Walker nails late 3 to lift Hornets past Raptors
TORONTO -- Kemba Walker scored the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute, and the Charlotte Hornets came back to defeat the Toronto Raptors 110-106 on Wednesday night.
Walker finished with 19 points and Marco Belinelli scored 21 as the Hornets (34-41) ended a six-game winning streak by the Raptors (45-30) and evened the season series between the teams at 2-2.
Marvin Williams added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, Nicolas Batum had 15 points, and Frank Kaminsky chipped in with 13.
DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 28 points and eight assists. Cory Joseph had 18 points, Serge Ibaka 15, Jonas Valanciunas scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while Patrick Patterson and Norman Powell had 10 apiece.
The Raptors led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter and entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point advantage.
The Hornets tied the game with 7:46 to play in the fourth quarter and again with 2:43 left.
Walker's 3-pointer put Charlotte ahead by one with 1:55 to play.
Powell made one of two free throws with 57 seconds left to tie the game.
Walker hit another 3-pointer with 37.5 seconds left and Charlotte led by three.
Cody Zeller fouled out for Charlotte with 29.6 seconds left, and DeRozan made both free throws to reduce the lead to one point.
Williams responded with a 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds to go and Charlotte led by four.
DeRozan hit a 16-foot jumper at the buzzer to end the first quarter, cutting the Hornets' advantage to 22-19.
Jeremy Lamb finished a fast break with a running layup as Charlotte took an eight-point lead with 9:33 left in the first half.
Kaminsky completed a 3-point play with a free throw and Charlotte led by 10.
The Raptors cut into the lead and DeRozan's 18-foot pull-up jumper beat the buzzer to end the first half and Charlotte took a 50-47 lead into the intermission.
DeRozan had first-half 13 points for the Raptors. Kaminsky scored 12 first-half points for the Hornets.
DeMarre Carroll's 3-pointer gave Toronto a 54-53 lead with 7:59 remaining in the fourth quarter. DeRozan followed with a layup off a fast break to put the Raptors ahead by three points.
The Raptors led 74-66 after three quarters.
The Hornets scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter.
Ibaka picked up his fifth foul of the game with 10:44 left.
Lamb's reverse layup tied the game at 82 with 7:46 remaining.
Powell took advantage of a Hornets turnover to complete a fast break with a layup and the Raptors took a five-point lead.
Williams hit a 3-pointer with 2:43 to tie the game at 98 with 2:43 to play.
NOTES: Toronto F DeMarre Carroll returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing two straight games with a sore lower back. ... Charlotte G/F Marco Belinelli was able to play Wednesday after taking seven stitches for a facial laceration suffered when he bumped heads with an opposing player Tuesday in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. ... The Raptors play the third game of their four-game homestand Friday against the Indiana Pacers. ... The Hornets return home to play the Denver Nuggets at the Spectrum Center on Friday.