Charlotte 102, Toronto 89

Charlotte, 8-3 including three straight wins in its last 11, began the night 1 1/2 games behind eighth-place Chicago in the Eastern Conference as it upped the ante on its bid to land the first playoff berth in the team's five-year history.

Bosh led Toronto with 35 points and Andrea Bargnani got 27 for the Raptors, who have won only two of their last 11 and remain buried in 14th place in the East.

With Wallace leading an early charge, the Bobcats sliced through the Raptors to score from the paint time and again to build a quick 14-5 lead. Raptors coach Jay Triano sent a message when he pulled starter Shawn Marion in the fifth minute and temporarily sent in Joey Graham but little changed and Charlotte's lead grew to 33-24 by the end of the first quarter.

The Bobcats cooled off in the second quarter -- Wallace scored 12 points in the first but only one in the second without a single field goal attempt -- and Toronto came on strong. Bosh and Bargnani were doing the damage and the Raptors were within two, 52-50, at halftime.

Bosh was battered most times he got near the basket and was 14-for-14 to tie a club record for free-throw points in a half. The Bobcats, Wallace and Diaw in particular, reasserted themselves in the second half with coach Larry Brown urging them to counterattack quickly.

Toronto tied it in the opening minute of the third quarter and it was 54-54 when Wallace struck for a three-pointer. The six-foot-seven Alabaman tacked on a layup for a 61-54 Charlotte edge, and the Bobcats wouldn't relinquish the lead again.

Bosh was having a great game and Bargnani was helping out bigtime with three-point bombs as Toronto closed the gap to 71-68. But Wallace buried another three-pointer and followed that by intercepting a pass and slam dunking the Bobcats to a 76-68 lead.