NBA  FINAL           1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH     TOTAL
                     --- --- --- ---     -----
     WASHINGTON       15  27  17  26       85
     TORONTO          26  20  14  27       87    FINAL


 HIGH SCORERS:  WAS - MITCH RICHMOND 28, ROD STRICKLAND 16, JUWAN HOWARD 12
                TOR - KEVIN WILLIS 22, VINCE CARTER 18, DOUG CHRISTIE 14
                                                                        

Extended Box


WASHINGTON (85) AT TORONTO (87)


WASHINGTON
                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===


HOWARD            F    40    5-16     2-2      3   7  10    5   5   2   2   12
THORPE            F    35    2-5      0-0      3   8  11    4   3   2   2    4
DAVIS             C    12    4-6      2-3      0   0   0    0   5   0   0   10
RICHMOND          G    41    8-21    10-11     1   3   4    3   3   2   4   28
STRICKLAND        G    41    5-12     6-10     2   3   5    5   2   1   3   16
CHEANEY                27    5-10     0-0      0   1   1    1   2   1   2   10
LEGLER                  8    1-3      0-0      1   1   2    0   0   0   0    2
MCINNIS                 7    0-0      1-2      0   0   0    1   1   0   0    1
WALLACE                28    0-4      2-4      2   7   9    1   3   1   3    2
C WHITNEY               1    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
COKER                 DNP - COACH'S DECISION
JACKSON               DNP - COACH'S DECISION


TOTALS                240   30-77    23-32    12  30  42   20  24   9  16   85
                            (.390)   (.719) TEAM REBS: 16 TOTAL TO: 17(17 PTS)


TORONTO
                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===


OAKLEY            F    39    3-6      2-2      2   7   9    4   3   1   1    8
THOMAS            F    26    1-5      0-0      3   5   8    2   4   1   0    2
K WILLIS          C    35    7-14     8-8      5   6  11    1   4   0   0   22
CARTER            G    38    8-17     2-4      0   1   1    4   1   1   2   18
CHRISTIE          G    27    5-16     3-4      0   4   4    4   3   2   5   14
BROWN                  31    4-10     0-0      0   3   3    2   2   4   2   11
MCGRADY                19    1-7      1-2      2   3   5    2   1   1   1    3
STEWART                 6    0-1      2-2      1   1   2    0   1   0   0    2
WALLACE                14    2-7      3-4      1   1   2    2   2   0   4    7
A WILLIAMS              5    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    1   1   0   0    0
MARKS                 DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SLATER                DNP - COACH'S DECISION


TOTALS                240   31-83    21-26    14  31  45   22  22  10  15   87
                            (.373)   (.808) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 15(22 PTS)


   WASHINGTON         15   27   17   26  -   85
   TORONTO            26   20   14   27  -   87


BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON -  WALLACE 3, THORPE 2, RICHMOND 2, STRICKLAND
2. TORONTO -  MCGRADY 3, K WILLIS 3, WALLACE 2, CARTER, OAKLEY, STEWART.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 2-11 (.182), RICHMOND 2-10, STRICKLAND 0-1.
TORONTO 4-9 (.444), CHRISTIE 1-1, BROWN 3-8.
TECHNICALS: TORONTO - K WILLIS, ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: HUGH EVANS, MARK WUNDERLICH, KEVIN FEHR.
A - 18,929. T - 2:32.
                                                                        

Box Score


WASHINGTON (85)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Howard          40  5-16   2-2  3-10  5  5   12
Thorpe          35   2-5   0-0  3-11  4  3    4
Davis           12   4-6   2-3   0-0  0  5   10
Richmond        41  8-21 10-11   1-4  3  3   28
Strickland      41  5-12  6-10   2-5  5  2   16
Cheaney         27  5-10   0-0   0-1  1  2   10
Legler           8   1-3   0-0   1-2  0  0    2
Mcinnis          7   0-0   1-2   0-0  1  1    1
Wallace         28   0-4   2-4   2-9  1  3    2
C Whitney        1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Coker          DNP - coach's decision
Jackson        DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         240 30-77 23-32 12-42 20 24   85
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.390, FT-.719. 3-Point Goals:
2-11, .182 (Richmond 2-10, Strickland 0-1). Team
rebounds: 16. Blocked shots: 9 (Wallace 3, Thorpe
2, Richmond 2, Strickland 2). Turnovers: 17
(Richmond 4, Strickland 3, Wallace 3, Cheaney 2,
Howard 2, Thorpe 2). Steals: 9 (Howard 2,
Richmond 2, Thorpe 2, Cheaney, Strickland,
Wallace).


TORONTO (87)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Oakley          39   3-6   2-2   2-9  4  3    8
Thomas          26   1-5   0-0   3-8  2  4    2
K Willis        35  7-14   8-8  5-11  1  4   22
Carter          38  8-17   2-4   0-1  4  1   18
Christie        27  5-16   3-4   0-4  4  3   14
Brown           31  4-10   0-0   0-3  2  2   11
Mcgrady         19   1-7   1-2   2-5  2  1    3
Stewart          6   0-1   2-2   1-2  0  1    2
Wallace         14   2-7   3-4   1-2  2  2    7
A Williams       5   0-0   0-0   0-0  1  1    0
Marks          DNP - coach's decision
Slater         DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         240 31-83 21-26 14-45 22 22   87
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.373, FT-.808. 3-Point Goals:
4-9, .444 (Christie 1-1, Brown 3-8). Team
rebounds: 10. Blocked shots: 11 (Mcgrady 3, K
Willis 3, Wallace 2, Carter, Oakley, Stewart).
Turnovers: 15 (Christie 5, Wallace 4, Brown 2,
Carter 2, Mcgrady, Oakley). Steals: 10 (Brown 4,
Christie 2, Carter, Mcgrady, Oakley, Thomas).
____________________________________________
Washington         15   27   17   26  -   85
Toronto            26   20   14   27  -   87
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Toronto 2 (K Willis, 6:54 3rd;
Illegal Defense, 5:56 3rd). Flagrant fouls: None.
A: 18,929. T: 2:32. Officials: Hugh Evans, Mark
Wunderlich, Kevin Fehr.
                                                                        

Game Story


TORONTO (Ticker) -- Kevin Willis' follow shot with 18 seconds
left and rookie Vince Carter's defense on Mitch Richmond in the
final minute helped the Toronto Raptors pull out an 87-85
victory over the Washington Wizards. 


Richmond drilled a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to give
Washington its first lead since the first quarter, 83-82.  But
the Raptors could have trailed by even more if not for Carter's
strip of Richmond on the prior possession as the Wizards guard
tried to drive to the basket. 


"Today I had the opportunity to show my defense," Carter said.
"I just stayed in front of him, played good defense and that's
the bottom line.  He's tough and he has a knack for scoring.  I
just wanted to stay in front of him and make him shoot over my
head." 


Doug Christie missed a short baseline jumper for the Raptors,
but Willis grabbed his 11th rebound of the game and put up a
floater that fell through to put Toronto back on top. 


"I watched the flight of the ball and I positioned myself to get
the ball and put the ball back up," Willis said.  "I was in the
right place at the right time." 


The Wizards again put the ball in the hands of Richmond, who
scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter.  Unable to
drive past Carter, Richmond lofted a shot from the right wing
that missed the rim with 10 seconds left. 


"My release wasn't right," Richmond said.  "Carter jumped so
high in front of me." 


"The most important thing about Vince is how he can perform
1-on-1," said Toronto coach Butch Carter.  "To beat Washington,
Vince has to guard Mitch Richmond." 


Christie made two free throws, pushing Toronto's advantage to
three points, and Butch Carter had his team foul Rod Strickland
before Washington could attempt a tying 3-pointer.  Strickland
made both free throws with 4.8 seconds to play and Christie was
sent back to the line. 


He made the first of his two attempts and the ball was knocked
out of bounds with four-tenths of a second left.  Otis Thorpe's
desperation inbounds pass was intercepted as the Raptors held
on. 


Willis scored 22 points, Vince Carter 18 and Christie 14 for the
Raptors, who tied a team record with their fifth straight win. 
Toronto also won its eighth straight at the Air Canada Centre,
improving to 10-2 overall at the new arena. 


"Every game counts and we don't underestimate anybody," Vince
Carter said. 


The Raptors scored only 14 points in the third quarter but led
60-59 entering the final period.  They scored the first seven
points of the fourth quarter, taking an eight-point advantage
when Tracy McGrady made the first of two free throws with 9:41
left. 


But that was as big as the lead got as the Wizards hung around,
thanks to Richmond.  He scored 10 of Washington's next 12 points
and drove for a layup with just over six minutes left that cut
the deficit to 73-69. 


Vince Carter netted six of Toronto's next seven points, but
Calbert Cheaney hit two baskets to keep Washington close and it
was 79-76 with 3:22 to play after Richmond drained a 3-pointer
from the right wing.  Carter made the second of two free throws,
but Otis Thorpe scored on a tip-in and Richmond's fallaway
forced an 80-80 tie with 1:41 left. 


Charles Oakley made two free throws as Toronto regained the
lead, but Richmond, only 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, drilled a
3-pointer to make it 83-82. 


"It was a well-fought game," Richmond said.  "Every time we made
a run, they matched it.  We came back and gave ourselves
opportunities to win.  The ball didn't bounce our way." 


Richmond finished 8-of-21 from the floor and contributed four
rebounds and three assists for the Wizards, who connected on 39
percent (30-of-77) from 3-point range and were 23-of-32 from the
foul line.  Thorpe had 11 rebounds and Juwan Howard 10 to go
with 12 points for Washington. 


"We shot 32 percent in the first half and we were down by four,"
said Wizards coach Bernie Bickerstaff.  "We felt good.  Our
Achilles' heel was making a couple of stops.  Mitch Richmond and
Rod Strickland did it again.  But we couldn't get possession. 
That was the difference in my opinion.  It was possessions down
the stretch." 


The Raptors overcame a 37 percent (31-of-83) shooting
performance by holding a 45-42 rebounding advantage, scoring 16
second-chance points off 14 offensive boards and going 21-of-26
from the foul line. 


"I was concerned about keeping Washington off the sideline and
getting us to the foul line," Butch Carter said.  "The good part
is when Vince makes plays. Then that leaves someone loose.  We
were able to use Vince as a decoy today." 
                                                                        

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