Knicks edge Raptors, end 10-game losing streak

NEW YORK (AP) -- With trade rumors swirling around the New York Knicks, Jamal Crawford says even his own family asks him if he's leaving the team.

Good thing for the Knicks he still was around Wednesday night.

Crawford made a jumper with 3 seconds left and New York snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 98-96 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

The last-place Knicks bring a 15-37 record into the All-Star break and there is plenty of speculation -- some involving Crawford -- that the team hopes to be active before the trade deadline next Thursday. Crawford knows the locker room could look different when the Knicks return from the break.

"If there's a face that isn't here it'll probably be mine I guess from all the rumors," Crawford said. "I try not to get caught up in it. I hope everybody's still here, me included."

Eddy Curry scored 18 points and Jalen Rose had 17 against his former team to earn his first victory since joining the Knicks. New York won for only the second time in 18 games, snapping its longest skid since ending the 1984-85 season with a franchise-record 12 straight losses.

"We feel a little bit better going in on a win," Crawford said. "Hopefully we can turn this thing around in the second half."

Rose entered the game averaging 17.8 points since joining the Knicks after a Feb. 3 trade with the Raptors, but with Stephon Marbury out with a shoulder injury the entire time, he hasn't had nearly enough help from a young team.

He got plenty Wednesday. Crawford and Quentin Richardson each scored 14 points and Channing Frye had 10.

"Winning is the cure all," Rose said. "Sometimes when you're losing things aren't as bad as they seem. Sometimes when you're winning things are not as good. It's only one game but hopefully it's something we can build on."

All-Star Chris Bosh scored 25 points for the Raptors, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Mike James had 13 of his 22 in the fourth quarter, but Toronto lost to New York for the first time in three meetings this season.

"You can't take nothing away with how hard they played tonight," James said. "Any dog, you put him in the corner, no matter if they're vicious or not, they're going to bite back."

James scored six straight Toronto points, but then found Charlie Villanueva for a 3-pointer that tied the game with 17 seconds left. After Crawford's pull-up from the left of the foul line, James missed a 3-point attempt before the final the buzzer.

It was the first game for Rose and Antonio Davis against their old teams since they were traded for each other. The teams played the night the trade was made, but both players sat out.

Rose picked up three fouls in the first 2:15 and the Raptors quickly took advantage, opening a 12-point lead on Morris Peterson's 3-pointer with 5:23 left in the quarter. Toronto shot 66.7 percent in the quarter and opened a 32-23 lead.

The Raptors were still up nine after James' basket with 2:46 remaining in the half, but didn't make another field goal. New York scored 10 straight to take a 47-46 before Toronto took a 49-47 halftime lead after Peterson made two free throws with 0.6 seconds left.

New York made nine of its first 11 shots to start the third quarter. Crawford's layup capped an 8-0 spurt that gave the Knicks a 55-51 lead, and he ended an 8-2 surge later in the period that pushed the lead to 68-59 with 5:11 remaining.

"They had a good atmosphere and they were playing with a lot of energy," Bosh said. "That kind of knocked us back on our heels a little bit."

Before the game, Brown was not interested in any of the trade rumors involving his team, including one that the Knicks were trying to acquire Steve Francis from Orlando.

"If something happens and it improves our team, it happens," Brown said at the morning shootaround. "If something doesn't happen you've got to keep coaching and hope you coach them better. If we made all the trades that have been in the paper since Day 1, we'd have a whole new team. I'm not worried about that until I see a guy on our team. I can't think about it, I've got to think about how I can make these young guys better."

Game notes
Both teams were sending players to Houston for All-Star weekend. Bosh is on the Eastern Conference team, and Toronto's Villanueva and New York's Frye and Nate Robinson all will play in the Rookie Challenge. Also, Robinson is in the dunk contest and Richardson will try to defend his title in the 3-point contest. ... Davis and Rose exchanged hugs and handshakes with their former teammates before the opening tip. Davis didn't get a very strong reaction from the crowd during introductions, but he did hear some boos after his follow dunk in the fourth quarter.