Bosh scores 20 as Raptors open season with 95-88 win over Houston
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-04 11:07

Chris Bosh poured in 20 points as the Toronto Raptors opened the NBA season with a 95-88 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Jalen Rose scored 17 points, going 10-for-10 from the free throw line, while Vince Carter scored 16, and Rafer Alston added 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Former Raptor Tracy McGrady scored 21 points to top the Rockets, who lost their second straight.

Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh (L) shoots after running into Houston Rockets forward Maurice Taylor during the second half of their NBA game in Toronto, November 3, 2004. Bosh was called for a foul on the play and received a technical foul for arguing the call. Bosh led the Raptors in scoring with 20 points as the Raptors defeated the Houston Rockets 95-88. [Reuters]

Decked out in red socks to match their red jerseys, the Raptors tipped off their 10th season looking to erase the disappointment of the previous two. Toronto finished 33-49 last season and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

The new-look Raptors didn't disappoint Wednesday. Leading by only three points with five minutes to go in the game, Toronto controlled things virtually the rest of the way.

Alston connected on a three-pointer, Donyell Marshall scored on a finger roll and, with 47 seconds left, Carter fired a crisp pass to Woods who was wide open under the basket. Woods finished with a thunderous dunk, bringing the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd of 19,800 to its feet, and giving the Raptors a seven-point cushion.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (R) blocks a shot by Toronto Raptors center Loren Woods during the first half of their NBA game in Toronto November 3, 2004. [Reuters]

Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady (L) drives to the hoop past Toronto Raptors guard Vince Carter during the first half of their NBA game in Toronto, November 3, 2004. [Reuters]

The week's been a tough one for Carter, who a day earlier was ordered to pay his former agent Williams (Tank) Black nearly $4.7 US in lost commissions and damages.

Carter was booed the first couple of times he handled the ball, the crowd clearly not pleased with his decision to go public in the off-season with his wishes to be traded.

McGrady, who signed a multi-year contract extension with the Rockets earlier this week, was also booed, although that's nothing new - Toronto fans love to hate the former Raptor and Carter's cousin.

Yao Ming added 17 points for the Rockets, who opened with a 87-79 loss to Detroit on Tuesday.

The game marked Sam Mitchell's debut as an NBA head coach. Mitchell, hired to replace Kevin O'Neill who was fired by the Raptors last spring, warned before the game that his team is a work in progress.

"Tonight is not going to be who we're going to be a month from now," Mitchell said. "Hopefully, we're going to be better.

"But tonight is just going to give us something that we can start gauging, we can start looking at people in these types of circumstances and see what we have."

The Raptors frontcourt, which has been a perennial problem, fared surprisingly well against the Rockets.

Woods finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while the sophomore Bosh, who received a huge cheer during team introductions, had seven rebounds and a pair of steals.

Toronto, which finished last in the league in rebounding last season, grabbed 40 boards to Houston's 38. And despite the presence of six-foot-six centre Yao, the Rockets held a narrow advantage in the paint, scoring 30 points inside to Toronto's 26.

The Raptors raced out to a 17-4 lead, prompting a standing ovation from the fans at the first timeout. But Toronto managed only one basket the rest of the first quarter and led 19-18 heading into the second.

The Rockets led by four points midway through the second quarter, but Toronto went on a 27-10 run to lead 52-39 at halftime.

Toronto gave up 11 points on eight turnovers in the third and Houston pulled to within three, trailing 71-68 heading into the final frame.

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