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Bosh scores 35 and Calderon comes up big for Raptors

Jan 25, 2007 - 4:58 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Jose Calderon is making the most of his recent opportunity.

Calderon scored six points down the stretch and made a key block, and Chris Bosh scored a club season-high 35 points as the streaking Toronto Raptors came back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to post a 90-88 triumph over the New Orleans Hornets.

Anthony Parker added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who have won eight of their last 11 and improved to 3-1 on a five-game homestand.

"We are finding ways to win," Toronto swingman Morris Peterson said. "Once you have a taste of success you want it more and more. We weren't ready to pack it in. We stole one tonight. We stuck with it and persevered. The team last year probably wouldn't have given it a chance but we continued to play hard and believe in each other.

"Jose played a great game for us and we really rode his and Chris' back and everybody else did what they needed to do ... got some big rebounds and some big stops."

Coming off a road loss at Philadelphia on Tuesday, the Hornets scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to forge a 79-64 lead, but the Raptors soon seized control.

"We just got outplayed (in the first 3 1/2 quarters)," Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. "But when you look at the stat sheet, we held them to 19 points in the second, third and fourth quarters, which gave us a chance to get back in the game. They killed us on the offensive boards in the first half. ... We didn't shoot the ball well, luckily we didn't turn it over."

The Raptors won despite shooting just 41 percent (33-of-80), making just 18-of-27 from the line and getting outrebounded, 38-32. They committed just six turnovers.

Toronto closed the game on a 26-6 run to send New Orleans back home to start a five-game homestand with its 11th loss in its last 12 road games.

"I think we got soft," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "(Toronto) got aggressive, they did what you should do, they looked to try and attack and be aggressive about getting to the bucket. We took the ball out, just lone jump shots, and that's just a sign of a team on the road that just doesn't have a lot of confidence.

"The thing that is most disappointing to me is the way we lose games. Like I said, just playing on your heels, not being assertive as they were offensively."

Calderon scored on a drive to cut the deficit to 81-80 with 1:38 seconds left and after Bobby Jackson scored on a drive for New Orleans to rebuild a three-point advantage, Bosh hit a straightaway 3-pointer with 63 seconds remaining to forge an 83-83 tie.

After a 24-second violation, Calderon sliced the defense and scored on a lefthanded layup to give Toronto its first lead of the game with 28 seconds left.

"He didn't make any complicated plays, he just put his head down and got to the rim and executed on his layups," Bosh said.

On the Hornets' next possession, Calderon blocked a drive by Jackson, was fouled on the other end and hit two free throws for an 87-83 edge with 20 seconds left.

"It was good defense, he (Jackson) beat me and I was able to get a piece of the ball," Calderon said. "You have to learn to win when the ball doesn't want to go in. You have to play defense and rebound the ball, keep working and that's what we did tonight. Our defense was the difference tonight."

Calderon finished with 14 points and eight assists with no turnovers in his fifth start. He has averaged 13 points and eight assists since taking over for T.J. Ford, who is nursing a sore right ankle.

"My job is to lead the team, make plays and try to win games," Calderon said.

Bosh shot 11-of-19 from the floor and added seven rebounds and four assists.

Rasual Butler scored 19 points and Jackson added 17 for New Orleans, which scored 19 points in each of the last three periods after opening with 31 points.

New Orleans forward David West left for a short period after injuring his right ankle in the first period. He played thereafter with a noticeable limp, finishing with nine points - eight in the first period - and 11 rebounds.

"I turned it pretty bad and it really limited me the rest of the game," West said. "I just wasn't able to move and couldn't get any lift, couldn't get any shots off. I'm not worried about it, I have a day off and I'll be ready to go.

Devin Brown scored 10 points in the first half as the Hornets opened a 15-point lead before settling for a 50-44 halftime edge. Butler scored 11 points in the third as New Orleans maintained a 69-64 edge and it re-assumed a 15-point lead by scoring the first 10 points of the fourth period. Brown's follow shot and 3-pointer capped the run.