CHARLOTTE, N.C. – D.J. Augustin had 23 points and eight assists and the Charlotte Bobcats cruised past the listless Toronto Raptors 114-101 Tuesday night despite losing top scorer Stephen Jackson to a strained left hamstring.
Gerald Wallace added 20 points and Boris Diaw added 16 points and nine assists for the Bobcats, who took control with a dominant second quarter before Jackson got hurt midway through the third.
Jackson, who scored 13 points, collided with Toronto's Amir Johnson after a driving layup and later limped to the locker room while clutching his left leg. He returned to the bench a few minutes later, but didn't play again.
Sonny Weems scored 19 points and Andrea Bargnani added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who lost their 11th straight road game to tie a franchise record.
Charlotte, which entered the night a game behind Indiana for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, knew it needed to take advantage of a soft part of the schedule immediately following the All-Star break. The Bobcats host struggling Sacramento on Friday.
Tipping off about an hour after announcing they acquired small forward James Johnson from Chicago for a first-round draft pick, the rebuilding Raptors were soon done in by poor defense and miscues in their 18th loss in 20 games.
The Bobcats turned a tight game into a rout with a 15-4 second-quarter run that included four Toronto turnovers. Charlotte led 61-44 at halftime and expanded the lead to 22 points in a second half devoid of suspense.
Augustin, healthy again after being slowed by a sprained left wrist before the break, dominated Jose Calderon while hitting eight of 15 shots.
Wallace hit 14 of 15 free throws and grabbed six rebounds, while Gerald Henderson continued his strong play off the bench with 15 points and six rebounds for the Bobcats as owner Michael Jordan sat courtside.
In Charlotte's first game since Jordan removed the interim tag from coach Paul Silas and gave him a one-year extension, the Bobcats committed only nine turnovers and assisted on 25 of 38 field goals to improve to 16-13 since Silas replaced Larry Brown.
Toronto, which slipped to 5-24 on the road, hasn't won outside of Canada since Jan. 5 at Cleveland. The Raptors shot 50 percent from the field but struggled to keep Charlotte from getting to the rim for easy baskets.
The Raptors matched a record for consecutive road defeats they set in the 2004-05 season.
Notes: Raptors F Reggie Evans, who hasn't played since Nov. 26 because of a foot injury, didn't make the trip because of the birth of his son. But coach Jay Triano said it's "not out of the question" Evans could play this week. ... Silas said Bobcats F Tyrus Thomas (knee surgery) has started to do light running and could return in two weeks. ... Silas said there's "nothing happening" on the trade front with Charlotte. "We're not just going to give people away and that's what most teams want you to do," he said. ... North Carolina coach Roy Williams sat courtside, watching ex-Tar Heels F Ed Davis play for the Raptors. ... Ex-Bobcats C Alexis Ajinca matched a season-high with 10 points for Toronto, much of it coming after the game was decided.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.