CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Serge Ibaka made two free throws with five seconds left in overtime to give the Toronto Raptors a 112-110 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.
Terry Rozier (27 points) missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Hornets. Rozier had an animated conversation afterward with Raptors rookie Terence Davis, who scored 23 points.
Ibaka finished with 23 points and OG Anunoby added 19 for the defending NBA champions.
Miles Bridges had 26 points for the Hornets, making 6 of 9 3-point attempts.
The Hornets' ball movement has been good all season, but in Wednesday's first half it was exceptional. Fifteen of the Hornets' first 16 baskets were assisted. At one point in the second quarter, the Hornets were on the verge of over-passing, but that's not the worst of problems.
Turnovers are always in the background of the Hornets' limitations. They committed 17 in the first three quarters, resulting in 23 Toronto points.
Bridges might no longer fit the description "developmental player," but the second-year forward is still a work in progress. He made a career-high five 3-pointers in the first half Wednesday, playing a lot at power forward rather than small forward.
It's often overlooked that coach James Borrego's plan in July was to start Bridges at power forward, not small forward. That changed when rookie P.J. Washington was so good in the preseason he earned a starting spot. Bridges has been asked to switch positions, along with generally covering the opposing team's top offensive player. Lots on his plate.
Wednesday was as short a rotation as Borrego will use and pretty rare for any NBA team. Dwayne Bacon, Malik Monk and Cody Zeller were the only reserves. With Marvin Williams out (recovering from a procedure following a nasal fracture) Borrego chose not to use Cody Martin or Nic Batum.
