Raptors Learn That Nothing is Free in Life, 92-91

The Toronto Raptors set a record by not making a single free throw Tuesday night, and lost to the Charlotte Hornets, 92-91, at Toronto as the Raptors’ Dell Curry made five foul shots in the final minute.

The expansion Raptors were 0 for 3 from the foul line. The previous record for fewest free throws made in a game was one, set on Nov. 19, 1977, by the New Orleans Jazz.

Charlotte shot 41 free throws, making 24.

Curry, making only his second start in his last 358 appearances, had 27 points.

New York 98, Boston 93--Anthony Mason had 17 points and helped ignite a 12-0 fourth-quarter run at New York as the Knicks became the first team in NBA history to defeat the Celtics 12 times in a row.

The game marked the return of Patrick Ewing, who was playing for the first time since Dec. 28, when he sprained his right ankle against Cleveland. He showed definite signs of rust, however, committing three turnovers in the first quarter.

He ended up playing only 26 minutes and scoring nine points, but he had 11 rebounds and his hook shot with 5:08 left started the Knicks on their run.

Atlanta 104, Sacramento 88--Grant Long scored 20 points and the Hawks never trailed while ending Sacramento’s four-game winning streak at Atlanta.

The Kings missed seven layups and had two others blocked in the first 16 minutes when the Hawks built a 35-22 lead.

Orlando 92, New Jersey 84--Nick Anderson made the go-ahead shot with 1:31 left as the Magic rallied from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter for its 19th consecutive home victory.

The Magic was helped when the Nets were called for a rare technical foul for having only four players on the court. Dennis Scott made the foul shot that came in the midst of a 12-0 run that rallied Orlando.

Indiana 91, Dallas 84--Rik Smits scored 20 points, including two key free throws with 23.2 seconds to play, enabling the Pacers to offset an NBA season-high 28 rebounds by the Mavericks’ Popeye Jones at Dallas.

The Mavericks, who lost for the 11th time in 13 games, also received 25 points from George McCloud. Jones set a club rebounding record and bettered the NBA high this season of 22, held by four players.

San Antonio 88, Houston 82--The Spurs almost blew a 21-point, second-quarter lead but Sean Elliott scored 20 points and led a three-point shooting show that carried San Antonio at Houston.

The Spurs beat the Rockets for the second time this season with a 13-2 run to start the game and expanded the lead to 47-26 in the second quarter.

Seattle 97, Milwaukee 92--Gary Payton scored seven of his 26 points late in the fourth quarter, rallying the SuperSonics to a victory at Milwaukee.

Vin Baker scored 25 points and Glenn Robinson had 21 for the Bucks, who have lost their last nine games with Seattle.

Golden State 109, Vancouver 103--Latrell Sprewell scored 28 points, including four free throws in the final 12 seconds as the Warriors won at home.

Vancouver, which lost to Golden State by 31 points last month in the only other meeting between the teams, had three three-point baskets in the last minute, the last by Eric Murdock to pull within 107-103.

NBA Notes

Portland rookie Randolph Childress underwent surgery on his dislocated left shoulder and was placed on the injured list. . . . Simon Gourdine has been given a two-year contract extension as executive director through October, 1997, by the NBA Players Association.