Raptors rock Timberwolves in sixth win in seven games

Posted at 1:45 PM, January 2, 2007

Toronto, Dec 28: T.J. Ford scored 28 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 100-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday (27th December).

The Atlantic Division leaders overturned a five-point deficit going into the final quarter to take their home record to 8-3 with four of their next five games also at the Air Canada Centre.

Kevin Garnett scored 24 points for the Timberwolves but only managed seven-for-18 from the field compared with Ford's 12-for-18 as Minnesota slipped to 12-14.

The Minnesota Timberwolves visited Toronto on Wednesday with the Raptors looking for their sixth win in seven games at the Air Canada Centre.

Things looked bad for Toronto in the first quarter. A Fred Jones miss quickly turned into a Mike James lay-up to put the visitors 18-12. James finished the game with 20 points.

The Timberwolves continued to take advantage of Raptor misses in the second quarter.

Jorge Garbajosa missed a three-point attempt and Kevin Garnett tossed the ball downcourt to an open Marko Jaric for an easy lay-in and a 46-38 lead.

That was one of Garnett's six assists on the night with Jaric scoring 15 points from off the bench.

In the third quarter, T.J. Ford came alive to keep Toronto in the game.

Smooth ball-handling got Ford an open jumper in the corner to bring the Raptors within two points with this stellar display of dribbling sending the bench and the crowd wild.

Ford turned James inside out, almost leaving the Minnesota guard flat on his face.

Some superb skill from Jose Calderon in the fourth quarter put Toronto into a narrow 82-81 lead, the Spaniard finishing with 13 points off of the bench.

The game was tied at 86 with just five minutes left when Jaric fed Garnett in the paint and the star forward spun and hit a hook shot to put Minnesota ahead.

Garnett led the Timberwolves with 24 points was only made seven-for-18 from the field.

The Raptors regained the lead with 2:27 left as Ford's burst and pass gave Anthony Parker time to sink a three-pointer and make it 91-90 Toronto.

After Rasho Nesterovic had made it 93-90, Ford sent the Air Canada Centre berserk by hitting a pull-up jump shot to extend the lead to five points with less than 30 seconds remaining.

The guard was 12-for-18 from the field as he top scored with 28 points.

The Raptors led by three in the dying seconds giving the Timberwolves a chance to take the game into overtime.

But Garnett's attempt hit the back of the rim and Toronto defeated Minnesota by three to take their home record to 8-3 with four of their next five games also at the Air Canada Centre.

The Timberwolves slipped to 12-14.