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Bobcats continue playoff push against Raptors

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:31 PM By Anthony Giornalista STATS Senior Writer

CHARLOTTE (30-38) AT TORONTO (24-44) 7 p.m. EDT

TORONTO (AP) -- After falling into a slump last week, Charlotte needed somebody to step up against the Toronto Raptors and Gerald Wallace came through with a big performance.

The Bobcats probably could not have afforded to lose that type of leadership down the stretch of a playoff push.

With Wallace expected to play after a scary-looking knee injury, the Bobcats look to beat the Raptors for the second time in four days as the teams conclude their season series Friday night.

Charlotte (30-38) is making a late run for a playoff spot, trailing eighth-place Chicago by 1 1/2 games as part of a crowded mix of teams battling for the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.

The Bobcats had won six straight before losing their next three, a skid that threatened to derail their chances to make the postseason for the first time in their history. But Wallace had 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals as Charlotte ended its losing streak with a 112-86 win over Toronto (24-44) on Monday night.

Two days later, Wallace slipped on a drive and clutched his left knee late in the second quarter against Sacramento, but he returned in the second half with a slight limp to finish with 25 points and 12 rebounds in a 104-88 Bobcats victory.

Wallace, though, shouldn't miss any time after an MRI showed only a bruise. He rejected a doctor's suggestion to head to the hospital for an examination after initially suffering the injury.

"I was definitely concerned. I thought he maybe - I'm not even going to say," Bobcats guard Raymond Felton said. "I thought it was pretty bad, I did."

With 14 games left, this would be a bad time for the Bobcats to be without their leader. Charlotte is 3-8 in games Wallace has missed this season.

"It's kind of sore, but the way I play, I play with soreness, bangs and bruises," said Wallace, averaging 21.6 points and 9.4 rebounds in his last seven games.

Wallace may be limited even if he does play, so the Bobcats would need players such as Emeka Okafor to pick up the slack. Okafor had been struggling before finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks against the Kings.

Okafor averaged 8.3 points in his previous three games, including an eight-point performance versus the Raptors. He'll again draw a tough defensive assignment, matching up with Raptors star Chris Bosh.

Bosh is averaging 29.0 points and 13.3 rebounds in Toronto's three games with Charlotte this season. The Raptors won the first two matchups before shooting 38.0 percent in last week's contest.

Not much went right for Toronto, which had snapped a seven-game losing streak with a dominating performance against Indiana in its previous game. The Raptors, who have been off since facing Charlotte, have the second-worst record in the East after making the playoffs the past two years.

"Sometimes we just feel like we're just there and we're not just there," Toronto forward Shawn Marion said. "It's hurting. I hate losing. It's frustrating for me."

Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani, who scored 27 points against the Pacers, shot 4-for-11 and finished with 13 points against Charlotte. Bargnani has scored at least 20 points in five of his last six home games.