RJ Barrett made the go-ahead layup with 18 seconds to play Monday night as part of a 16-point night and the Toronto Raptors held off the visiting Charlotte Hornets 110-108.
Brandon Ingram scored 27 points for the Raptors, who have won four straight and eight of nine. Immanuel Quickley added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Scottie Barnes scored 16 points and blocked a shot as time expired. Jakob Poeltl had 13 points and nine rebounds and Gradey Dick added 10 points.
Kon Knueppel scored 24 points for the Hornets, who have lost three straight. Miles Bridges added 22 points. LaMelo Ball, whose nose was bloodied by an elbow early in the third quarter, scored 20. Collin Sexton added 17 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner had seven points and 10 rebounds.
The Raptors led by as many as 12 points in the first half, but the margin had dwindled to two after three quarters.
Charlotte tied the game at 85 in the first minute of the fourth quarter before Toronto reeled off seven consecutive points.
After Ingram made a spectator dunk, Bridges came back to hit a floater that cut lead to four with 6:30 to play.
Charlotte pulled to within one on Sexton’s 3-pointer with 3:12 left. Then Moussa Diabate’s block and dunk gave Charlotte a 105-104 lead with 2:13 to go.
Barnes tied the game at 108 with a dunk with 0:58 left and Barrett got the winning basket.
Toronto led 28-24 after the first quarter.
The Hornets tied the score at 28 to open the second quarter before they made a couple of turnovers that helped the Raptors take off on a 10-0 run.
Bridges’ first block of the game and the 300th of his career set up Sexton’s corner 3-pointer to trim the margin to five with 5:10 to play in the second quarter. Toronto’s lead reached 12 before Charlotte finished the first half with a 7-0 burst to cut the lead to 57-52.
Knueppel scored the first five points of the third quarter to tie the game. Charlotte led 66-64 on Bridges’ 3-pointer before Toronto answered with a 12-2 surge. Toronto led 85-83 after three quarters.
–Field Level Media
