As Must Win As It Gets

Tonight I am going to try something a little different with the Raptors vs T-Wolves. Often if I am not working a Raptor game for The Score I can be found on Twitter during games sharing my thoughts. I often find at times between the people that I follow and those that follow me sometimes Twitter can be a pretty entertaining game companion. So I have decided to try the DNB's first ever TweetCap. It will be a re-cap that incorporates all off the stuff that is flying around on Twitter during a Raptors game. So if you have thoughts during tonight's game fire a tweet at me @dinonationblog and you may end up part of the TweetCap of the game. This is something new I am trying so will see how it turns out but it should be fun. The Raptors take on the T-Wolves who have lost 12 straight and the Raptors have won 11 straight vs T-Wolves. All signs point to a Raptors win but given the way things have been lately nothing is guarantee but what is always a guarantee is that Twitter will have entertaining things said by myself and others.

Also will be back at Brooklyn's this week for Raptors and Jazz (Wednesday), 291 Queenston Road here in Hamilton. Will have another set of tickets courtesy of Raptorman.ca and some other prizes to give away. So if you are in the Hamilton area make sure you come out and have some fun and cheer on the Raptors. It will be not easy to get a win over the Jazz but it is very easy to win something if you come out and be part of the fun. In playing the Jazz and Denver in the next 2 games that is what makes a win tonight almost a requirement. The T-Wolves have just 14 wins on the season and just 9 at home. Raptors enter tonight 4 games back of the Bucks for 5th, a game behind Miami for 6th and a half game behind the Bucks for 7th. They are still 2 and half games in front of Chuck Swirsky's Chicago Bulls.

Three of those four are in action tonight as well. Miami has guaranteed win night in New Jersey, The Bucks host the Hawks in what right now would be a first round playoff preview. While the Bulls host the Houston Rockets in Chicago. So that is your scoreboard watching menu along with the Raptors and T-Wolves.

Raptors had a 94-88 win over the T-Wolves in early December. In reading my recap of that it appears the Raptors did not exactly bring their A game on that night. In terms of tonight they better bring it. The Raptors are running out of time to not just secure a playoff spot but build any kind of hope in this fan base that they can win once they get there. T-Wolves are a young team that on a given night can be dangerous. Those nights are few and far between. Jonny Flynn should be jacked up though after watching his Orange roll through Gonzaga yesterday not to far from his hometown in Buffalo. Flynn was one of the stars of last year's March Madness and he now has the grim reality of what life in the NBA is like. When you are 14-56 and just playing out the schedule that is a little different from trying to make an exciting run to a national championship in college.

Keep in Madness mode Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack watched their former College Paul Hewitt coach and the Yellow Jackets go down to defeat to Ohio State. G-Tech's star Derrick Favors had a very rough day and was invisible for most of the game. Chris Bosh can not have that happen for him in any of these games down the stretch for the season. I also have to say that once he got rolling Evan Turner is pretty fun to watch. He will be one of the guys you hear a lot about heading up to the draft in June if you do not follow college basketball to any degree. If you are even a casual fan you have no doubt heard of... if not seen Evan Turner do his thing. He along with John Wall from Kentucky (My Pick to win the Tournament) are considered the top 2 talents for the NCAA in the NBA Draft assuming both decide to enter it.

The great thing about March Madness is it is one and done. There are no second chances. It can lead to massive upsets like the Cornell Big Red the Ivy League Champs knocking off 2 higher seeds or Northern Iowa knocking off the Kansas Jayhawks the number 1 seed in this tournament. The Raptors need to catch a bit of that college spirit and play like they have no tomorrow. If they take the mentality into every game they hopefully can win more then they lose. Tonight losing is simply not an option.

Starting 5 V-Log Edition - Panic In Raptorland

Decided to hit the video side of things today. Some thoughts on the Raptors struggles on this west coast trip. Details on our Raptors Run This Bar Wednesdays event that kicks off at Brooklyn's on 291 Queenston Road in Hamilton March 17th. If you are in the house we will be giving away 2 tickets to The Raptors vs Warriors re-match at the ACC on April 4th.




Now on the Video:

Starting 5 V-log Edition- Welcome To March

My Olympics beard is gone and I am looking more presentable in terms of getting on the camera. I admit in watching the Olympics and doing all my usual stuff I got to look a bit scruffy. For fans of the Round Ball Review (there are some I hope) they normally take this Monday spot in the blog but because of the Raptors playing tonight I have decided to leave them for another day. Raptors do not play again until Friday so there should be time to fit them in later in the week. So enjoy me and hopefully I am just as entertaining as my cartoon co-workers.



Also I have an announcement to make:



It has always been part of the goal of the Dino Nation Blog to grow basketball fans. This is a way to try and do that. The folks at Raptors Republic have run an event on Fridays in Toronto for a couple seasons now. I living in Hamilton have never made it down to one of those. I still will someday. However I decided to have a party here in Hamilton. Tyson that runs Brooklyn's the place this party is being held has been great and open to this idea. We both hope that this can be a success and will give Raptor fans a place to call home to cheer on the Raptors on a night. I know personally I have been out and had to beg places to throw the Raptors on T.V. Here no begging is required this is going to be your place to cheer on and have fun and root on the Raptors.

So join us at 291 Queenston Road in Hamilton. Here is more info on our Facebook Event Page



If you are not in the Hamilton area you can still help out by spreading the word and letting people know about this event it would be greatly appreciated and helpful. More details and info as event gets closer.