TORONTO, ON — (AP) — Jeremy Lamb banked home a half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Toronto Raptors 115-114 on Sunday night for their third straight win.
Toronto looked to have won the game after Kawhi Leonard hit the go-ahead basket with 44 seconds left, then blocked Kemba Walker at the other end.
Charlotte got one final chance after Leonard missed a jumper with 5.8 seconds to go. Pascal Siakam knocked the inbounds pass away from Lamb, who chased the ball into the back court before launching the game-winning shot.
Walker had 15 points and 13 assists and Willy Hernagomez had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.
Dwayne Bacon made five 3-pointers and scored 20 points, and rookie Miles Bridges scored 16 for Charlotte, which began the day 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Miami and 1 1/2 games behind ninth-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Leonard scored 28 points and Siakam had 23 for the Raptors, who lost consecutive home games for the second time this season. Toronto lost to New Orleans on Nov. 12 and Detroit on Nov 14.
All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry returned for Toronto after missing the previous two games because of a sore right ankle. With Lowry in the starting lineup, the Raptors were at full strength for the first time since the trade deadline acquisition of center Marc Gasol, and the subsequent signing of free agent guard Jeremy Lin.
Still, having a full complement of players didn't pay off for the Raptors, who surrendered 18 points on 13 turnovers. Toronto had 22 turnovers in Friday's home loss to Oklahoma City, one shy of their season worst.
Charlotte led 109-96 with 7:50 remaining. Then Toronto's Fred VanVleet hit back-to-back 3-pointers and dunks from Siakam and Leonard cut it to 109-106 with 5:26 to go.
Leonard's jumper made it a one-point game before Bacon ended Toronto's 12-0 run by making one of two at the foul line.
Siakam and Bacon swapped layups before Leonard tied it with a pair at the foul line.
The Hornets led 58-57 at halftime.
Ten of Charlotte's 12 field goals in the third quarter were 3-pointers, including five from Bacon. The Hornets shot 10 for 15 from long range in the third and took a 95-83 lead into the fourth.
TIP -INS
Hornets: Charlotte shot 18 for 41 from 3-point range. ... G Tony Parker was away from the team for personal reasons. ... F Cody Zeller (left knee) missed his seventh straight game and F Nicolas Batum (illness) missed his second straight. F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (concussion protocol) was absent for the third straight game.
Raptors: Toronto recorded an assist on each of its first six baskets and 11 of 12 in the first quarter. ... Gasol started and scored 17 points. ... The Raptors came in 29-8 at home, tied for the second-most home wins in the NBA.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Raptors: Host Chicago on Tuesday night.
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