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Chandler scores 17, Knicks beat Raptors

Apr 6, 2009 - 1:51 AM TORONTO (AP) -- The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors ensured there won't be playoff basketball in either city this year.

Wilson Chandler scored 17 points, David Lee added 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Knicks beat the Raptors 112-103 on Sunday night, eliminating Toronto from the playoffs.

It came one day after the Knicks saw their postseason hopes end with a 102-95 home loss to the Raptors.

"They were just as long a shot as we were," Knicks guard Chris Duhon said. "They needed a miracle, we needed a miracle and we just ended those miracles for each other."

New York's victory snapped a nine-game losing streak in Toronto. The Knicks had not won north of the border since March 5, 2004.

"We just came out to play; it wasn't revenge," Chandler said.

Quentin Richardson scored 16 points, Jared Jeffries added 14 and Nate Robinson scored 13 for the Knicks, who snapped a four-game losing streak and won for the first time in six tries on the road.

Chris Bosh had 31 points and 14 rebounds for Toronto, whose season-high six-game winning streak came to an end.

"All the things we were doing to keep the winning streak going, we did the opposite tonight," Raptors forward Shawn Marion said.

Andrea Bargnani scored 18 points, Anthony Parker had 15 and Marion 13.

Toronto had made the playoffs in each of the past two years, losing in the first round each time.

"Would I like to be there? Of course," Bosh said. "It's the best basketball in the world. This year we're going to have to watch. I'll just have to be a student of the game and see how I can get better by watching other teams."

The Knicks had lost 10 of 11 coming in and briefly looked to be in danger of throwing another one away. Leading by 16, New York missed seven straight shots to begin the fourth, allowing Toronto to cut it to 92-85 with a 9-0 run. Richardson ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 8:47 left and Robinson followed with a jumper, putting New York up by 12.

Toronto rallied again when Marion made a rare 3-pointer, then followed it with a steal and was fouled making a jumper, cutting it to 103-96. But Marion failed to convert the three-point play and Al Harrington replied with New York's 13th 3-pointer.

"Guys hit key shots for us down the stretch, kind of keeping the distance and keeping the pressure on them," Duhon said. "That's something we've struggled with all year is finishing games. I know we only have a few games left but we want to do as good a job as we can of fixing the areas we've struggled with throughout the year."

Toronto led 34-33 after the first quarter but fell behind in the second, shooting just 9-for-30. The Knicks made four of five 3-pointers in the second to take a 65-54 lead at the half.

"We gave them a lot of open looks early," Bosh said. "Once they got their confidence, Q-Rich came in and really lit it up and Chandler hit a lot of tough shots too. When you give guys open looks, especially early in the game, they get that confidence and they're a little bit tougher to stop."

Richardson scored 10 points in the third, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Knicks took a 92-76 lead into the fourth.