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Bobcats maul Raptors

Gerald Wallace is finally starting to hit some shots. Stephen Jackson is beginning to figure out his teammates.
Amir Johnson, Derrick Brown
Toronto Raptors’ Amir Johnson

Bobcats 116 Raptors 81

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gerald Wallace is finally starting to hit some shots. Stephen Jackson is beginning to figure out his teammates.

The combination produced a record-setting win and a confident Charlotte locker-room.

Wallace broke out of his shooting slump Wednesday night to score 31 points and grab 13 rebounds and Jackson added 23 points as the Bobcats routed the Toronto Raptors 116-81 for the most lopsided victory in franchise history.

With their offence suddenly coming together this week, the Bobcats won their second straight game following a seven-game skid in a fashion never seen in the team’s six years. Charlotte’s previous largest margin of victory was 32 points against Indiana on Nov. 16, 2005.

“This was our best game so far,” coach Larry Brown said.

With managing partner Michael Jordan looking pleased from his front-row seat, the Bobcats set a season high for points for the second straight game thanks to Wallace, who was 10 for 20 from the field and 11 of 12 from the foul line. He combined with Jackson in Charlotte’s most fluid offensive performance since Jackson’s arrival.

“It’s coming along great,” Wallace said of pairing with Jackson, acquired from Golden State on Nov. 16.

“We read and we play off each other. How he goes is how I go and how I go is how he goes. We pick up for each other.”

The Raptors, in another dismal performance to close a back-to-back, proved to be no match.

Chris Bosh had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrea Bargnani scored 15 as Toronto shot 35 per cent, set a season low for points and lost for the fifth time in seven games.

“They had quicker hands, quicker feet and were quicker up and down the floor,” said Raptors coach Jay Triano.

The Bobcats had been mired in an offensive slumber, even after Jackson’s arrival. Before his fifth game with Charlotte on Wednesday, Brown seemed concerned. “There’s a lot more he’s capable of doing,” Brown said before tipoff. “We’ve got to find a way to help him out.”

Wallace took advantage of one of the NBA’s worst defences by beating numerous defenders off the dribble and getting to the line, while combining with Jackson on the game’s decisive run.

A night after scoring 74 points in the first half en route to a blowout win over Indiana, Toronto managed 35 points in the second half in their lowest scoring output of the season.

While Bosh collected his 13th double-double, he hit only 5-of-14 shots. Hedo Turkoglu managed only five points on 2-of-7 shooting and Jarrett Jack shot 1 for 9 as the Raptors fell to 0-4 on the second night of a back-to-back.

“If I’m open I’ll continue to shoot,” said Bosh, 10-for-33 from the field in the last two games. “I practice that shot all the time. If it doesn’t go in during the games, I can’t worry about that.”