Bosh's Big Night Not Enough Against Warriors At ACC

April 4, 2010 TORONTO (CP) -- One of the most entertaining Toronto Raptors games this season came down to a last-second shot from Chris Bosh.

And like too many of the Raptors' previous attempts, it didn't go in.

Bosh missed the potential game-winning shot at the buzzer as Toronto dropped a 113-112 heartbreaker to the Golden State Warriors, making its quest for an Eastern Conference playoff berth that much tougher.

The Raptors rallied from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to make it a 113-112 game with 2.7 seconds left, but missed a glorious chance to escape with the win. After Bosh hit a pair of free throws, Sonny Weems stole the Golden State inbounds pass and made a blind pass to Bosh, who hoisted up a shot from in-close.

It clanged off the rim as the horn sounded, sending a groan through the Air Canada Centre crowd of 17,509.

``Sonny made a spectacular play,'' said Bosh, who erupted for 42 points, 12 rebounds and five steals in the loss. ``Everything else just happened so fast, I really didn't have time to react. I just wanted to get a shot up, and I guess I missed it.

``I didn't really get a good look at how it came off.''

The Raptors (38-38) saw their lead over the idle Chicago Bulls shrink to one game in the race for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East. Both teams have six games remaining, with Toronto's next three coming against a trio of conference powerhouses -- the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Toronto and Chicago will do battle next weekend at the ACC.

Raptors head coach Jay Triano thought his team had good looks Sunday against the worst defence in the NBA, but couldn't capitalize. Toronto shot just 39.1 per cent from the field, including 3-of-12 from three-point range.

``(We) couldn't make shots,'' said Triano. ``We have been shooting the ball very well, I think we've been over 50 per cent, and when we shoot 40 ... that's not us.

``We just had a bunch of guys that didn't make shots tonight, and (the Warriors) did.''

Corey Maggette had 31 points in the Warriors' second straight win, while Stephen Curry added 29 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. The victory was a significant one for Golden State head coach Don Nelson, who earned his 1,332nd career victory to equal Lenny Wilkens for the most in NBA history.

``What a game to tie the record, unbelievable,'' said Nelson. ``This is about everything you would want from good to bad, to playing great, to wetting the bed, and we did about all of that. Somehow we prevailed.''

Curry, the son of former Raptors sharpshooter Dell Curry, was the difference-maker in the back-and-forth game, overcoming a quiet start with 21 points in the second half. The rookie hit three straight jumpers to break a third-quarter tie, and added three three-pointers early in the fourth as Golden State held off a late charge.

``He's tough,'' said Raptors guard Jarrett Jack. ``He does a great job of being aggressive, staying aggressive and leading his team.''

Andrea Bargnani added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

After combining for 38 first-half points, Bosh and Maggette continued their duel in the third, trading jumpers as the teams swapped leads. But while nobody else stepped up for Toronto, Curry was the catalyst for Golden State, hitting three straight long jumpers midway through the third to fuel a 12-2 run. Anthony Morrow added three three-pointers in the quarter as the Warriors led 88-79 after three.

Curry continued his hot second half, hitting three straight from long range early in the fourth _ the last of which gave the Warriors a 13-point edge. Toronto stormed back with a 10-0 run capped by a Weems finger roll, and trailed by just three points when Curry missed a pair of free throws with 10.7 seconds remaining.

The teams exchanged free throws over the next seven seconds to set up the wild finish.

``You sure appreciate getting a win when you go through a year like we've been through when it's so hard to win games,'' said Nelson.

Jack had 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter for Toronto, which outrebounded the Warriors 55-40.

Morrow chipped in with 25 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State, which shot 13-for-26 from beyond the arc.

The teams adopted a breakneck pace from the outset, with Golden State seizing control en route to a 37-24 lead after one. Jack led the Raptors back in the second, converting a three-point play to reduce the deficit to five.

Bargnani added back-to-back baskets in the final minute of the quarter, and Toronto found itself down 57-54 at the break.Notes: The Raptors signed F/C Joey Dorsey prior to the game. Dorsey was waived by the Sacramento Kings last week. ... Curry recalled his time in Toronto, where his father played from 1999-2002. ``A lot of great memories here watching my dad play,'' said Curry. ``Saw some familiar faces and the same arena, same atmosphere when I was here for three years. It's kind of surreal to be on the court playing in a real game.'' ... Curry averaged 32 points, 11 assists in seven rebounds in two meetings with Toronto this season. ... The Warriors were without six regulars, including scoring leader Monta Ellis (flu). ... Bosh has led the Raptors in scoring a season-high 10 consecutive times.