(Charlotte) Returning to action after a four-game hiatus, Will Barton hit the target with six 3-pointers on Tuesday, helping the Toronto Raptors win 120-100 over the Charlotte Hornets.
Recovering from left ankle trouble, Barton was six of nine from long distance on a 20-point night.
The Raptors defeated the Hornets for the second time in three days.
Pascal Siakam had 22 points-one more than Montreal’s Chris Boucher.
O.G. Anunoby had 17 points and Fred VanVleet 16, all in the second half.
VanVleet was responsible for four of his 13 thefts.
Precious Achiuwa scored 12 points, while Jakob Poeltl added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Scottie Barnes finished the game scoreless, the result of an 0-for-7 record in continuous play.
Gary Trent missed his seventh game in a row – his third due to back pain, after missing four games with a stiff right elbow.
As was the case on Sunday, the Hornets were playing without their top four players.
They were without their best scorer Terry Rozier, injured in the right foot.
Also absent were Kelly Oubre (right shoulder), P.J. Washington (right foot) and Gordon Hayward (left thumb).
Bryce McGowens took over with 20 points, three ahead of former Raptor Svi Mykhailiuk. The Hornets escaped a third straight game.
The Raptors (40-39) are battling the Hawks and Bulls for ranks 8-10 in the East.
Atlanta plays Chicago on Tuesday night. The Bulls are looking for a third straight win.
The Raptors’ next game will take place on Wednesday evening in Boston (7:30 p.m., RDS, TSN4).
The team will also play at TD Garden on Friday night (7:30 p.m., Sportsnet One).
Nick Nurse’s squad wrap up the regular season on Sunday at home against the Milwaukee Bucks (1 p.m., Sportsnet).
Toronto started Tuesday’s game unconvincingly, with the Hornets taking a 15-6 lead. The visitors at the very least reduced the gap to four points at the end of the first quarter.
The Raptors continued to right the ship in the second quarter, where they went 15 in a row.
Late in the second quarter, Barton had his fourth straight long-range shot. Then, the Toronto club caused two back-to-back turnovers, each ending in a basket by Siakam. The push was punctuated by an offensive rebound from Poeltl, giving the Raptors a 61-49 cushion at the half.
The trend continued in the third quarter, where the Canadian clan had the upper hand 33-26. The Raptors made a 14-0 charge there, capped off by a long three-point shot from VanVleet. After 36 minutes their lead was 94-75. They stayed the course, heading for a fifth win in their last six games.