Raptors Rewind- The Last Night On The Road Edition

Finally the Raptors are coming back to Toronto. But before that red eye flight back that I am sure they can not wait for, it is a game that should make sleeping on the plane pretty easy. The Golden State Warriors make it no secret what they do...Run. The only question is do you get sucked in to run with them and if you do can you win. They can't play defense and they don't care about it. O.K maybe they care but they accept the fact that they pretty much suck at it. What will the Raptors do to counter this up and down circus? Hammer the ball inside should be the answer. Use what you have in Bosh and O'Neal. Speaking of Chris Bosh instead of a national anthem for the Raptors Rewind how bout a funny story from Chris Bosh about his brother Joel and then a Holiday Greeting. To quote Chris Jericho " Monkeys in the Truck Roll The Video". O.K we don't have monkeys or a truck but enjoy a little CB4 prior to the tip off.







1st Quarter

Hope you enjoyed that pre-game entertainment let's hope the in game entertainment is as good. Jermaine O'Neal is starting but a bit under the weather according to Matt Devlin. An early foul and Raptors would inbound the ball from the side and miss a couple chances. The Raptors next trip Chris Bosh would score. Jermaine O'Neal would then get a bucket in the paint and that is the game plan. Warriors would get on the board with a Wright bucket. Marco Belinelli would hit a 3 pointer. Brandon Wright would get his second basket on the night and the warriors were off and running with a 7-4 lead. Stephen Jackson would score after Bosh had split a pair from the line. Bosh was back at the line again he would make both this time. Jermaine O'Neal would pick up a foul on Stephen Jackson and he would make both. Brandon Wright was at the line after Jackson and he made both. Stephen Jackson seemed in pain and it was mentioned that he had had some wrist issues earlier in the year. J.O would draw an offensive foul on Biedrins. Bosh would turn that into points on the other end with a basket it was 13-11

After a Warrior score the Raptors would get back to back 3- balls from Calderon and Kapono. Calderon would score again and the Raptors had an 8-0 run and had taken the lead 19-15. Stephen Jackson out of a time out hit a jumper and it looks like the wrist was fine. Marco Belinelli would hit a 3 pointer and Raptor lead was gone. However Andrea Bargnani was in the game and he scored a 2 pointer to answer his fellow Italians score. Jose Calderon was off to a hot start as he had another bucket and he had 7 points. Anthony Parker got a basket off the transition. Jermaine O'Neal had headed back to the locker room and was questionable with flu like symptoms. But Jose was hot but not in that got a fever I am sick way. He was hot with his shot as he made another and had 9 points now. Warriors were pushing back with there run and gun style and they took the lead back at 28-27. However Joey Graham would be able to show his skills heading to the rack and scoring and the Raptors had a 29-28 lead after 1 quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

Stephen Jackson made a 3-ball to start the quarter for the Warriors. Jake Voskhul who was getting some time with J.O sick in the locker room He took advantage and got himself a basket. I am becoming a Jake Voskhul fan, not a joke, after all he wears my old high school football number and plays like a football player. Andrea Bargnani interrupted my high school football flashbacks with a nice aggressive score. Jake after all my praise is out of the game with 4 fouls already. Like I said he plays like a football player. Chris Bosh was back in and he made a 3-ball and the Raptors were down just 1 with the score 37-36. Stephen Jackson picked Chris Bosh's pocket and it lead to an Azubuike dunk in transition.

Jermaine O'Neal had returned from the locker room and was back on the bench. He would be back in time to see Jamario Moon make a 3 pointer to tie the score at 39. But Stephen Jackson responded with a score he had 13 points. Calderon would find Chris Bosh for an alley opp and score. Calderon would then hook up Jamario Moon with an easy basket. Jermaine O'Neal checked back into the game. O'Neal would go down in a heap as he banged knees with a Warrior. It was not his night it seemed. For the record it was the right knee and not the much talked about left knee. Warriors scored a basket with the 5-4 power play with J.O down and out. Time out on the floor and O'Neal was back to his feet and getting a look from Scott McCullough the Raptors Trainer.

Andrea Bargnani would check in and he would get a basket and then he would get to the line and score a couple more. Raptors had a 46-45 lead with 3:50 to play in the half. Ronnie Turiaf would reject Chris Bosh and it would turn into points at the other end. He would do the same thing again and the Warriors had a 5-0 run thanks to Ronnie T with some D. Warriors now lead 51-47 with 2:28 left to go in the half. Raptors would respond with a score but Marco Belinelli was putting on a show with a 3 pointer and an Andrea Bargnani offensive foul and another Belinelli 3 pointer. The Warriors lead had increased to 58-50. Jose Calderon would get a needed basket for the Raptors. The Raptors had a chance to cut further into the lead but a Jackson steal and a foul on Jackson. He would make both and instead being down 4 the Raptors would be down 8. These are the type of things that cost the Raptors games A couple mistakes at the end of a quarter or half can be deadly. It was Warriors with a 60-52 halftime lead.

3rd Quarter

Warriors were 6 of 11 from behind the arc and shooting 53% from the field. Andrea Bargnani would start the second half as he was out after banging knees but it was more the flu that was the reason it seemed. Bosh would score a bucket but Jackson responded with a 3 pointer and another 3-ball and it was a 66-54 lead early on. Jermaine O'Neal was officially done for the night as well. Raptors would get a 3 pointer from Jamario Moon but were still down 11 points. Stephen Jackson was back at the line looking to extend that lead which he would and the Warriors quickly had built a 70-57 lead. Andrea Bargnani would miss a 3 pointer and this was not the way the Raptors will get back in this game. Jackson was back at the line and he was shooting 2 as Bosh picked up his 3rd foul. Jackson would hit both and the lead was now 15 points. But Jamario Moon was making from distance as he hit another 3 pointer. But the Warriors would score another 3 pointer from Marco Belinelli with a 3 pointer as the Raptors had switched to a zone. Moon hit his third 3-ball of the night and he was only Raptor on target from long range. Jose Calderon would score but the lead was still 10 with the score 75-65.

Biedrins and Bosh would exchange baskets. Jamal Crawford wanted in on the party as he hit a 3 pointer. It was an 80-67 lead with a time out on the floor. Bosh coming out of the time out would have a turn around jumper that he would miss. Joey Graham was able to get a score though on the next trip. Kris Humphries was in the game and took an ill advised jumper that he would miss badly. That was not going to earn more time for Hump who had not been seeing much. Warriors had built the lead back up to 14 points with an 83-69 lead with 3:39 to play. Kris Humphries was at the line and he would only make 1-2. Jose Calderon would find Joey Graham in transition for an alley oop. A Hump Jumper and a Bosh Jam as a trailer the Raptors had a much needed 9-2 run and had cut the lead down to just 7 points. Don Nelson called a time out with 2:23 left in the quarter and his team leading 83-76.

Stephen Jackson with a rare miss out of the time out. Raptors had about 4 chances to score on the other end and none of them would fall. It would end with a Joey Graham miss and a loose ball foul on Joey on Biedrins. He would only make 1-2 and Jose Calderon would drive and score on the other end. Biedrins was back at the line and a rare 2-2 for the 51% shooter from the line. Raptors would catch a break as Stephen Jackson felt he was fouled and he would get technical foul. Which would be made. Bosh would check in for a final play and he would get the ball but his high arc jumper would not fall. Warriors would take an 86-79 lead into the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter

I can't recall to many 4th quarter comebacks this year for the Raptors but they were in bad need of one now. Kris Humphries with a ugly drive and score plus a foul. He would make it and it was not pretty but effective. Hump would score off a pick and roll with A.P in response to a Warrior score. But Marco Belinelli would get another 3 pointer and he was on fire. Ronnie Turiaf would have a monstrous jam and let everyone know about it. He would get called for a technical that Raptors would make. Warriors would get another 3 pointer and it was a 96-87 lead with time ticking away. Ronnie Turiaf would have another score with a little less celebration.

Marco Belinelli was not just shooting he was passing as well. He had a nice find for his sixth assist and the Warriors had 100 points. Raptors only had 87 to this point. Joey Graham would have a jam after a 1-2 trip to the line the lead was down to 10. Bosh would score and cut the lead down to just 8 points. Warriors would score but Kapono would answer with a 3 pointer. Stephen Jackson would miss a 3 pointer but Parker would also miss a 3 pointer for the Raptors. Jackson would come back on the other end and score a 2 point shot and he had 30 points on the night. Joey Graham made a pair from the line but the Warriors still led 104-97. Chris Bosh would chop that lead down to 5 points with a bucket. But the Warriors would respond with a score. Joey Graham would then get his shot stuffed by Biedrins. Jose Calderon would get to the line and continue his streak of free throws as he had 70 straight to start the season. An offensive foul and Chris Bosh 3 pointer and the Raptors were all of the sudden down just 2 points.

The Raptors had 3 chances to tie or take the lead and none of them would fall. Biedrins would score on the other end for the Warriors and that would double lead to 4 points at 108-104 with 2:05 to play in regulation. These two teams did go to overtime in Toronto. Raptors had some work to do if they wanted a win or overtime in this game. However out of the time out the Raptors could not get a score. The Raptors would draw an offensive foul and keep the lead at just 4. Jason Kapono would score with a runner to cut the lead to 2 points. But the Warriors would answer on the other end. Raptors would have the ball stolen on the next offensive trip. Things looked bad with the score 110-106 with just 30.4 seconds left and the Warriors had the ball. Warriors would inbound the ball and get fouled Crawford would split a pair from the line. Raptors were down 5 points with 29 seconds to play. The Raptors out of a time out would have the inbound pass stolen by C.J Watson and this game was toast as Belinelli was fouled and headed to the line making both. Anthony Parker who had a poor shooting night made a 3-ball but it was to little to late. Belinelli made another pair from the line. Jose Calderon would drive and score he had a great night but this effort was going to waste. A Parker airball would sum up the play of the Raptors wing play on this night. Warriors got the win 117-111. A impressive boxscore for Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh but for a lot of others not so much. Both would gladly trade their impressive stats for a win.

Raps/Warriors boxscore

It is becoming painfully obvious that this team needs help. This 2-4 record on this road trip is just another sign that this team is just not good enough. Change must come to the Raptors. Bryan Colangelo is fast running out of time to save this season. I just don't think he can wait much longer. A long flight home and a very tough schedule in front of them these are tough times for the Raptors and at 12-19 it really is a case of watching a season slipping away really fast. There is a legit possibility that Raps could loss the next 3 games which would make them 12-22 heading to face the Bucks on the road. That just doesn't sound good at all. But it just seems unlikely that Raptors can beat any of the next 3 teams. At least I won't have to stay up this late trying to think clearly. So with that said good night everyone and thoughts from Matt Devlin tomorrow from our interview earlier today.