Carter Enjoys Happy Return

Vince Carter stuck it to his former fans -- then called it his greatest shot.

Carter made a fadeaway three-point basket with one-tenth of a second left and finished with 42 points against his old team Sunday, leading visiting New Jersey past the Toronto Raptors, 105-104, for the Nets’ 10th straight victory.

Carter scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and was booed every time he touched the ball, but he silenced the crowd with his winning shot. After Toronto’s Jose Calderon missed his second free throw, Carter made a three-pointer from about four feet beyond the arc.

“That’s definitely No. 1,” Carter said. “The atmosphere, the emotion, the hostility in the arena, it was a fun game.”

Toronto led by eight with two minutes left and six with one minute to go but Carter, who played six-plus seasons for the Raptors, scored New Jersey’s final 12 points

Jason Kidd added 22 points and 15 assists for the Nets, on their longest winning streak since a franchise-record 14-game run from Jan. 25 to Feb. 24, 2004.

New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson played only two minutes because of back spasms.

Chris Bosh had 27 points for the Raptors, who had a five-game winning streak ended.

Toronto’s Morris Peterson, who already had a technical foul, was ejected by referee Steve Javie after Peterson returned a playful slap from Carter, a friend and ex-teammate.

An irate Peterson tossed his jersey into the stands before leaving. Carter said he would pay Peterson’s fine.

“I felt bad,” Carter said. “It was far from what they assumed it to be.”

Denver 92, Houston 90 -- Carmelo Anthony made a jumper with one second left to lift the Nuggets at Denver in a game in which the Rockets’ Tracy McGrady was removed on a stretcher because of back spasms.

McGrady, who missed eight games earlier this season because of back spasms, crumpled to the floor after missing a long jumper in the final seconds of the first half.

Earl Watson scored 20 and Anthony finished with 19 for the Nuggets, who played most of the final three quarters without Kenyon Martin (strained back). Rafer Alston scored a season-high 24 for Houston.

Indiana 108, Sacramento 83 -- Stephen Jackson scored 17 of his 31 points while making five three-pointers in the third quarter, and Jermaine O’Neal had 12 points and eight rebounds in his return to lineup to help the visiting Pacers end a six-game losing streak to the Kings.

O’Neal had missed three games because of pneumonia.

Kenny Thomas had 21 points for the Kings. Leading scorer Mike Bibby had five points on one-for-10 shooting before being benched.

Miami 118, Portland 89 -- Returning after one-game absences, Dwyane Wade finished with 31 points and seven assists and Jason Williams added 20 points and eight assists at Portland, Ore., in the Heat’s first win in three tries on a seven-game trip.

Wade (shin) and Williams (knee tendinitis) sat out Friday’s loss at Phoenix.

Ruben Patterson led the Portland with 16 points.

New York 120, Seattle 116 -- Stephon Marbury had 23 points and 15 assists, the final one setting up rookie David Lee for the tiebreaking jumper with 21 seconds left, to help the host Knicks to their season-high third straight game.

Ray Allen had 33 points for Seattle and Vladimir Radmanovic scored a career-high 30, including 16 in the fourth quarter.