter with 3:22 left. The Raptors took a 25-16 lead into the second quarter and extended their edge to 48-36 at the break behind Peterson's 14 first-half points. Toronto scored the first eight points of the third quarter to open its biggest lead, 56-36, on a 3-pointer by Curry with 10:12 left. After Portland cut the deficit to 12 points, Chris Childs hit a shot from the arc to give the Raptors a 73-58 edge heading into the fourth quarter. Portland outrebounded Toronto, 48-42, and had 40 points in the paint to the Raptors' 30, but was doomed by poor shooting. The Blazers converted just 38 percent (31-of-82), while the Raptors made 45 percent (33-of-73). "Honestly, I thought the effort was there," Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said. "But we're pressing a little right now. The losing streak is taking its toll. Our shots are falling a little short." The Blazers had not lost six straight since December 15-26, 1995. This is their worst 31-game start since they went 12-19 in the the 1980-81 season. "Right now we have to find out who we are, and we have to help ourselves to stay together and not get discouraged," Cheeks said." "Once you get on a slide, you find out how tough it is to win," Pippen said. "We've got to somehow force ourselves to get on the right track." |
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