Hey y'all, my name is Ryan Richard(yes I do have two first names lol) and I am the newest contributor of this great blog. First and foremost I’d like to that James and Danielle for allowing me to become part of the DNB family. When it comes to sports you can say that I’m a fan of all sports. Whether it be baseball, golf, tennis etc. I have watched it all, except curling, because that’s just too much for me. But I have always been a fan a basketball, since it was the sport I grew up with and have viewed with more regularity. Growing up in the 90’s my main team was the Lakers led by Shaq and a then young Kobe, but upon arriving in Toronto in the summer of 2004 the Raptors were quickly added to that list, and now I can confidently say that I a bigger Raptors fan than a Lakers fan.
Overall I an a huge fan of the sport of basketball. In terms of what I can add to the DNB, as James stated I can bring that youthful flavour, which the Raps have a ton off, but I can also add an analytical and statistical point of view. For some reason I like reviewing and comparing stats of various teams, players etc. and with that I can come to various conclusions from which to give my opinion on. With that being said I know there are people who may disagree with my opinion and I accept that because if we all agreed on the same things, then writing about sports would be a pretty boring thing. Anyways I look forward to hearing from y'all in the comments, so let’s get this thing going.
1/4/11
Bargs Back As Raptors Back On Road
Paul Jones via Twitter says that Andrea Bargnani took part in practice with the team and is likely to go tonight and will be officially listed as probably for tonight's game. The Raptors have not exactly been setting the world on fire without him so that is welcome news. Not sure of the status for Weems and Bayless but likely they both are out but who knows. The Raptors will take whoever they can get that is healthy enough to put on a uniform. Chicago put the boots to the Raptors in a visit to the ACC and are playing some really good basketball of late so it will be a tough challenge for the Raptors tonight. They will be minus Noah though who after a great performance vs Toronto was forced from the Bulls line-up and is out for a long time yet. But Derrick Rose is good to go and he in his short NBA career has had a lot of success against the Raptors.
The Basics: Toronto 11-22 (4-12 on Road) Chicago 22-10 ( 14-3 at Home)
When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors gave a game effort but in the end faded to a more talented Boston Celtics club. Rajon Rondo returned which was good news for Boston who were without K.G. The lone bright spot aside from the Raptors hustle and fight being undermanned was the fact Demar DeRozan had another good night. After a career high 37 he followed it up with 27 on his home floor at the ACC. DeRozan for whatever reason has been better on the road versus at home. So it was nice to see a solid performance in front of what was a sellout crowd at the ACC.
Key Match-Ups: Rose against Calderon should be a big advantage for the Bulls. Calderon turned his ankle late in the Boston game and has been in and out of the line-up with foot/ankle issues. Calderon at 100% has a hard time staying in front of Rose. Carlos Boozer and Amir Johnson will match up and the key for Amir is to stay in the fight and avoid getting into foul trouble. If the Raptors have to turn to Ed Davis my guess is Boozer eats the rookie alive. Andrea Bargnani if he returns would have no one at the center position that could offer him much of a challenge. Kurt Thomas will challenge him on the glass and inside but is not going to be any match for him on the outside. Even if Bargnani is not at 100%.
Other Things Of Note: We at the DNB have added a staff member. Ryan Richard is joining our staff as our DNB Intern of sorts. You may know him better as @Ronny006 on Twitter. He is a big Raptor supporter and a real hoop junkie. He also likely knows what the hell "The Dougie" is and other things you young people know. I felt a good dose of youth would be good for the Dino Nation Blog. After all, the Raptors have a ton of it, so why not have someone closer to their age writing for us. Ryan is going to have his own feature and will be filling in for me from time to time when my Score schedule and the Raptor schedule are not in harmony. I am convinced he will make a positive addition to our team joining myself and Danielle. I had said in November that we were likely going to expand the blog to add more people. So this is likely not a surprise. But it is important to me we find the right people. I always make choices that will add to what we do and people that I am confident that will treat you the readers well and add to your enjoyment of the Dino Nation Blog.
Where Is It On? Rogers Sportsnet (RAPS ON MAIN CHANNEL WOW!!!)
"NBAz in 7 Days"
Happy New Year everyone. With a new year comes resolutions, redemption and repeats in the NBA. Some teams are set to resolve this is not the year for them (Toronto Raptors, par exemple). Other teams are looking to redeem themselves and right wrongs (Boston chasing a championship title or Miami proving everyone - at least in Cleveland - wrong). Then there are the teams who are desperately holding onto hope, despite their season record so far (L.A. Lakers), they will put another winning ring on their finger. Let's face it. Playoff predictions are merely educated forecasts into the future and since we lack a crystal ball here at the DNB, let's look at the facts and stats before us and begin our conversation here.
Standing out in the Standings
Let's look at the top five teams in the Eastern and Western Conference in order. In the East, we have Boston (26-7), Miami (27-9), Chicago (22-10), Orlando (22-12) and Atlanta (22-14). In the West, we have San Antonio (29-4), Dallas (25-8), Utah (24-11), L.A. Lakers (23-11) and Oklahoma (23-12). This is not to say teams not making today's top five discussion are ineligible of making a run at a playoff spot. But realistically, teams like Cleveland and Sacramento, bottom of the East and West respectively, are booking tee times right now.
Trying to figure out all the outcomes and variables going into any professional playoff race is daunting. So if anyone tells you they know -right now- who is going to win the 2011 NBA Championship beyond a shadow of doubt, is clearly still high on Christmas fruitcake. At this point in the season, we can look at variables and how these variables will move us forward. For example, at the start of the season, no team looked ready to stop the Lakers from making a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals. Not San Antonio, not Oklahoma and certainly not the Miami Heat. But now Miami is finding their rhythm and San Antonio has the best record in the league right now. It doesn't look as if we will have another Celtics-Lakers final but don't count out either team just yet. Both Boston and the L.A. Lakers are essentially playing with similar motives: a retiring or possible retirement of a coach or teammate. Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson announced at the start of the season this will be his last year coaching in the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal has made no such proclamations, however; if the Celtics win a championship this year, I seriously doubt Shaq will entertain the last year of his contract. Both teams are looking to go out on top.
East versus the West
No team in the Eastern Conference looks as though they can match what Miami and Boston can bring to the table. So if we forecast a Boston-Miami Eastern Conference Final, based on stats, playoff experience and consistent play, Boston takes the prize. But Miami's momentum as of late and finding their groove finally, is a variable. If our crystal ball is right and these two teams meet in the Eastern Conference final, it would be a classic. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh going head to head with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal? Priceless.
The Western Conference looks a little different but still, realistically, has two teams coming out on top: San Antonio and Los Angeles Lakers. Oklahoma is giving them a run for their money and Utah has a better record (by one game) but neither team match the core strength and talent of the Los Angeles Lakers. Which leaves Dallas, our second team in the West. A month ago, I might have said Dallas was going to be a real threat in the West but with Dirk Nowitzki, Rodrique Beaubois and now Caron Butler on the Dallas Mavericks' inactive list, things don't look to sharp for the Mavs. So based on what we have in front of us, a San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference final could be on the horizon. The variables to watch for the remainder of the season will be can players like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker move their their teams from playoff to championship contender? Will they stay healthy and be able to go the distance physically and from a conditioning standpoint? Will the Lakers finally get down to business and block out all distractions? Time will only tell.
Thanks for joining me this week. Join me again on Thursday for more Raptors' opponent analysis in "Behind Enemy Lines".
Standing out in the Standings
Let's look at the top five teams in the Eastern and Western Conference in order. In the East, we have Boston (26-7), Miami (27-9), Chicago (22-10), Orlando (22-12) and Atlanta (22-14). In the West, we have San Antonio (29-4), Dallas (25-8), Utah (24-11), L.A. Lakers (23-11) and Oklahoma (23-12). This is not to say teams not making today's top five discussion are ineligible of making a run at a playoff spot. But realistically, teams like Cleveland and Sacramento, bottom of the East and West respectively, are booking tee times right now.
Trying to figure out all the outcomes and variables going into any professional playoff race is daunting. So if anyone tells you they know -right now- who is going to win the 2011 NBA Championship beyond a shadow of doubt, is clearly still high on Christmas fruitcake. At this point in the season, we can look at variables and how these variables will move us forward. For example, at the start of the season, no team looked ready to stop the Lakers from making a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals. Not San Antonio, not Oklahoma and certainly not the Miami Heat. But now Miami is finding their rhythm and San Antonio has the best record in the league right now. It doesn't look as if we will have another Celtics-Lakers final but don't count out either team just yet. Both Boston and the L.A. Lakers are essentially playing with similar motives: a retiring or possible retirement of a coach or teammate. Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson announced at the start of the season this will be his last year coaching in the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal has made no such proclamations, however; if the Celtics win a championship this year, I seriously doubt Shaq will entertain the last year of his contract. Both teams are looking to go out on top.
East versus the West
No team in the Eastern Conference looks as though they can match what Miami and Boston can bring to the table. So if we forecast a Boston-Miami Eastern Conference Final, based on stats, playoff experience and consistent play, Boston takes the prize. But Miami's momentum as of late and finding their groove finally, is a variable. If our crystal ball is right and these two teams meet in the Eastern Conference final, it would be a classic. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh going head to head with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal? Priceless.
The Western Conference looks a little different but still, realistically, has two teams coming out on top: San Antonio and Los Angeles Lakers. Oklahoma is giving them a run for their money and Utah has a better record (by one game) but neither team match the core strength and talent of the Los Angeles Lakers. Which leaves Dallas, our second team in the West. A month ago, I might have said Dallas was going to be a real threat in the West but with Dirk Nowitzki, Rodrique Beaubois and now Caron Butler on the Dallas Mavericks' inactive list, things don't look to sharp for the Mavs. So based on what we have in front of us, a San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference final could be on the horizon. The variables to watch for the remainder of the season will be can players like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker move their their teams from playoff to championship contender? Will they stay healthy and be able to go the distance physically and from a conditioning standpoint? Will the Lakers finally get down to business and block out all distractions? Time will only tell.
Thanks for joining me this week. Join me again on Thursday for more Raptors' opponent analysis in "Behind Enemy Lines".
1/3/11
A Season In Limbo
As we sit here on the first Monday of January the Raptors sit tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-22. In the West we could honestly start talking about next season with a record like that. In the East though the Bucks sit 13-18 in the final playoff spot. Compare that to the West where Portland holds that 8th position at 18-16. While the playoffs remain a mathematical possibility it is highly unlikely it happens for the Raptors. All indications are this team is looking toward next season and beyond to be competitive.
What Colangelo is banking on is the New CBA and the bigger the owners win likely the bigger the Raptors will win to a point. Let's just take one small thing that the owners have wanted and use it as an example. They want to scrap the MLE (Mid Level Exception) all together. So if that were to happen it instantly takes teams that are over the cap out of the running in free agency. So the Raptors with cap room would be able to offer the most dollars to top level free agents. The option of a player taking less to play on a contender would almost be wiped away. Unless they are willing to take the league minimum to do it, or a contending team would actually have cap space of their own. Given the recent moves in Orlando and Miami it is not going to be them. In fact you go and find a contending team that has cap space, there is none that spring to mind. Maybe the Knicks? Thanks to the frenzy of activity for 2010 there is not a lot of teams with money to spend.
Toronto also has a group of young players that if the group can stick together could be very good with the addition of one or two top tier players. While lots of people make a lot of noise about playing in Toronto, if the team was able to win those detractors would not be as loud. If there is less competition in terms of free agency Toronto starts to look a lot more attractive to folks. Also when you consider to make the jump to the playoffs and being a contender in the East is a lot easier, that is another plus in the Raptors favour.
Colangelo is setting up the team in a way that it can be a contender in the NBA under the new CBA. It would seem that the owners are set on doing all they can to create a much more restrictive collective agreement and that will make the cap room the Raptors will have even more valuable. While talk of a lockout looms the end result of this latest labour war will be of huge importance to the Raptors moving forward. Colangelo has always tried to stay ahead of the curve in his moves as a G.M. He has shoved all the chips he can find in, betting on the owners winning to some degree in this new CBA. The moves he makes once that new CBA is established will make or break the Raptors for the next 5 years. He is going to have one final shot at getting it right.
Why is it so vital he gets it right other than the obvious ones. If he doesn't this new CBA will also likely lock him into the choices he has made and trading away his mistakes will not be as easy as it has been under the current CBA. So the next moves Colangelo makes have to be the right ones or the Raptors could be doomed for a long time to come. However, if he hits it right the Raptors could vault into the mix in the East as soon as next season and have a foundation to be a contender for the future.
In a sense this is a season in limbo for the Toronto Raptors. But anything their young emerging players can do will help add to the sales pitch to bring some top tier players to Toronto. Demar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani can be good solid players and if you added another couple proven talents into the fold, the Raptors could have a very appealing line-up when they suit up for next season. Assuming there is a next season that is. It seems almost unthinkable the NBA would be as stupid as the NHL and let an entire season go away just to win a labour battle. However, sanity in labour negotiations seldom happens.
It is a scary time for all of the NBA. But when the sun comes up and new CBA is in place, it could be a time for Raptor Fans to rejoice. Bryan Colangelo for whatever you think of him, always has a plan. If this one works it might be his greatest one since signing a guy from Canada to come play of the Suns.
What Colangelo is banking on is the New CBA and the bigger the owners win likely the bigger the Raptors will win to a point. Let's just take one small thing that the owners have wanted and use it as an example. They want to scrap the MLE (Mid Level Exception) all together. So if that were to happen it instantly takes teams that are over the cap out of the running in free agency. So the Raptors with cap room would be able to offer the most dollars to top level free agents. The option of a player taking less to play on a contender would almost be wiped away. Unless they are willing to take the league minimum to do it, or a contending team would actually have cap space of their own. Given the recent moves in Orlando and Miami it is not going to be them. In fact you go and find a contending team that has cap space, there is none that spring to mind. Maybe the Knicks? Thanks to the frenzy of activity for 2010 there is not a lot of teams with money to spend.
Toronto also has a group of young players that if the group can stick together could be very good with the addition of one or two top tier players. While lots of people make a lot of noise about playing in Toronto, if the team was able to win those detractors would not be as loud. If there is less competition in terms of free agency Toronto starts to look a lot more attractive to folks. Also when you consider to make the jump to the playoffs and being a contender in the East is a lot easier, that is another plus in the Raptors favour.
Colangelo is setting up the team in a way that it can be a contender in the NBA under the new CBA. It would seem that the owners are set on doing all they can to create a much more restrictive collective agreement and that will make the cap room the Raptors will have even more valuable. While talk of a lockout looms the end result of this latest labour war will be of huge importance to the Raptors moving forward. Colangelo has always tried to stay ahead of the curve in his moves as a G.M. He has shoved all the chips he can find in, betting on the owners winning to some degree in this new CBA. The moves he makes once that new CBA is established will make or break the Raptors for the next 5 years. He is going to have one final shot at getting it right.
Why is it so vital he gets it right other than the obvious ones. If he doesn't this new CBA will also likely lock him into the choices he has made and trading away his mistakes will not be as easy as it has been under the current CBA. So the next moves Colangelo makes have to be the right ones or the Raptors could be doomed for a long time to come. However, if he hits it right the Raptors could vault into the mix in the East as soon as next season and have a foundation to be a contender for the future.
In a sense this is a season in limbo for the Toronto Raptors. But anything their young emerging players can do will help add to the sales pitch to bring some top tier players to Toronto. Demar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani can be good solid players and if you added another couple proven talents into the fold, the Raptors could have a very appealing line-up when they suit up for next season. Assuming there is a next season that is. It seems almost unthinkable the NBA would be as stupid as the NHL and let an entire season go away just to win a labour battle. However, sanity in labour negotiations seldom happens.
It is a scary time for all of the NBA. But when the sun comes up and new CBA is in place, it could be a time for Raptor Fans to rejoice. Bryan Colangelo for whatever you think of him, always has a plan. If this one works it might be his greatest one since signing a guy from Canada to come play of the Suns.
1/2/11
Scrappy But A Loss For Raptors
I covered this one for The Score so if you want a blow by blow account of this one head over to the link to the liveblog on The Score. It has been a rough weekend for me battling a cold and trying to stay healthy. Raptors have been battling to do the same in terms of getting people healthy. No Bayless, Weems or Bargnani today. I will just offer a few thoughts on this one that was a Celtics win 93-79.
First thing for me in this game was how would DeRozan do? Coming off a career high going against a player in Ray Allen who has caused him fits in his young NBA career. The answer was pretty good scoring wise with 27. He should have had more in terms of he missed 3 free throws and should have got more calls then he did. He had 5 turnovers which is not good but he was looking for his team mates and not just focused on getting his. Celtics are very good on D and against a lesser team a few of those turnovers would be assists against bad teams. The defence has a long way to go. But even with some of the greatest stars in this game the last thing they developed was strong defence. He did have 3 steals in this game and as he learns can really be effective when he learns how jump the passing lanes when opportunities are there. I said at the beginning of this season the most important thing this Raptor season would be the development of DeRozan and I still believe it. The signs that he can become very good are growing and he is a guy that works very hard. I am confident that Demar can be very good in this league. I am Sorry Jay Triano.... I admit that I am starting change my opinion of Jay Triano. This team with all it's injuries could just roll over and die and no one would be surprised. However this team is playing hard for Jay Triano. That is one of the things I respected the most about Sam Mitchell, he demanded his team play hard and if they didn't he would place your butt on the bench. Jay Triano's team is playing hard for him. This team did not do that with Chris Bosh. Is it Bosh's fault or Jay's for not being as demanding as he is now when Bosh was here. Jack Armstrong said to me when we were talking about Triano that you can't coach on egg shells. Well this year Triano isn't and the team as a whole is better for it. The difference in 3 games vs Boston has been eye opening from this season to last season. In the games last season Boston basically punked the Raptors and they knew they could go out and push them around. This season the Celtics have had to earn everything and no longer seems like a bully of the Raptors. Toronto is the only team in the Atlantic to beat Boston. I may never be the biggest Jay Triano supporter. I still have some issues. But if this team will give this effort then I will live with my issues about Jay. At the end of day the record is not good but if Triano carries on in this direction the Raptors can be a team that with better talent both through development and adding new players can be successful under him. I was not convinced of that in the past. Is he the answer to win an NBA title or coach this team when the day comes they are a legit contender? Not sure on that. But for the moment he is getting the most out of the team more often than he doesn't Little Moves Work Well For B.C.... Joey Dorsey had 13 points and 13 boards and was a late season pick up for Colangelo. 30 NBA teams could have had him. Bryan took a shot and has found a decent player that will battle on the glass and fill a role for you. B.C kinda missed the boat on Marco Bellinelli but in true B.C fashion he did not take long to correct his mistake. Julian Wright got off to a bad start as a Raptor. But he is quickly gaining respect for his effort energy and hustle and many Raptor fans want to see Julian Wright get more minutes. B.C has always done a solid job at finding role players for the Raptors roster. It is the big moves that have been the problem. I am not sure Kleiza is considered a big move but I remain unimpressed with his play. Granted he has picked it up with Weems out. I still just think he forces his game at times and is not as good a 3 point shooter as he thinks he is or this team thinks he is. Barbosa struggled today but I liked that move much more as he unloaded another mistake in Hedo Turkoglu. B.C next big moves have to be right. This off-season once the CBA is sorted out is going to define the Raptors future for the next 5 years. If Colangelo misses after setting himself up with cap flexibility with the Peja contract and Bosh Trade exception that will be the final straw in terms of Colangelo. Raptors Getting Some Warriors.... Amir Johnson and Jerryd Bayless have shown toughness that we have not seen since Alvin Williams wore a jersey and not a suit for the Toronto Raptors. Bayless could not go today likely because he pushed it to hard to try to play. While Amir with a bad back has played through the pain and played like a champ while doing it. Even Jose Calderon today I will give some credit for sticking with it and playing through pain. When you have guys willing to pay the price and play through pain it makes it hard for anyone else to not do the same. It can be a fine line between being hurt and injured and I would rather have a guy that pushes that line to the limit than a guy like Vince Carter. This Team Can Rebound.... One of the many concerns I had heading into this season was could this team compete on the boards night in and night out. The answers appears to be yes they can. Andrea Bargnani still might not be rebounding it and being injured he really won't. But Johnson, Dorsey, Davis are all working hard on the glass. It is rubbing off on others too DeRozan had 6 today...Kleiza had 9. Raptors have becoming when they are playing at their best a scrappy team that will battle on the boards. They lost the game today but won the battle on boards. Also they are getting after it on the offensive glass and getting points out of it. At the end of the day the Raptors will not be a playoff team. But they are showing more of the intangibles it takes to be one than a team that fell a game short of post season last year. It seems easy to stick the blame for that all on Bosh. But in reality it is also how others acted in relation to him that was part of the problem. Nothing was stopping people from stepping up and doing the right things. I will give you an example from the Raptors past. Vince Carter was injured and out for the rest of the season. The Raptors playoff chances looked bleak. But Antonio Davis would lead this group on an incredible run and make the post season. They were minus Chris Childs meltdown almost able to upset the Pistons winning in 5 games....back in the old days before 7 game first round series. No one stepped up when Bosh went down and did that for that Raptor team. Now with him out of the picture some guys are stepping up and some are expected and others are not. Ok so that didn't have a lot to do with the game today. But they are some important observations sparked from watching today. Also you have to give it to Raptor fans with a sellout for a team that is 11-21 prior to today's tip. Granted I am sure a lot of Celtics fans helped make that happen, but still the Raptors continue to draw fans in what is a challenging season at best. Raptor fans are some of the best in the NBA and they deserve a winner.
Here Come C's Minus K.G?
Kevin Garnett has a calf injury, like the Raptors Andrea Bargnani has an injury to his calf as well. If we see either today it would be a surprise. Celtics will have Rondo this time though which was something they didn't have in the match-up the Raptors won at the ACC. The season series is tied and 1 and will be done by next week with a game today in Toronto and then the two teams hook up again in Boston on Friday. The Raptors continue to be banged up and have players going in and out line-up. It has to be frustrating in terms of this team building any kind of chemistry. Only the Washington Wizards have had more different starting line-ups than the Raptors. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo is still a huge challenge for the Raptors. While K.G is the emotional leader of this team without him does not mean doom for them. Least not against the Raptors.
The Basics: Boston 24-7(On 2 Game Losing Streak) vs Toronto 11-21 (3-7 in Last 10)
When Last We Saw Them: Demar DeRozan was great and the Raptors defence was not. It has a banged up group of Raptors that could only play one solid quarter of defence. DeRozan had a career high 37 in the loss.
Key Match-ups: Ray Allen will give Demar all he can handle. It is a match up of the shooter vs the dunker. Take the shooter in this match-up. Ray Allen will run DeRozan to death on defence. Rajon Rondo owns Jose Calderon there is no other way to put it. A Jose at not 100% has 0 chance to stop Rondo. Amir Johnson vs Glen Davis with no K.G. Johnson seems to be feeling better and he will need to be. As much as we make fun of Glen Davis at times he is a much improved basketball player. He was a 2nd round steal for Celtics like Blair was the Spurs.
Other Things Of Note: Some of you might have heard I have had a cold but I am feeling close to 100% and will be a go for the Live Blog today on The Score today here is a link to join me.Raptors are just 7-9 at the ACC this season and were 11 games below .500 in the Calender year of 2010 overall.
Where is it on? When? TSN Deux and 6pm
1/1/11
DeRozan Has Career Best But It Wasn't Enough
The Raptors would get some bodies back for this one in the form of Jose Calderon and amazingly Jerryd Bayless too. Bayless was said to have left Dallas on crutches but was going to give it a go. The Raptors were still without Bargnani and Weems. Sonny hope to give it a go sometime next week as has been suffering with back spasms keeping him out of the line-up. There has been no time line laid out for Bargnani to return over than he was not going to play on this trip. Houston was coming in off a loss to Miami where they scored the most points against the Heat this season but still came up short. They are once again without Yao Ming and also would be without Chuck Hayes for this one.
1st Quarter
DeRozan got off to a fast start with 4 points but he would also rack up two quick fouls and would grab an early seat in this one as Barbosa would check in for him. Joey Dorsey getting another start in place of Andrea and he would get a nice block early in this one. Barbosa would pick up where DeRozan left off and it was 6-3 Raptors in the opening moments of this one. Raptors were showing good fight in the paint as Amir Johnson was battling and another block for Dorsey. Houston has 0-7 from the field and trailed 10-3 as the Raptors were playing solid D as they had in Dallas. Calderon would add to that keeping his dribble and hooking up Dorsey for the easy score in the paint. Scola would get an easy 2 and it would lead to a mini Rockets run that would get them within one at 12-11. Dorsey would make way for Ed Davis as he took a charge to give him a seat on the bench with DeRozan. Calderon would hit a big 3 pointer to break the drought for the Raptors. After a Houston score it would be Amir Johnson with the rebound and put back and he had 7 early boards.
Julian Wright checked in and got his first shot rejected after a Houston empty trip he would get a redo and stick that corner jumper for 2. It would spark a run the Raptors that began with the score 17-16 for Toronto. Klezia, Davis, Calderon and Barbosa all would chip in on the 12-0 run and left the Raptors with 29-16 lead late in the first. Kevin Martin would finally stop the bleeding making a jumper. But another Barbosa jumper and Kleiza buzzer beater 3 ball would give the Raptors a surprising 34-20 lead after 1.
2nd Quarter
Brad Miller would lead the charge back for Houston as he was the biggest contributor to a 7-0 run to start the 2nd getting the Rockets back in this one. Linas Kleiza would end the run with a jumper from the top of the key. Brad Miller would respond with a basket to match that. Courtney Lee and Patrick Patterson would get in on the act as well. Lee corner 3 ball would make it a 16-5 run to start the 2nd quarter and the Raptors once 14 point lead was down to just 3. Amir Johnson would try to stop the bleeding with a score. But Brad Miller would answer once again with another hoop for him. A Rockets steal and easy score in transition had the lead to just 1. Raptors called a time out and Jerryd Bayless would not be back after it. He had looked to be struggling with that injured ankle and just couldn't solider through the pain.
Out of the time out DeRozan would nail a jumper and it was 43-40 Raptors still in front. Calderon pressed back into action would get a steal and hook up Kleiza on the break for an easy 2. Houston came right back and nailed a 3 pointer. DeRozan would drive and score and the Raptors were fighting to stay in front. But the Raptors were getting out battled on the boards as Patrick Patterson out battled Ed Davis for a board. It would lead to a Davis foul. Houston would go on to score not once but twice both times getting fouled on the made baskets. Houston Finally had the lead as it seemed almost inevitable that they would. But a Calderon 3 ball would tie the game at 50 with just 1:55 to play in the half. The Raptors would fall fast asleep to close the quarter. Houston was out battling them and it would lead to a 62-55 halftime lead for Rockets. Raptors gave up 12 in that final 2 minutes and 42 in Quarter. Just an awful 2nd quarter and a 21 point swing on the scoreboard from up 14 to down 7 at the half.
3rd Quarter.
The Rockets bench had scored 35 points in that half and were the main reason that Rockets now had a lead. Martin would drive and score on Demar DeRozan and would also get fouled and make the and 1. DeRozan had no help on the play and got tagged with his 3rd foul but would remain in the game. Amir Johnson would get another offensive rebound and would score, which would give him 10 points and 10 boards, already a double double in the books early in the 3rd. Unfortunately as often happens with Amir not long after he would get tagged for his 4th foul and be forced out of the game. On offence the Raptors looked sloppy and disorganized. The Raptors couldn't buy a basket as Kleiza missed a jumper and Davis an easy chip shot on the rebound. Eventually DeRozan would finally end the drought with a basket. A Houston turnover would lead to another score for DeRozan in transition. Raps were struggling to score but DeRozan was single handedly keeping them in it. Off a Dorsey block DeRozan would get blocked himself but got the ball back and put through on the second chance. But Houston through half the quarter still had their 7 point halftime lead with score 71-64 Raptors with 5:50 to play in 3rd.
Raptors fail to box out and it leads to the easy tap back score for Scola. Hill would hit over Kleiza and that would make it a 10 point Houston lead. But DeRozan once again would get it done with the hoop and harm and he had 11 points in the quarter and 19 for the game. He would drive and get fouled going to the line for 2 making both. Despite all the DeRozan heroics the Raps by the end of the 3rd Quarter were down 2 more than they were at the half. Houston would take a 84-75 lead to the final quarter.
4th Quarter
Raptors were shooting a pathetic 39% percent heading into the 4th Quarter and Houston was shooting 48%. Amir Johnson would get an early score and 1 but quickly picked up his 5th foul not long after. Houston built their lead to 11 and you had no sense the Raptors had a run in them or more important to the defence to get stops. Calderon got a 3 but Budinger had the answer with a 3 of his own and he had 18 off the bench to that point. That really was it except for Demar DeRozan going off in the 4th and his point total climbed and grew. But the Raptors could not get the stops for it to matter. DeRozan had a look at 3 near end of the game that would have given him 40. He would have to settle for a career high 37. But it would come in a loss as Houston was just to good for the Raptors to be able to stop after the first quarter. In the end it was a 114-105 score in favour of Houston. Raps take the loss and return home to face the Celtics for a short pit stop only to head back out on the road.
Sorry I am getting this to you folks late but I have been feeling under the weather with a cold and had to do some work for The Score today with Outback Bowl. Starting to feel better though and I will be Live Blogging Boston and Toronto tomorrow for The Score with a rare 6 pm tip time on Sunday.
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