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Bobcats entertain Raptors

Feb 22, 2011 - 3:42 PM (Sports Network) - Paul Silas entered the All-Star break with news that the interim tag as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats was removed and his contract would be extended through the 2011-12 campaign.

Silas has gone 15-13 with the Bobcats this season after they went 9-19 through the first 28 contests under the tutelage of Larry Brown, and will be back on the sidelines tonight at home versus the Toronto Raptors.

Charlotte compiled a 24-32 mark through the first half of the season and sits one game behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East. The Bobcats were last in action on Feb. 15 in a 106-94 loss at Chicago, where Gerald Henderson notched a career-best 22 points and Stephen Jackson added 20 with six assists for Charlotte, which has dropped five of eight games.

"We didn't rotate quickly enough," Silas said. "(Kyle) Korver got some wide open looks, it was just one of those nights when it didn't happen for us."

Charlotte will also host Sacramento on the homestand and is 14-14 at Time Warner Cable Arena this season. Henderson has scored in double figures in five of his last eight games, averaging 11.8 points in that stretch. Gerald Wallace had just six points against the Bulls, but is averaging 16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists over the last eight games.

The Raptors, meanwhile, will take a break from playing up north when they migrate south to take on the Bobcats.

Toronto went 1-3 on a four-game homestand before the All-Star break and closed the trek with last Wednesday's 103-95 loss versus the Miami Heat. Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan scored 38 and 24 points, respectively, for the Raptors, who dropped to 2-17 in their last 19 games.

"We put ourselves in a good situation in the fourth quarter. We had a shot, but it didn't work out," Bargnani said.

The Raptors, last in the Atlantic Division, welcomed the return of Chris Bosh, who spent the first seven years of his career in Toronto before joining the Heat as a free agent this offseason. Bosh had 25 points and six boards in the win and is the Raptors' all-time leader in points (10,275), total rebounds (4,776), free throws made (2,997), blocks (600), minutes (18,813) and games started (497).

After tonight's road game, Toronto will head back north for a four-game residency versus the Bulls, Suns, Mavericks and Hornets. It is 5-23 away from this season and 10-18 as the host. Bargnani ranks first among Eastern Conference players with 26.9 points through seven games this month.

Bargnani is nine three-pointers shy of 500 in his career.

Charlotte has beaten the Raptors twice this season and is 5-2 in the previous seven matchups between the clubs. These two teams have split the last six games down south.