Football
17y

Bosh leads the way with 27 points for effective Raptors

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Chris Bosh has carried the Toronto Raptors to the top of the Atlantic Division. With the way they're rolling, a winning record might be next.

Bosh scored 27 points and Joey Graham had 18 to lead the Raptors to a 104-86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

Maybe the Raptors (18-21) are going about their season goals in an odd order, but there was no complaining in the locker room. With a favorable home schedule ahead, and Bosh dominating, their 2-8 start almost seems like it happened in another season.

"We're at a point where we feel like we can win every game," Bosh said.

Anthony Parker scored 18 points, and T.J. Ford had 13 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who used a pair of 14-0 runs to make easy work of the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

"We just wanted to put them to the ground. We tried to bury them," Graham said.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 15 points, and Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green each scored 13.

The win against the Sixers was the start the Raptors needed against a stretch of sub-.500 teams if they want to take control of the Atlantic. The Raptors will play four teams with losing records in a five-game homestand starting Wednesday.

Toronto has won five of seven overall as it creeps back toward .500. The Raptors bounced back nicely from a one-point loss against Dallas on Sunday.

"We've definitely got to take advantage of his home stretch," Parker said. "Our goal is to get on roll. We're not coming in looking past anybody. We want to get some momentum heading into the All-Star game."

Bosh has really sparked the Raptors since returning from a knee injury. He entered the game averaging 23.4 points and 10.1 rebounds in January and appears to be on his way to a spot on the All-Star team.

Bosh scored 11 straight points to help the Raptors build a double-digit lead late in the second half, and send the Sixers to their sixth loss in seven games. While Toronto is hoping for a playoff spot, revamped Philadelphia is already playing out the string.

The game was competitive for about 17 minutes before Bosh took off. He converted consecutive three-point plays, the second starting a 14-0 run that put the Raptors ahead 46-35.

Bosh added a driving layup and a 3-pointer -- only his sixth of the season -- early in the run, then capped it with a pair of free throws. The Sixers shouldn't have been too shocked to see the 6-foot-10 Bosh hitting from long distance; Bosh beat the Sixers in Toronto with his first 3-pointer in more than a year back in November.

"When it's there, it's there. If I'm open, I let it go," Bosh said.

The Sixers heard some scattered boos, but with a skimpy crowd of about 8,000, they never got very loud.

"We were just indecisive," Dalembert said. "We have to get on the same page. We're hesitant on defense."

It was more of the same in the second half, though Bosh was more of a bystander in the next 14-0 run. He scored a layup early and another that ended the spurt, putting the Raptors up 75-53.

Green interrupted the run only for Parker to sink a 3. The Raptors ended the third quarter ahead 82-58.

"If we lose these games, it hurts us on the back end," Graham said.

Game notes
The Sixers are 3-21 when trailing at the half. ... Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks was whistled for a technical foul. ... The Raptors shot 54 percent and outrebounded the Sixers 38-34.

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