Wizards Rout the Raptors and Stay Perfect at Home

The Washington Wizards wrapped up a perfect year in their new home Wednesday night with a 118-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Tracy Murray and Chris Webber each scored 22 points and Calbert Cheaney had 21 as Washington shot 59.1% to improve to 8-0 at the MCI Center.

Rod Strickland had 17 points and 12 assists for Washington in three quarters before both coaches emptied their benches in extended garbage time.

The Wizards held Toronto without a basket for almost five minutes late in the first half, outscored the Raptors, 14-3, over the final 5:10 and led, 65-51, at halftime.

Washington made 46 of 77 shots, including seven of 11 three-point attempts, while Toronto faded after a fast start, shooting 43.4%.

Damon Stoudamire led Toronto with 19 points, only four after halftime, and Doug Christie scored seven of his 18 in the meaningless final quarter.

The victory was Washington’s seventh in nine games and came in the start of a stretch in which it will play 10 of 12 at home. It also brought the the Wizards back to .500 at 16-16.

NBA Notes

The NBA and the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to find out who made an apparently bogus telephone call to the Target Center claiming Michael Jordan’s mother had been hospitalized. Jordan found out about the call at halftime of Tuesday night’s 99-95 loss to the Timberwolves, after he had scored 17 points to set an NBA record with his 788th consecutive game in double figures. NBA spokesman Chris Brienza said the league was working with the Timberwolves to investigate the call. Criminal charges are possible if the caller is identified. Jordan was informed when he went to the locker room that someone claiming to be his brother Larry had called the arena’s command office to say his mother had been rushed to a hospital. Jordan said he eventually determined the call was a hoax, but he missed the first 3:14 of the third quarter trying to make sure, and admitted he was shaken by the incident. . . . Dallas Maverick General Manager Don Nelson has agreed to remain as coach through the 1999-2000 season. Nelson, who replaced Jim Cleamons as the coach on Dec. 4, said that he will turn over the coaching duties to a new coach at the end of the 1999-2000 season to concentrate on his duties as general manager.