Moments after any sliver of hope for a post-season appearance officially disappeared, the Toronto Raptors took the news in stride _ perhaps because despite their late-season surge, the stage had been set for their early dismissal well before Sunday.
A day after the Raptors knocked the Knicks out of playoff contention, New York returned the favour, beating Toronto 112-103 to end Toronto's six-game winning streak and eliminate the Raptors from a spot in the post-season.
``What's done is done, can't dwell on the past,'' Bosh said on a season that went wrong weeks ago. ``All we can do is look to what we're doing now as opposed to what we were doing earlier in the season. What we're doing now is working, it's just too little too late.
``Would I like to be there? Of course, it's the best basketball in the world. But we're going to have to watch, I'll just have to be a student of the game, see how I can get better by watching other teams.''
Bosh poured in 31 points to go with 14 rebounds to top Toronto (30-46). Andrea Bargnani finished with 18 points, Anthony Parker had 15, Shawn Marion finished with 13 and Jose Calderon added 12.
The game was the second of back-to-back matchups between the two teams, the Raptors having topped New York 102-95 Saturday to bounce the Knicks from playoff contention.
``They were just as long a shot as we were,'' said Knicks guard Chris Duhon. ``They needed a miracle, we needed a miracle, and we just ended those miracles for each other.''
``It's different, I didn't realize that,'' Bosh said on the double-elimination. ``But hey, it's the NBA, that's why I love this game.''
Many of the Raptors players hadn't realized they'd been eliminated. Nor did coach Jay Triano.
``I appreciate you letting me know,'' he said after the game. ``I didn't realize today this was it. Our goal is to try and win every game and it is still going to be our goal moving forward, it is not going to change.''
Wilson Chandler scored 17 points to top the Knicks (30-47), who snapped a five-game losing skid on the road, and won for their first time in their last 10 visits to Toronto. David Lee and Quentin Richardson had 16 points apiece, Jared Jeffries added 14, while Nate Robinson finished with 13.
The Raptors entered the game tied with Denver for the longest winning streak in the league, but faced nearly insurmountable odds of making the post-season.
They struggled Sunday, especially on the defensive end where they were ineffective against the Knicks' long-range shooting _ New York shot 13-for-25 from three-point range, and 7-for-10 in the first half alone.
The Knicks broke the game open in the second quarter, and then took a 16-point lead into the final 12 minutes.
``We had been playing pretty good the last six games but a little bit flat tonight, we were fighting for the whole game and we didn't make shots,'' Calderon said. ``When we got closer they hit a three.''
Toronto pulled within seven points several times in the fourth, but the Knicks responded each time. When Marion connected on a jumper with just over three minutes left to cut the deficit to seven, Al Harrington calmly drained a three.
Harrington would score two more baskets in the final minute to seal the victory for the Knicks, and dozens of fans were already departing the Air Canada Centre when the final buzzer sounded.
``It was very frustrating,'' Marion said. ``All the things we were doing to get the winning streak going were totally opposite tonight _ we weren't making the extra pass, getting off the ball early, looking for everybody.''
The Raptors have six games to go on a season gone wrong, then will begin the process of improving for next year.
The Knicks outshot the Raptors, shooting 51 per cent from the field to Toronto's 44. The Raptors shot just 4-for-13 from beyond the arc.
Bosh led the way with 15 points in the first quarter, but the Raptors never led by more than four points in a back-and-forth opening frame. Toronto led just 34-33 heading into the second.
The Knicks pulled away with a 19-6 run early in the second capped by a Robinson three-pointer that gave New York a 52-42 lead. The Knicks took a 65-54 lead into the dressing room at halftime.
Richardson scored 10 points in the third, his three-pointer with just over a minute left in the frame giving the Knicks a 16-point lead. New York was up 92-76 with one quarter left.
NOTES: The Raptors' win streak was their longest since they won nine in a row between March 27 and April 9 of the 2001-02 season. . . Toronto hosts Atlanta on Tuesday, then is in Indiana on Wednesday to face the Pacers. . . Blue Jays Vernon Wells and John McDonald were in attendance.
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me too, i was in the nosebleed seats
Jairaeflip 2 years ago
yo stuve alli. viva ESPAÑA
Supernardi21 2 years ago
i was there !!
bobjoesany 2 years ago
hehe yea
i mean it was so bad the raptors are spelt raptros in this vid lol
tonylui28 2 years ago
draft a sg.
sign some people to replace the horrible bench players
raptorsfan1000 2 years ago
next year then
davenrai 2 years ago
theres always next year
triol29 2 years ago
it was just a matter of time...
BlackJays 2 years ago
eliminated from the playoffs officially
tonylui28 2 years ago