DeRozan Leads Raps To Big Win, Before Going Down Late.

The Raptors prior to this one took the advice the Dino Nation Blog has been offering from the start of the season They waived which is a nice way to say cut Rasaul Butler who had been a major disappointment the entire season. He had been buried on the bench for quite some time. Raptors may be looking at bringing in some guys on 10 days now with both Carter and now Butler released and the roster down to the bare minimum. That is in the days to come as for tonight they take on the New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin returns to the site of one of the big moments of his Linsanity to run here at the ACC. Knicks are in a tight race to hang on to a playoff spot so expect them to be going all out against the Raptors tonight.

DeRozan opens up the scoring with a baseline jumper and that is followed by a Bargnani three and Raptors open up with 5-0 lead. Bargnani with a nice move draws a foul on a nice pump fake by Bargnani sending him to the line for a pair and Raptors had a 9-2 lead. Raptors had an 11-4 lead and Mike Woodson who was a perfect 5-0 coming into this one as Knicks head coach wanted a time out. Raptors were taking 3 pointers and not making them giving the Knicks a chance to get back in this game but they were not taking full advantage still down 15-9. DeRozan with a nice two point effort nails it. Lin answers with a drive and score to mix of cheers and boos. Raptors were on fire early 8/15 from field and another DeRozan bucket. Amare Stoudemire with a nice score in the paint and the Raptors still had a 19-14 lead. Jeremy Lin had a turnover and was getting the John Cena treatment from the Toronto crowd some cheers and some boos. Raptors had an impressive start with a 25-16 lead in the first quarter. DeRozan the more efficient but both he and Bargnani had 9 points a piece.

Knicks on shot 36.8% in that first quarter. Ed Davis after a sloppy turnover makes up for it on the next possession getting the Raptors lead to 10 at 29-19. Raptors lead kept growing and was up to 12 with a time out on the floor. Knicks cut that lead in half to 6 with 7:26 to play in the half. Knicks had a chance to cut the lead further but after a missed three they would turn it over on a bad Davis pass looking for Chandler in the lane. Again the Knicks had a chance to cut into the lead and the Raptors switched to zone which leads to a deep three from Lin that doesn't fall. But you had the feeling the Knicks were going to get back in this if they cleaned some things up. Anthony got the lead down to 4 but Bargnani nailed a jumper in the lane to make it 35-29 with just over 4 to play. James Johnson took a ill advised three made up for it with a steal and a pretty lay-up to make the lead 6 once again. Despite shooting 5/19 in the quarter the Raptors still lead this game 37-31 with 1:20 left to go in half. A missed dunk by James Johnson on an air ball Raptor attempt summed up the Raptors offense in the 2nd quarter nicely. A Novak three in corner at the buzzer made this a 3 point game at the half in favour of the Raptors. It was 39-36 and these teams looked hard pressed to to get to 80.

An Aaron Gray turnover looked to be a sign of more of the same. Jeremy Lin to cheers followed by Boos hit a 3. Stoudemire scored to get the Knicks as close as they have been with the score 41-40. Back to back Bargnani buckets with an Anthony deuce in between. Raptors would get the lead back to 5 as the Knicks seemed content to chuck up three attempt, after three attempt. The Raptors went on an 10-2 run after the Knicks got to with in one. Demar DeRozan would force the Knicks into a time out with an amazing finish on the alley oop. He had 20 and the Raptors had a 9 point lead. The Knicks offense was just awful in this game. A Chandler dunk over Bargnani out of the time out was nice though. But Amir Johnson answer with two on the other end and Knicks went right back to chucking three's as Lin missed another. Andrea Bargnani with a nice turnaround and the Raptors lead was 11 and trending upwards. Demar DeRozan wanted a three but settled for a long two and the Raptor lead was up to 14. Another DeRozan bucket made it 16 and for DeRozan he had 24 on the night and we still had 15:30 of game action to go. J.R Smith finally made a basket for the Knicks but Amir Johnson answered that score and it was 64-46 Raptors with just over 2 to play. Knicks showed a little life near end of 3rd with back to back hoops but DeRozan added two more to give the Raptors a 70-53 lead to take to the 4th.

Knicks were 1/17 from three point land. Safe to say that will need to improve for them to get back in this one that they have never led. J.R Smith makes it 1/18 from three to start the 4th. Smith would get an old fashion three with a shot and one foul to cut the lead to 14. Knicks started on a 7-0 run capped by a Novak three to make it 70-60. Gary Forbes gets back to back hoops to get the Raptors back on top by 14. Novak another 3 though and Knicks were trying to make a push. Gary Forbes was keeping the Raptors alive with 6 big points in the 4th and Bargnani had a nice slam after a J.R Smith bucket and Raptors had stabilized things and got lead back to 15. DeRozan would take it back to where we started with a huge slam and it was 82-65 Raptors. Salami and Cheese for everyone? It sure looked like it. Back to back steals finished with dunks would look similar to what the Knicks did to the Raptors earlier in the week. This time it was the Raptors rubbing the salt in the wounds on this night. Unfortunately at the end of this one with game pretty much decided Demar DeRozan would land awkwardly trying to block a shot and he would head straight for the locker room with 30 points and not returning. Solomon Albi even got in this one and scored. But the injury to DeRozan cast a damper on what was a tremendous win for the Raptors 96-79.

It was a great night for both DeRozan and Bargnani on this night. More for DeRozan but his late injury makes it hard to get the full satisfaction this win should have provided. Gary Forbes as mentioned really stepped up in the 4th and when the Raptors were on the ropes a bit he was the one that came out swinging. If DeRozan is seriously hurt it is unlikely we see him tomorrow in Chicago. The injury update on him will be vital. Ironically he would have tied Alvin Williams for the most consecutive starts in Raptors his if he were to suit up tomorrow in Chicago. That is in serious doubt now.

UPDATE 9:55PM: News on DeRozan is good. Eric Smith tweeted that DeRozan has tweeked his left ankle but should be good to go tomorrow in Chicago but will be reevaluated. So it appears he will travel with the team and will see from there.

Your Va-LIN-Tine's Knicks vs Raptors Preview

Happy Valentine's Day. There may not be another Valentine's Day like this ever for the Toronto Raptors. Having covered the Raptors for a normal game a time or two, the amount of media to welcome Jeremy Lin is off the charts. The last time I can remember the Raptors having to use the media lounge to hold a press conference in that room was for the Big 3 and the return of Chris Bosh to Toronto. There could be more people on hand today, for the arrival of the biggest story in the NBA this season. You almost forget that all of this Linsanity has taken place with the Knicks two biggest stars a couple weeks ago on the sidelines. Amare Stoudemire has been away from the team due to the tragic death of his brother. Carmelo Anthony may only be heading to the All-Star Game thanks to fan voting. He has been out with a groin injury.

But people only seem to care about Jeremy Lin these days. Spike Lee, the world's most famous Knick fan has turned his twitter account into basically the evaluation center for your Jeremy Lin nicknames. There is just no real comparable story that I can recall in watching basketball from being a kid back in the 80's.

The Raptors seem to like the big stage of late. They had a solid performance down in Miami not that long ago, Beat the Celtics and came oh so close to upsetting the Lakers. This may sound silly, but in terms of a stage to perform on this season, it might not get any bigger than it is tonight. Yes that includes when Chris Bosh and the Heat roll through in the end of March. Chris Bosh could only dream of having the attention of Jeremy Lin.

If we go back in time when Lin was released by the Warriors, I had thought Toronto would have been a good landing spot. The Raptors are now out in the media saying they strongly considered him. Apparently so strongly that they signed Anthony Carter instead? There is a chance we might see Carter get some minutes guarding Lin, if Jerryd Bayless is not able to go. He is a game time decision for anyone that cares about anything not related to Linsanity. Carter or for that matter Calderon don't seem like much of a match for the Jeremy Lin show. Although, the Calderon we saw vs the Lakers can hold his own scoring with Lin.

As much as I might take credit for seeing Lin as a fit for the Raptors. That was as 3rd point guard flyer that would draw some media buzz. But here is something I got very wrong. I picked the Knicks to win the Atlantic Division, and I really didn't see it as much of stretch. They did lack a point guard, but I figured they would find a way to acquire one and maybe even get really lucky and get a bargin price for Steve Nash. Instead, the Knicks lack of a point guard was glaring and until Jeremy Lin jumped into the spotlight, the Knicks were no lock to make the playoffs let alone win the division. Now you have Lin and Stoudemire expected to return shortly. Not sure if that means as soon as tonight but soon. Mello eventually will be back and that will be the test. Will these two superstars fall in line and let the Linsanity continue. Do they even have a choice at this point? Can Lin do what I thought a Nash would do and give the Knicks the balance needed for both Stoudemire and Mello to be effective. That will be the test.

For the Raptors the test on this night is pretty much how they defend the pick and roll. A lot of what Jeremy Lin does is based on his ability to work the pick and roll in the half court. He is not the world's greatest shooter from the outside yet. But did poke holes in that theory vs the Lakers. My money says that Dwane Casey is going to throw a lot of zone looks at Lin and the Knicks to see how they handle that. The Comparison of the story of Jeremy Lin and his quick rise to the biggest story in sports compares to Tim Tebow. However, the comparison stops there. Lin has not re-invented how you play the game of basketball. He is consistent for most of the 48 minutes of a game that he is on the floor. Tebow used an offensive style that has not been used in the NFL in likely 50 years and had magical finishes after horrible beginnings. That is not Jeremy Lin.

3 keys for tonight:

1. Defend the Pick and Roll: How the Raptors defend this will ultimately determine there fate more than anything else. If Lin is able to work the pick and roll with little difficulty you can expect Linsanity to continue and the Raptors to get carved up.

2. Transition D: In the system the Knicks run it is all about getting the ball and running. Steve Nash was the greatest conductor of this system. He would make the scoreboard pop like a pinball machine. Making stars out of average players. So the Raptors have to be alert in transition and avoid turnovers that can lead to breaks.

3. Attack the hoop: Knicks really lack any kind of shot blockers that you would fear. Especially minus Stoudemire. So attack them and take everything to the paint early and often. You turn this into a jump shooting contest and you are playing into the Knicks hands.

That about does it other than to remind you that we have are MGDDNBVIP Contest #2 that ends at the conclusion of this game. If you missed the video yesterday here is the guys from our Round Ball Review with the contest details:



Good Luck and after this contest will have 2 more chances to win between now and Thursday.

Raps Catch A Break In NYC?

It can be hard to keep up with this schedule being condensed it can be hard to keep up with all the games. Here is a handy little offering from The NBA on YouTube:



So that was what happened yesterday including the Raptors meltdown in Orlando. They move on the New York City where an opportunity is knocking for them. Amare Stoudemire turned an ankle on the Knicks west coast road trip and is a game time decision for tonight vs the Raptors. The Knicks went just 1-2 on that road swing west and will be looking for a win at home to climb above the .500 mark. Even with no Amare they will still have to deal with Carmelo Anthony.

In terms of the Raptors they need some one to step up be the second option consistently to be the Robin for Andrea Bargnani in terms of scoring. That is suppose to be Demar DeRozan, but it has been a struggle for DeRozan who has failed to put together a solid 4 quarters of offence together this season. He is trying to establish a three point shot that he worked on in the summer. It is still not there yet. While he has improved the shot it is still the weak part of his game. Even in his mid-range game he is forcing a lot of shots. He needs to get back to being a slasher and getting points in transition. His handles are still a weak point as well. There is a lot of things that need some work. It seems he more than anyone is having trouble with balancing the new defensive system and his offensive game.

Ed Davis has also struggled after a solid opener. His minutes have been less than you might have expected in part due to the great performance of Andrea Bargnani. After Bargnani logged 40 minutes yesterday on the 2nd night of a back to back Ed Davis could see some more minutes tonight and he needs to use them. The Raptors main issue will be what to do when Jose Calderon has to take a seat. Jerryd Bayless was ruled out of both yesterdays game and tonight's and will be re-evaluated when the Raptors return to Toronto on Tuesday. He had an ugly ankle turn in Dallas that has him on the sidelines. Calderon himself has not been durable and you worry if the Raptors over play him to compensate for the loss of Bayless it could cost them in terms of Calderon's health. Anthony Carter has not really been that impressive in the minutes he has seen since the Bayless injury. Barbosa and Forbes can play the point but are less than ideal options. Bayless was not off to a great start to the season but it seems clear he is better than any of the Raptors other options.

Knicks know all about struggling point guard play. They are actually hoping that Baron Davis once he can get healthy can be the answer. I would say that the Knicks sooner rather than later will be in the market for a point guard. The problem is what exactly do they have to get one?

It is a 7:30pm tip time at the New Look Madison Square Garden. You can find it on tube on Sportsnet 1. On the Radio as always on the Fan 590. I like always will be tweeting my face off @dinonationblog.

NBAZ In 7 DayZ - Playoff Edition

The least debated of the post season awards was handed out, and no surprise Dwight Howard wins the Defensive MVP for a 3rd straight year. No one has ever accomplished that feat. But the harder feat for Dwight will be to take his Magic anywhere in the playoffs. The group around him is anything but defensive minded. The Hawks who took game 1 of their opening round series against the Magic. They last season took the worst beating in the history of the NBA Playoffs. That humiliation might have just motivated the Hawks to show up this year. It motivated them to send Mike Woodson packing. He was the coach in Atlanta for 6 years and improved his win total every season. But his team and their lack of performance in the playoffs was the reason he was let go. Stan Van Gundy has to worry about his future if the Magic go out in first round. Not that he will lose his job, but he very well could lose Dwight and that would make his job a lot tougher to keep in the future.

I had told you that the Boston and Knicks series would be closer than people thought. That Amare Stoudamire if he plays big in this series could help the Knicks upset Boston. In Game 1 both of those were true. It was a pretty exciting game and if the Knicks can come up with a similar effort they might just be able to head back to New York tied at 1. Boston just has not been the same since Kendrick Perkins was dealt at the deadline. Despite Jermaine O'Neal being able to turn back the clock in game 1, he is no Kendrick Perkins. Rajon Rondo has not exactly played to his All-Star level of late. Maybe he should watch Russell Westbrook for some inspiration. Boston also might have noticed that the Miami Heat trashed the Sixers last night and that Chris Bosh guy is looking pretty good. But Boston has to get there in the first place to face the Heat and that will not be an easy task.

Speaking of turning back the clock how about Jason Kidd? He was pretty amazing in game one for the Mavs. He hit six shots from beyond the arc and had one of the best playoff performances of his long career. Dirk also got a bit dirty getting in the paint and taking the ball to the hoop. The Blazers on the other hand could say they didn't get the full bang for their buck. Gerald Wallace who I said would be key in the Blazers upsetting the Mavs was not exactly the factor he needs to be in game 1. Also the Blazers have a huge advantage with Lamarcus Aldridge and the need to take advantage of it. Tyson Chandler is a good to great defender in the post. But Aldridge is quicker and can make jumpers from the mid-range. You wish that the old Brandon Roy was still around. But injuries have taken away the brilliance that once was Brandon Roy. I still don't trust the Mavs and will see how they respond once they face some adversity in this series. If they can get out of Dallas up 2-0 that would be well advised. The Rose Garden is one of the better environments in the NBA.

Many have raved about what a great weekend of basketball it was. This is true it was some of the best first round basketball we have seen in the playoffs in quite some time. Both number one seeds were pushed to the brink. The Bulls survived and won a similar type game last night coming out on top in a tight affair. The Spurs were not as lucky going in the history books as the first team to lose a playoff game to the Grizzlies Franchise. I can't help but still feel sad as no matter how good these playoffs can or will be it is not going to change one fact. That fact is that when it all is over and a champion is crowned that might be it for a very long time. The Lockout is looming and it is like a dark cloud that has hung over my head all season. Part of me says just enjoy the moment and not think about it. But that is very hard to do for me seeing as I try to eek out a living covering this sport. But I will try my best. No question the product on court right now has been pretty fantastic.

An Instant Classic In NYC

Raptors are 5-1 when they win the First Quarter. First thing about that is they have only done it 6 times. Second thing is when they do it they likely win. In NBA in general team that wins first Quarter wind up winning about 70% of time. So in short....Start BETTER!!!

1st Quarter.

It looked better at least in first 3 minutes. Better D and buckets from Bargs, Demar and Calderon and an 8-4 lead. Knicks fought back and tied it up at 8. It was shaping up as a close battle as it was 13-12 Knicks. The good news was at least early the 3's were not falling for the Knicks. Gallinari took it right at Ed Davis with a slam and Calderon on the other end nails the jumper even up at 16. Both teams were not exactly taking care of the basketball leading to a pace that both teams like in going up and down. Knicks are better at it though. Calderon nails a 3 ball and Raps had a 4 point lead with under 5 to play with the score 20-16. Knicks answer with a Gallinari 3. This was staying tight tied at 22. Kleiza misses 2 free throws then fouls on the other end. He has not been good and that is an understatement. I would rather see Wright getting some of his time personally. Did he hear me typing? Nails a 3 ball on a nice set from Bayless. It would spark a 9-0 run to give the Raptors a 32-26 lead. Raps get that start we talked about off the top with a 32-28 lead after 1.

2nd Quarter

Raps get an easy 2 from Sonny Weems to start the 2nd Quarter. That would get Raps off on the right foot and they would build a 37-28 lead to start the 2nd in style. From there it was up and down and teams trading buckets to make it 41-32. Bayless had some assists coming off the pine. A Bargnani basket would make the lead 11 and the Knicks needed to take a time out and figure some things out. Bargs already has 14 and was off to a hot start and was demanding the ball as well nice to see. Douglas open 3 would cut the lead to 8 but the Raps responded with back to back buckets and made the lead a dozen the largest of the night to that point. Even without Amir the Raps were playing Kleiza at the 4 and that was working well. Why no Amir...early fouls not a new story there.

But the Knicks were making a push as Chandler nailed a 3 and then Felton another 3 and a 12 point lead was down to a 3 point lead 53-50. At this point Jay Triano calls a time out and honestly what is he going to say that hasn't been said. Raps can't allow teams like the Knicks to get open looks from 3. Knicks got it to with in 1 point and Bargs nails the clutch 3 ball to get lead back to 4. But the Knicks came storming back and Landry Fields had a serious score to tie it at 56. Jose complaining about a call gets teched up or rather the lack of a call. Tech is made and 12 point lead is officially gone 57-56. A late Amare bucket would give Knicks a 59-57 halftime lead.

3rd Quarter

Apparently the Raptors lead was up to 13 at one point. Perhaps I looked down....but 12 or 13 no matter that lead was history. Bargs gets a score right out of the gate to tie it at 59. Good news for Raps as their have been times we have seen Bargs go off in first half only to disappear in the 2nd half. He is the Magician and all but not the way we want him to be if that happens. Demar had a sick dunk but it disappeared thanks to an Amir Johnson offensive foul his 3rd. Bargnani would step up and give the Raps a 64-63 soon after.

Raps D was still a concern as Chandler had a nice baseline slam to give the Knicks the lead 68-66. Raptors were 3 of 13 in quarter and another miss and Knicks score....Time to talk it over. Time out Raptors trailing 70-66 with 6:20 to play in the 3rd. Bargs drops a dime to DeRozan that was his 5th. Then Bargs scores to giver him 26 and tie the game at 70. Raptors were doing a good job getting to the line 21 times so far and with 4:20 left in quarter 77-74. Demar DeRozan was starting to get it rolling showing people just what he is capable of doing. He had 17 and the Raps had a 81-78 lead. Bargnani would check out and an odd line up of Bayless, Barbosa, DeRozan and Davis and Kleiza was on the floor. Bayless a nice drive and score and 1 would get the lead back for the Raptors after they had given it away. Rookie mistake by Ed Davis with a silly foul on Amare. It ends up all even at 84 heading to the 4th.

4th Quarter

Win or lose I can live with what we have seen tonight some growing and learning both good and bad for a number of individuals. A Fields 3 to start the 4th was not good. Bargs with a 2 point answer and Bargs has been consistent tonight. At least on this night Bargnani was playing like a franchise player. He has 30 and has kept the Raptors in this game. Sonny Weems was back in and I am pretty confident it was not to take a 3 which he missed and the Raptors were trailing 91-89. But the Bargnani show continues on as he scores and has a season high 32. But Amare answers to make it 96-93 Knicks with 6:40ish to play.

Bad offensive possession and Bargs fell down trying to get back on D and it would lead to another Amare score on the break. Time out and Raptors needed it as they were on the ropes stuck 5 as Jack Armstrong would say. Weems struggles continue as Amare took care of him but got back and got on the glass and leads to the Bargnani basket plus a foul which he makes and he has a new career high of 35 and hopefully counting. But Amare would answer again and it was 100-96 Knicks. Fields would score and have his own and 1 that he missed but Amare got the board and Knicks could not cash in. Weems would draw contact as Demar dropped it off trying to get his buddy going. Makes the free throws and it is 102-98 Knicks. Bargs was on the bench for a quick or not so quick rest..meantime Raps were down just 2 with score 104-102 closing in on 2 minutes to play.

Demar DeRozan would draw the 5th foul on Amare and head to the line with a chance to tie it up with 2:09 to play. Demar makes both and is 7-8 at the line and were tied at 104. More Amare though and he scores again. Bargs would draw contact at the other end and he split a pair at the line. Just 1:30 to go and Raps can't stop Amare he scores again and has 16 in the Quarter. Raps go to Bargs and he scores. But Amare answers on the other end this was a 2 man battle....Raptors trailing 110-107. Raps get nailed with a costly 5 second cal but Knicks can't make them pay. Bargs a 3 for the TIE NAILS IT!!!!. But Raymond Felton answers and gets a kind roll with just 2.7 left gets the answer 3. Bargs from VERY DEEP....NO!!! But still what a night for Brags with 41 points and 7 boards. In the end he needed 44 for the Raptors to extend this game but couldn't do it. Knicks win 113-110.

That being said this was by a long way the best game of Andrea Bargnani's career. At least on this night he was every bit "The Franchise" player that Amare was for the Knicks. A tough tough way to lose but the Raptors brought all they had and fell up short tonight. I can live with that as I think all Raptor fans can. Knicks have won 12 of 13 and 6 in a row. The Knicks have turned the corner and are one of hottest teams in the NBA.

3 Strikes Your Out At MSG

Yes it is only December but for those of you holding out hope for the playoffs tonight is a very important game. If the Raptors lose tonight the season series with the Knicks is a wrap. If they some how find a way to win they will keep the season series alive till April 5th. That being said a tiebreaker vs the Knicks might not mean a thing. The Knicks are looking really good of late and are winners of 5 straight. The Raptors have lost 2 in a row starting with a disappointing loss to these Knicks. Demar DeRozan and Sonny Weems did not play well vs the Knicks. Both have had their struggles of late and talk of changes to starting line-up have become popular. I would just say to that, if this year is about development you let them try and figure it out. However, they do need to figure things out sooner as opposed to later.

The Basics: New York 13-9 (4-5 at Home) Raptors 8-13(2-8 on the Road)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors were giving up 3-balls at an alarming rate and when the pinball machine stopped they had a 24 point loss in Indiana. A lack of perimeter defence has been a serious issue of late. This was a constant problem last season and it is becoming a growing one for this year.

Key Match-Ups: Really they have not changed in a week. Demar DeRozan needs to be better than Landry Fields. I joked around the last time saying Landry who? But he was the rookie of the month in the Eastern Conference. For a 2nd round pick to do that is a pretty huge accomplishment. But Demar is a lottery pick from the previous draft and has to show he is the superior talent. Amare Stoudamire has feasted on the Raptors in 2 games so far averaging 25 points and 10.5 rebounds in 2 meetings. Bargnani in the same 2 games is averaging 19 points and and 6.5 rebounds. Obviously perimeter defence will be essential to have any chance at winning.

Other Things of Note: The Knicks have just not won 5 straight but 10 of their last 11 games. The lone loss came to Atlanta 99-90 back on November 27th. This winning of 10 of 11 came on the heels of 6 game losing streak. The Raptors have a 3 game winning streak at MSG and an overall 11-18 record in NYC all-time. The Knicks are averaging 107.7 points per game this season and are shooting 46.6%. The Knicks in the Season Opener shot 26% from 3 Point Range but in their latest win shot 44.4% from beyond the arc. It appears the Raptors were fortunate that they were in New York because if they had not been it sures seems like Jay Triano would have had them practising. But as in all things in New York with no notice getting anything in New York is next to impossible. But Triano was clearly not happy about his team's play in Indiana and if you watched it you know why he has reason to feel that way.

Flat Raps Get Flattened By Knicks

Just going give some thoughts on today's game. If you missed it and want a blow by blow of the game check out the Live Blog I did for The Score. So here are some thoughts about what I saw.

1. There was no secret to the fact the Knicks were going to shoot from 3. They make almost 9 a game as I mentioned in our preview. So the Raptors lack of defence on the perimeter especially early in this game might have been the most disappointing aspect. You don't even need a game plan to know this.

2. Andrea Bargnani coming off a double double was just awful. He had 16 and 7 but based on what the Knicks did, he should have had a big day. For most of the day the Knicks had Wilson Chandler defending him. You should have been posting him up all day and with that as your man you should have been a force of the offensive boards. I would not call 1 board on the offensive glass doing that.

3. Demar and Sonny got crushed in their match-ups as Fields and Chandler were much better on the day. They just didn't have it today on defence. Offence was not great from Demar with 12 and Sonny with just 4 points. Both were just not good today.

4. Defensively the rotations were just awful. Nothing else to say...Awful.

5. Time out usage by Triano was not good. Now granted the way this team played today it likely doesn't matter, but it started early when Knicks got up 13-8 after making an open 3. I would have called a time out right there. Triano didn't and it just got worse and he had to use a time out anyway. There were a few other points where Triano just was slow on the draw.

6. Only 2 guys that played well were Amir Johnson and Jerryd Bayless. Both were very good and it was a shame to see their efforts wasted.

7. Kleiza just isn't as good as people thought he was. I heard a Hedo comparison in our live blog. That wasn't fair but if people even in jest are making that comment you aren't getting it done.

8. Ed Davis has been a pleasant surprise so far...nothing flashy but 6 points and 8 rebounds. I will take it. Like to see a block or two but my expectations are very low given all the time he has missed.

9. Pizza....WHO CARES....If you go to a basketball game to get a free slice of Pizza....STAY HOME. Raptors honestly need to CHANGE THIS PROMOTION and DON'T wait till Next Year!!!

10. Amare has made me a believer. I expected him to be a big flop in NYC. Really showing he can handle the spotlight. Some guys fail when they leave Steve Nash behind...others don't and Amare has been big in helping turn the Knicks around. They WILL BE a playoff team.

Final Score was 116-99 win for the Knicks, and it was not as good an effort as we saw on opening night, that is not progression that is regression. People getting hopefully of the Raptors being a playoff team may need to think again. It is part of the process with a young team. Consistency is a talent. I forget who said it, think it was Bill Russell, but whoever did say it was on the money. Raptors have not got to the point where they are that. It is a long road to establishing yourself and Raptors are still very early in that journey.

NYC Pay Back For The Raps???

When we started this for real on Oct 27th the Toronto Raptors let one slip away vs the Knicks. Some people have begun to believe the playoffs are possible. If they truly are, a game like today is one the Raptors have to get. The Knicks are improved and making the playoffs is almost required for them after they paid a ton of money to Amare Stoudemire. Both teams come into this Sunday afternoon game on winning streaks. One will continue and one will end.

The Basics: New York 11-9 ( 7-4 vs East) Toronto 8-11 (6-4 at the ACC)

When Last We Saw Them: I was a witness to the Raptors win vs the KDless Thunder. It was Calderon and Bargnani having nice nights. While the Young Onez sparked the rally to get the Raptors in position to win. Good help D and great passing helped make it happen.

Key Match-ups: Raymond Felton vs Jose Calderon. In this match-up Jose should/can win it on the offensive end and if the Raptors play D behind him like they did on Friday he won't lose it on the defensive end. Both guards will be encouraged to push the pace and get their teams going in transition. The team that can do that the most and the best will likely win this game. Demar DeRozan vs Landry Fields. Landry who? Exactly...Demar needs to take advantage of this match-up. 2 straight good games for Demar and I heard from him myself the hamstring is feeling much better. Time to go out and shine on both ends of the floor. Andrea Bargnani is coming off a double double. Yes Bargnani had a double double. Today he lines up against Amare and to make it 2 straight double doubles will be no easy task. Two bigs that can score the ball easily but both are taken to task at times for their effort on the glass and their defence. Also for the Raps they need to pay attention to the other Italian on the floor in Gallinari he can do damage from 3 if you allow him to get open looks.

Other Things Of Note: Raptors all time have a 18-11 (At ACC Raps are 18-5) advantage vs New York all time in Toronto. Both teams average scoring over 100 points ( Knicks 106.7 Raptors 101.3) and also give up over 100 (Knicks 106.1 Raptors 102. 1). But when the two first hooked up the score remained in the 90's. Knicks average almost 9 makes from 3 point range, and that means perimeter defence will be vital for the Raptors. I am doing this game for The Score.com and ScoreMobile so come join our Live Blog of Raps and Knicks.

Case you missed it: We had short interviews with newest Raptor Jerryd Bayless and a long time former Raptor favourite in Morris Peterson. So if you have not read them go check them out. More to come with stuff from Sonny and Demar and working on a feature about our Canadian kids playing at Texas featuring Kevin Durant.

"Jiggly Bits"

Things are getting interesting. The Lakers are now playing like NBA Champions, Boston handed Orlando their first loss at home since mid-March and the Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to survive amidst rumours of possible coach and player movement. Also, Raptors fans will be paying close attention to the NBA Draft lottery today since the first three picks in July's draft will be determined by the lottery. The rest of the lottery teams will select positions 4 through 14 in opposite order of their consolidated standings at the end of the regular season. So take the Raptors and say, New Jersey. The nets finished with a 12 and 70 record so they get 250 tickets placed in the proverbial draw. The Raptors finished with a 40 and 42 record and get 7 chances at possibly getting a first pick in the draft. It may look like the Nets are a shoe-in for a choice pick but that's why they call it a lottery, right? Anything can happen. Same goes for the playoffs and the Cavs' future, so let's get to it.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the setting Suns

I have been living accross the street from my neighbour Clayton for a few years now and I don't know why it took me this long but in one of our classic and heated 'driveway debates' over the weekend, he professed his undying loyalty to the Phoenix Suns. He even made the Canadian argument. Ok. Before we go any further, we all know my allegiance to the purple and gold. I appreciate Steve Nash's skills and I know he has a spot in the Hall one day. My will to cheer for the Lakers over the Suns does not stem from me anti-Canadian. Far from it. The Lakers have a rich history with Jamal "the silk" Wilkes, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Magic Johnson and now Pau Gasol and Kobe, to name a few of my favourites. Looking at the stats and looking at the history, the Los Angeles Lakers do it for me. Sure, everyone told me going into the playoffs Kobe and the gang were going to get sidelined since this was Lebron James' year to win the final dance. Instead, Lebron is at home wishing he had better prom dates around him and Kobe is laughing. Especially after last night.

So the Lakers take game one of the Western conference final, by 21 points (128-107). Finally, no more games won by a mere bucket. They needed to win like they did last night since there were so many questions about the Lakers bench compared to the Suns' bench. And then there's always Kobe's knee. Watching last night's game was like watching game tape in coaching school about how to run systems. The Lakers seem to have an answer for everything. They ran the triangle both offensively and defensively but it was on the defensive end that was key for them. This shut down Steve Nash and held him to only 13 points and 13 assists on the night.

Also, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson always preaches the third quarter push and Kobe listened with 21 of the 40 points he got last night coming in the third quarter alone. No question marks left about his knee after a performance like that. There were questions swirling around his abilities going into game one since Kobe didn't practice much with the team during the 7 day break they had since sweeping the San Antonio Spurs. But he did concentrate on shooting according to Phil Jackson and it certainly paid off huge against the Suns in game one. I am wondering though, what Suns Coach Alvin Gentry is going to change about their game plan for game two. Their strong point has been their bench, aside from Nash and Stoudemire. But with Lamar Odum putting up 19 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers as he did in game one, game two will be a challenge for the Suns if they don't show their bench is just as deep.

More than a Feeling - Boston over Orlando

"It's more than a feeling - When I see how Rondo and Allen play - I begin dreaming - Of an NBA final: Boston and L.A.....". Songwriter Tom Shultz took five years to write the original hit for the rock legend, Boston - however, wouldn't it be nice if my little diddy came true? If game one of either series is any indication, the dream I had last night is not too far off. They only won by four (92-88) but Boston showed Orlando they are not the only ones looking for a winning streak. This was Orlando's first loss at home since mid-March and was also Vince Carter's first taste of playing in a conference final. He was a sneaky little one on Sunday in game one, wasn't he? Missing a free throw on purpose so Jameer Nelson could get the rebound and lay-in. The gamble paid off but not in the momentum department since the Magic never lead once during the game and that's only happened once this season. In the first 16 minutes, Orlando scored 14 points, so Boston was making them play uncomfortable from the start. That's what you need to do with a team like the Orlando Magic who have been on a kind of "under the radar" streak with all this talk of Lebron or Kobe going to the final. Ray Allen was finding a way to drive the lane and not always sticking to the jump shots. This helped him put up 25 points and 7 rebounds on the night for Boston. Plus, Orlando's last opponent -the Atlanta Hawks- just seemed to lay down and take whatever they got dished, hence a swept series for the blue and white. Now, Boston is trying to prove to Orlando they are not the doormats to wipe their collective high tops on, but a real contender.

Cleveland - a "should he stay or should he go" situation

So what. Lebron James may or may have spoken to Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls about possibly carrying his number 23 over to the windy city. Just a rumour at this point. What the Cavs should really be concerned about is their coaching situation. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has denied reports he fired Coach Mike Brown and is saying the Cavs are merely in the evaluation process. Let's pretend after this evaluation process Mike Brown does leave Cleveland. I don't think he'll have trouble finding a job with so many NBA clubs shopping for a man of his skill. When a team shops for a new coach, don't they usually consult the Lebrons of the club to get their input? Think about it. The Cleveland Cavaliers may have to search for a new coach not really knowing for sure if Lebron James will be in the Cavs' line-up next season or not. Plus, remember we are embarking on draft and free agency season now and this is no time to go shopping for essentials.

Hello Monday

For 3 series I have not picked the Boston Celtics. Each time doing it thinking they would regress back to the team that I saw in the regular season. It seems safe to say.... that is not going to happen. While everyone has been hyping the Magic to the moon, I have said not so fast. The Magic lost their first playoff game to those Boston Celtics, they got behind early and never could climb back in the game. In reality, this is the best team the Magic have faced the entire playoffs and it showed yesterday. Dwight Howard was held down for the majority of the game and Magic's not so secret weapon of the 3 point shot was firing blanks at times.

The Celtics have shown the pride and experience of a former champion that they are. Rajon Rondo has taken it to a whole other level. Rondo is without question the best point guard left in the playoffs. Yes even better than Canada's own Steve Nash. Rondo has just been off the charts and it has been amazing to watch. It is funny to think that there were people that thought the Celtics overpaid for Rondo. No one is saying that now.

Speaking of Steve Nash thought, he faces the challenge of beating the L.A Lakers. Not the easiest task in the world. Nash is likely the only match-up advantage that the Suns have advantage in this series. Everywhere else it favours the Lakers especially in the low post. Amare Stoudemire is in for a battle with Gasol and Bynum in the post. Not to mention the rest that Kobe Bryant has got, it could prove to be to much for the Suns.

If the Suns can not pull off a miracle, we are in for a finals re-match with Lakers vs Magic or Celtics. Much like the Magic, the Suns will be depending on the 3 point shot to fall. The Suns have been given praise for finally finding some defense in these playoffs. However, the Lakers and their Triangle Offense is a much different animal. My heart says Suns and my head says Lakers. Normally the head is right and the heart is wrong.

Heart is not something you put in a sentence with Vince Carter. I find it kind of funny how Vince is being hyped up. Here is the Vince Carter reality for folks. Vinsanity is much like Hulkamania. What is meant by that is for brief minutes of time you get excited and see flashes of the guy that amazed you. But then the reality comes back and you realize that Vinsanity as Hulkamania lives in your mind more than it does in actual reality.

I am actually very conflicted should the Magic be successful. On the one hand, Stan Van Gundy was robbed out of a championship by Pat Riley. I like Stan Van Gundy and think he is likely my favourite coach in the league at the moment. However to see Vince Carter rewarded for a career in which he never truly made the most of his talent turns my stomach. It makes me think of guys like Barkley, Ewing and others that never won a ring. They busted their butts for their entire careers and seem far more deserving of a ring than V.C.

For the Raptors get out those lucky charms cause you will need them. The odds of the Raptors getting a top pick in the Draft Lottery on Tuesday are very long indeed. That being said it does not exactly disappoint me. I am not as sold on John Wall and Evan Turner as the rest of the world seem to be. The New Jersey Nets are the team with the best odds to take home the top pick and end up with likely the consensus number 1 pick in John Wall.

I could be wrong on Wall, but I just am not convinced he has a winning attitude and despite his talent think this will be an issue on the next level. Not that he got to experience losing that much with Wildcats. If the Nets bomb out in free agency he will learn about losing in a hurry. Turner will be a good to great NBA player but not a difference maker for a franchise. The guy I like at the top of the draft board is DeMarcus Cousins. He has some of the same question marks in terms of character as Wall. But there is just something I like about this kid. If he can figure out how to stay out of foul trouble he can be a very good one in this draft. The reality is thought, Blake Griffin is next year's rookie of the year unless someone in this draft class surprises me. I am not a Blake Griffin fan either, but he is better than anyone in this class, and that includes Wall.

Just because Evans, Curry and Jennings were a success does not guarantee that Wall will be. I don't expect anyone to agree with me on Wall. But not many agreed with me when I said that Kevin Durant should have been the first pick over Oden. In the end the draft is about being right more than you are wrong and so far so good for me.

I will likely set up something to get together for the Draft Lottery depending on my schedule. So look for details tomorrow. Have a better Monday than Garfield and see you tomorrow.

Other Free Agents Not Named Bosh

I think we have all had are fill of Chris Bosh free agency talk haven't we? But just to be clear Bosh did tweet that he isn't saying he wouldn't consider Toronto. Which to also be clear Tracy McGrady said the same thing (That he would consider Toronto) and signed with Orlando at 12:01 am when free agency opened. Also to be clear, I need a personal break from talking about this and writing about it. So let's talk about some other folks and their future.

Let's start with Joe Johnson who is still in the playoffs and was named to the 3rd team ALL NBA. He has performed terrible for the Hawks. In game 7 vs the Bucks and Game 1 vs the Magic he was awful. It makes you wonder about his free agent status in this market. He is thought to be one of those guys on the B level behind Bosh, James and Wade. But really can you consider him that when he fails to perform in the biggest games of the year for his franchise? The Hawks as a team have been a brutal embarrassment and he is suppose to be one of the key players and leaders on this team. Safe to say if people were considering Johnson they may be rethinking that.

Speaking of Wade he had some interesting comments about the comments about Pat Riley. For some reason Riley decided to express that he would not rule out a return to the sidelines. Stan Van Gundy remembers how that works. But he is happy in Orlando thank you very much. Well as happy as Stan can ever be. Wade also remembers as he pointed out that he did win a title with Riley but also had a terrible season under him as well. That terrible season got the Heat a second overall pick that turned out to be Michael Beasley. Not exactly the Robin to Wade's Batman. While most feel that Wade's return to south beach is a lock. Many also feel that Bosh may be a guy to join him or someone will mention in a minute. I am not sold that Wade is a lock to return and think the front runner to have him leave would be Chicago. If Riley decided to force out another coach it may not be a wise move if he wants to have Wade to coach.

The other name you hear a lot in Miami and in New York is Amare Stoudemire. He is the fall back plan for the Knicks in New York. While in Miami the alternative to Bosh. All of this being said he is doing pretty well where he is with the Suns. He has been rumoured to be out the door with the Suns for what seems like forever. If dare I say the Suns made it to the Finals or won it would that change his thinking? Not sure but here is something to consider for both Amare shoppers and him. You know how you have on your car mirror that printing that says "things in this mirror appear larger and closer than they actually appear". Well the NBA should have a warning attached to free agents that play with Steve Nash. Players that play with Steve may not be as good as you think they are. Want some examples? Joe Johnson is the exception but how about Quinton Richardson, Raja Bell, Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw. No doubt Amare is talented but does he benefit from Nash and the system with the Suns? We may have the answer if he actually leaves. But don't look to his Twitter account for answers anymore than CB4's. Stoudemire last off-season posted on Twitter that he had been traded to the Lakers. It was of course totally bogus. But for about an hour he fooled the world. This summer he may fool someone into over paying for him.

Matt Bonner.....He is a free agent too. Why am I mentioning him? Simple answer is Canada. If Bonner can find a landing spot quickly he may be able to play for Canada in the summer. He also might be someone that the Raptors would look at if Bosh were to go. Not to replace him but to add some depth. It is important to remember not only Bosh is a free agent but so is Amir Johnson. If both were to go Toronto suddenly lacks depth at the 4 and 5 spot. The return of the "Red Rocket" would be nice but will not make up for the loss of Bosh. It won't win Raptors a title ether, but at least Bonner could flash his ring and show them what one looks like. However that maybe just a shot in the dark but let's hope he is signed somewhere so he can play for Canada. Not that Matt Bonner is the number 1 target for any team in the NBA.

That only scratches the surface of a huge free agent class that is going to be one of the most star studded ever. This is in part due to the fact that following summer the CBA will be over and a new one will need to be agreed too. All signs point to that not going well for the players side and even talk of a possible work stoppage. That is why everyone wants their money and they want it now. After this next CBA it may not be there for them.