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Off the top a big congratulations to Eric Smith who is now a Dad. He and his wife brought a new son into the world and all the best to the both of them. I have mentioned many times how helpful Eric has been to me. I have no doubt he will make a great father and I am very happy for him.

Turning to basketball now some news late yesterday that Raptors tendered a qualifying offer to Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Just to clear up any confusion all this means is they retain his rights as a restricted free agent. The Raptors have done the same with Carlos Delfino as well who they have made no secret about wanting to re-sign. As for Pops it may not be the same type of deal. I have no doubt the Raptors have a number in mind when it comes to Pops and they will not go over it to match an other offer. They also can later take back or rescind the qualifying offer at any point. Same goes in terms of Delfino. But it does at least show an interest on the part of the Raptors to bring him back.

The Milwaukee Bucks did not do the same for Charlie Villianueva. They did not offer him a qualifying offer and he will now become a free agent tomorrow. The Bucks decided to offer Ramon Sessions qualifying offer and not Charlie. It probably seems unlikely that Charlie could return to Toronto. However Raptor fans for the most part would welcome him back with open arms. I personally just wish him all the best as he is one of the better people in this league. He does a lot of great things for charity and kids. So all the best for him on what likely will be his 3rd NBA team.

Last year the blog title on this day was who will Bryan Colangelo be talking to at midnight tonight? If you dream big here are 3 options for you.

Ron Artest- There was a time that Ron seemed a lock to return to the Rockets. Does the recent news that Yao Ming will miss all of next season and his career is in some doubt change that? I would think it is worth a phone call to find out. Colangelo has talked about making this team tougher and Ron Artest would do more than his fair share in that regard. The idea of Artest as a Raptor has been kicked around by myself and others for a long time. This may be the final shot at making that a reality.

Trevor Ariza- If there is anyone that I would overpay for to get this is the guy. Ariza did nothing but up his value in the Lakers run to a championship. It is a real shot in the dark to think he would bolt north of the border. But there are only so many teams that have money to spend. So if the Raptors really wanted to make a strong pitch money wise to him it is possible. I think Ariza still has upside and can grow so that is why he appeals to me.

Lamar Odom- Also likely not very realistic. However the Lakers challenge is how do they re-sign both? It may be difficult for them to do. So that would open the door for other teams to make a run at the one the Lakers do not end up choosing. You can make the argument that Odom might be the one left out in the cold.

Some other Options for that first call:

Shawn Marion- Colangelo has made it pretty clear he would be more than happy to re-sign Shawn Marion. It will be a question of dollars for the Raptors. It will likely be for Shwan as well. Can the two get together on a number that makes both happy? The market may hold the answer to that. But it makes sense that Colangelo checks in first with Marion and his agent first to see where that is at before he goes shopping elsewhere.

Hedo Turkoglu- If this man gets the first call and says 5 years and 50 million do you hang up? Maybe not hang up but you sure don't say done deal see you in Toronto for the presser. I think if you over paid for Hedo it would be a mistake. One of the biggest blunders made by Glen Grundwald was over paying for Alvin William, Jeromoe Williams and Antonio Davis. At the time Grunwald was praised but as time rolled on it would be a big part of his demise as G.M of the Raptors. I think if Hedo was signed, at the terms I have listed, that is what is said to be asking price you have a similar result. Fans would cheer in the short term but end up booing long before the deal was done.

Who is not getting a call at all?

Joey Graham it seems pretty clear is done as a Raptor. There has been almost no talk at all about him. It is with good reason as well. In his time here there have been many chances for Joey to prove himself and he has failed to establish himself. Will be interesting to see who actually will pick up the phone and call Joey. I have always thought OKC is a nice fit but we will see.

Raptors might get a busy signal when they call Anthony Parker. Teams like Boston and Cavs seem to have some interest as having Parker as a bench player. Where would you rather come off the bench if you were him? Raptors have made it clear should he remain he will have a roll likely coming off the bench. For a pure competitive situation it is much more attractive to do that in Boston or Cleveland. Parker does love Toronto but I am not sure if it is enough to pass a chance at a title with the for mentioned teams.

Tweets and Twits

I have an Interview later today so I am just going to have some little things in like Twitter form on some things from around the league. Speaking of Twitter some Twitter NBA News. My favourite player is now on Twitter. T.J Ford is now the latest player to embrace the Twitter generation of the NBA. Another Ex-Raptor was moonlighting on the NBA TV Twitter. Charlie V who has one of the more famous Twitter moments when he started tweeting from the locker room at halftime.

Keeping with are Twitteriffic theme. The man who perhaps is the most famous tweeter, or at least one of the biggest in Shaq. The big man has been a movie star, he has been a Rapper but never a Raptor, Officer of the law and now coming soon....Sports Broadcaster. The big man has enrolled in a crash course on sports broadcasting for ex athletes and current ones that is done at Syracuse University. The Cuse has been a university that has produced a ton of broadcasting talent and there are to many to mention. So TNT or some network better find a really big chair for the big man to sit in once he decided to call it quits.

Chris Bosh of course did the broadcasting thing for NBA-TV and The Tonight Show. Could Bosh and O'Neal be battling some day off the court in a broadcasting booth? Maybe some day but Bosh still has a lot more years to go. Shaq also plans on playing ball for a few more years.

I mentioned yesterday the battle between the WWE and the Denver Nuggets. Well it is all over and you do not have to worry about any Nuggets getting hit with steel chairs prior to game 4. The WWE Monday Night Raw has been moved to the home of the Nuggets opponents in this series the Lakers. So Kobe and Melo are at the Pepsi Centre and John Cena and the rest of the WWE will be taking over Staples Centre. I would expect there will be lots of NBA references in that show. Vince McManon has never been known as a good loser about these kind of things. Maybe WWE can swing getting Blake Griffin to show up. He will be playing in that arena as well. Not as a Laker but as a Clipper. If you doubt the Clippers are going to take Griffin the ad campaign they have launched makes it seem pretty much a lock.

So that is all for now. The guest this afternoon to the best of my knowledge is not on Twitter. Maybe I can convince him to hope on board the Twitter Nation. I can not believe how big Twitter has gotten it is crazy. Is it here to stay or is it just a passing fad? Who knows time will tell. All the links in this article are to the Twitter accounts of the people mentioned. The Dino Nation Blog is on Twitter as well. Follow the DNB if you are not already.

The Retrun of "The Baller" Adnan Virk

It is great to welcome back Adnan Virk To the Dino Nation Blog. I am not sure if this was explained in the first episode with Adnan but we worked together at another T.V Network and since getting with the Score we have re-connected. I mention this because he refers to me as "Jimmy" which was his nickname for me back then. I do not remember the reason why? I would not want people to think he doesn't know who I am. Adnan is the only person that I will allow to refer to me as that name.

In this visit we have some fun and tackle some issues from as simple as athletes twittering to the more complex issues that face the Raptors and CB4. Hopefully you will find it entertaining and enjoyable.

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I have had a chance to be invited down to The Score a few times. Adnan has been a friendly face and has made me feel welcome. I am happy to have been able to have brought him to the Dino Nation Blog and had a chance to work with him. I am also proud to have the Adnan Virk endorsement as his favourite blogger. Adnan is a great guy and every bit the funny entertaining person you see on your T.V screen in real life.This maybe be news for Adnan seeing as he is not on Facebook but he does have a Facebook Group and I am a part of it. Thanks to Adnan for taking the time to be in the Dino Nation Blog as a guest.

Charlie V Twittering From Toronto

I have an interview set up for later today. So we will keep this morning brief. If you have not heard, Charlie V Twitters and he love to tweet. Even at halftime, pre-game whenever and where ever. So I thought for fun I would give you 10 things Charlie V might Tweet from his visit to T.O. So a drum roll please.....

10. How is Toronto liking T.J Ford now?
9. Where was my invite to Chris Bosh's Birthday Party?
8. Vince Carter says ACC is his house, He is wrong it is Charlie V's House.
7. I got you CB4.
6. Pops Mensah-Bonsu? I got him too no sweat!!!
5. 20 and 10 believe it
4. I miss Jose Calderon bringing my Gatorade to me.
3. Jay Triano is really the coach of the Raptors? That is what Sam gets for letting me get traded.
2. All Raptors Fans cheer for Charlie V and the Bucks to make the playoffs.
1. Bryan Colangelo...How you like me now?

So that is my list feel free to add your own as there are no wrong answer for this. As for what the REAL CHARLIE V will Twitter about. You can find out for yourself here at his Twitter Home.

I always like Charlie and despite supporting the trade that saw him leave, he is a good guy. There is no question he gets up for these match-ups with the Raps. All the best to him in his NBA Future.

Raptors Rewind- Bucking Game Notes

As the title suggests I know the result of this one. My only question heading into it was did the Raptors play as bad as the Sacramento Kings. The Kings were truly brutal as I was live blogging their game against the Bulls. I actually did two games as I did the Celtics and Pistons in the first game. I will be live blogging the Raptors and Magic on Super Sunday. Given the result of this game I got to say it is pretty awful without even seen this game yet. Still I am going to watch the game in an hour and experience the pain at a faster rate. So with that I will leave it to my notes to tell you my thoughts. I did hear about J.O getting kicked out on his bobblehead night at least that is reason to keep watching.

1st Quarter

• Can't get use to those red Buck uniforms and Bosh starts us off with a missed jumper
• Charlie V always good against the Raps
• Nice move by Bargnani in the post
• Jose and Parker hook up for nice score (8-8)
• Parker has really come back strong of late nice shot from Parkerville court.
• Does Scott Skiles ever smile?
  
• Bargnani with pretty move in post again high off glass
• No box out at all Bogut gets easy put back
• Bargnani is hot open 3 that he nails. 13 in the first wow
• O'Neal steal leads to nice score for Kapono
• Charlie Bell is under rated player. I like his game
• Jamario Moon shows some flashes of Jamario Version 0708
• Good effort first quarter. I am pre-warned it goes wrong starting now

2nd Quarter

• Can't fault defense on that first bucket for Bucks
• Sessions to Charlie V wide wide open
• Joey Graham getting on glass that is a good Joey characteristic
• Ramon Sessions is a real nice point guard and getting better all the time
• Bogut does nice job in post
• Turnovers bad, open jumpers are worse ( Bucks 41-34 )
• Bargnani draws the charge good job. Bargnani defense is getting better all the time
• Bosh makes a score, But next time turns it over. You see the frustration
• Charlie V gets open look in lane- Dude where is my Defense?
• Bogut on Bosh advantage Raps
• Turnovers continue oh wait we kept that one my bad
• Parker missed a very difficult fading jumper
• Pretty move by Bosh to score and draw the foul
• I still hate RJ. Always will.
  
• Charlie V needs to think ever team is Raptors and he would be an All Star
• Bosh needs to drive more, pump fakes are cool and all but drive it man
• AP gets 3 shots that I am guessing he made never see free throws on Game in an Hour

3rd Quarter

• Well first half was far from great but Raptors were in the game. So this is where it gets bad right?
• No aggression on close outs on shooters. This is a big game hustle
• Both teams start COLD
• NO THREES JAMARIO. I am tired of it make or miss I hate it
• Nice D by Bargnani
• Charlie V wide open Bosh far to late on close out
• It is raining 3's I still hate R.J
• Calderon shooting less and he makes one (2-6 - Sam Mitchell wants more shots)
• Charlie V is a very motivated young man against red and white
• Bucks abusing the Raptors badly Bucks up 11, Defense is fast asleep, Triano pissed off and who can blame him
• Offense bad, Defense is worse.
• Crowd getting restless and rightfully so Raptors 2-11 for the Quarter.
  
• AP makes a basket. He has been perhaps best scorer for the Raptors of late.
  
• Pretty passing from Bucks but no finish
• JO thanks for showing up on your bobble head night. his first 2 points in the third?
• Bargnani after great start has been handled by Bucks
• JO took that jumper from CB4 playbook
• Charlie Bell is a good shooter and is like I said under rated
• Good adjustments made by Skiles and Bucks were very good in third. Raps equally as bad

4th Quarter

• Saw a Gilbert Arenas Ad, he was great when he use to play in the league. (Nothing to do with game )
• J.O got to line
• Jeffferson I STILL HATE U
• Bell is good defender too
• Joey G watches ball pass him by. Can't blame him not like people normally pass to him
• Bucks hustle and get offensive board. Charlie V follows shot
• Jefferson is seriously killing us
• J.O should only get paid for half this game this one
• Easy look for Charlie V in post
• J.O called for a charge and gets teched up. Can't show up Refs even if they are wrong
• J.O did lead with his knee and that is why the charge. If that was the reason he did do that.
  
• Raps down 15, If J.O had this fire earlier it might have mattered
• 3 big line up, I am with JVG I hate this line up
• Raps getting some energy from it though
• Jose trying to win the fans back on Raps side, He missed his first free throw of the year
• I am glad that streak is over I am sorry it just didn't mean much to me like 3 point streak.
• So this is where all hell breaks loose I think
• Bodies every where and Charlie V is a really tough guy getting held back
• J.O vs Charlie V in a fight J.O would kill him.
• Raptors showed flashes of effort but they needed much more than that.
• Give Bucks credit they wanted this game and it showed

Well it was really not the effort you would hope for from this basketball team. This is why I have not held out much hope for this Raptor team to make the playoffs. They just can't seem to string wins together and it is going to take that kind of string of 5 or 6 wins to truly get back in the race. It could easily be the start of another long losing streak given what lies ahead on the schedule. If J.O leave him whacking Richard Jefferson will be my favourite J.O moment. I don't know if I mentioned it....I HATE RICHARD JEFFERSON. Lots of Raptor fans hate V.C well that is pretty much how I feel about RJ. If I was Bryan Colangelo this game tells me that it is time to consider being a seller and set the plan in motion for next season and try to save your franchise player from leaving. It seems clear this team just does not have what it takes to fight and get back into the race. Superman is coming on Sunday and I bet the Magic remember what happened the last time they came to Toronto. I know if they have forgotten, Stan Van Gundy will be happy to remind them. That is bad news for the Raptors.

The Raptor Roller Coaster- All Aboard!!!

When you choose to be a sports fan you are basically taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride. It has those extreme highs where you think you are just going to keep climbing till you can reach the moon. Suddenly without warning you go falling back down crashing towards the ground and you scream. That is what it can be like and from game to game you never know what might happen. If you have ever been to Disney World and got on the ride Space Mountain that is basically what it is like. Sometimes you just want to close you eyes tight and wait till the ride is over. The Raptors who had fought hard to beat a good team in Orlando in almost the same position exactly last night the would crumble down the stretch. Last night may have given folks T.J Ford or Mike James flashbacks based on Will Solomon's actions down the stretch. Andera Bargnani and Chris Bosh have over 50 points combined and Will Solomon is having a terrible shooting night. But yet we see Will Solomon not once but twice jack up long range bombs. That just goes against common sense and logic. I mean if you have an open look sometimes it is because a team doesn't think you can make a shot. The Raptors will say that is why they didn't worry about Luke Ridnour as he took two long range shots as well. He would make both of his. That is the difference between a goat and a hero. If he were to have missed his shots, Buck fans would have the same reason to complain. Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva had even better nights going for the Bucks. No one said being a pro athlete was fair did they? It is anything but fair.

Charlie V Is Same Old Charlie

Now I admit that I have not went out and confirmed this as fact. Still I am willing to bet on a few Raptor fan sites and posting boards someone is saying see Raptors never should have traded Villianueva. I would also bet they never watched the game couple nights before where he stunk against the Bobcats. You might have taken notice that he was not starting for the Bucks as well. There is reason for that I am sure. It might just be that Charlie V remains the same talented but inconsistent player that the Raptors traded to Milwaukee. Remember when ESPN ripped Charlie on draft night and he went on to have a successful first year here in Toronto. Well one of the knocks from the guys on ESPN was his desire to work hard and be consistent on a nightly basis. Look back on his career and can you debate that they were wrong? I can't make the case despite the fact Charlie as a person may be one of the best people you will find in going around the league. There was a reason that the Bucks drafted Yi Jianlian and Luc Mbah A Moute. It had nothing to do with giving their announcers headaches in trying to learn to say those names. What it had to do with is they are not sold on Charlie Villianueva as the answer for them at that position. It is not like the Bucks are drafting a shooting guard in the first round or a Center. They have faith in both Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut to play starters minutes at those positions.

The problem is that most Raptor fans only watch Charlie Villianueva in the few times he plays the Raptors in a season. There is no question that he has a chip on his shoulder for these games against the Raptors. I think he truly took in personally that he was traded by the Raptors and it shows every time he suits up against them. It is much like how Andre Iguodala feels about the Raptors passing over him in the draft for Haffa or Hoffa or complete bust take your pick. But they do not watch the rest of the games the Bucks play and see highlights or read boxscores the rest of the time. The truth is Charlie V is that same guy he was when he was dealt in a lot of ways. He has the talent to have nights like last night or the time he poured in 48 points against the Bucks as a Raptor. But he also can just as easily play with disinterest and be a complete non factor. Raptor fans complain at the lack of consistent play from Andrea Bargnani well Charlie V can be just as inconsistent with his game as Bargnani. The one thing he would provide when he is on his game more than Andrea is rebounding. However Andrea when he is on can provide more shoot blocking and offers a much more consistent shot from long range when he is on his game. Charlie is a great guy and I am not here to say that if he had remained with the Raptors I would not still like him and cheer for him. What I am saying is he is not as good a player as he gets made out to be by some Raptor Fans. In the end he is a lot closer to the player that ESPN thought he was than the one Raptors fans think he is.

Opportunity Is Still Knocking If Raptors Can Answer

Sure last night was a disappointment and the Raptors basically cancelled out one of those surprising wins they earned over Houston and Orlando. Still they have a chance to keep it rolling in the right direction with games against the Wizards and Grizzlies. It is even more important when you consider the next two after that. Back to back, home and home, with the Boston Celtics who have suddenly dropped a few and have people questioning if they are truly the best in the league. That could make the Raptors the perfect platform to make a loud statement against. It all means that you need to take care of your business in these next two games.

The Wizards can laugh at how disappointed and frustrated Raptors fans are at their season. I mean they are going through a cruel version of deja vu. Last year they had a star player that was writing more blogs then he was playing games. This year the re-signed that player for over 100 million dollars and he still is blogging and not playing. Lot of folks like Gilbert Arenas and think he is a truly colourful character. That is true and he was at one time a very talented player. After two years of being on the IR and blogging more then he has been playing does not seem good. I think he may just end up being a huge elephant in the room with his large contract. The Gilbert Arenas prior to injury was worth that contract. The one that sat out the majority of last season was not. That mistake of re-signing Arenas may cost the Wizards for a long time to come. If only it was just Arenas who was getting injured but Jamison and Butler have had their share as well. It would all lead to Eddie Jordan being shown the door. I feel bad for him because I think given what he has had to deal with in Washington he had done a remarkable job. If he was a name that came up for the Raptors job I would not be disappointed to have him. Washington is 3-7 in their last 10 games which for them is improvement. They are a sad and pathetic 7-25 on the season and dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Memphis is a much different case as they have a lot of hope for the future. O.J Mayo is the real deal and when you also have Pau Gasol's baby brother Marc you have the start of some pretty nice building blocks. Memphis is 11-23 and far out classed in the Western Conference. But they can look at a team like Portland as reason to be hopeful for the future. The Raptors can not afford to over look anyone at this point. If Jay Triano wants to make that point clear, watching the last 5 minutes of the OKC game is a great way to drive home your point. The Raptors again sit in a spot where they can make a few steps back towards respectability or they can stumble and fall and dig a whole deeper that is already pretty massive. It is a lot to ask of a team that is down it's starting center and point guard but they have shown that they are able to do it. The question now becomes if they can do it consistently. It is a lot easier to bring you max effort against someone that you know is better. It is a different challenge to do that against a team that is struggling like you are.

Bryan Colangelo Is Playing The Game

I don't think anything that Bryan Colangelo does in not done without a thought process behind it. He was been doing interviews of late and sending out some messages. The question becomes who is the audience for these comments. Is it an angry fan base that is starting to question his choices. Could it be that he has not been happy with what he has been hearing on the phone and is sending out a message that this is not a fire sale in Toronto. There is no real way to tell why Bryan has chosen now to start a bit of a media appearance spree. But clearly even with out him taking part in the process he has been the talk around the league as eveyone is waiting to see what move he is going to make. About the only thing that you will not find to read is that Bryan Colangelo is NOT going to make a move before the February trade deadeline. Everyone around the league expects him to make a move. Given his past reputation some even expect it to be a big move. That is a lot of hype and pressure to live up too. I some how feel that Bryan understands that this next move no matter what it is will be key to how people view his career in Toronto. He is as aware as anyone that this is a what have you done for me lately business.

Colangelo has stuck to his guns to this point and has defending his number one selection Andrea Bargnani. He has said that they have not made an offer to another team that includes Bargnani. He says he takes many calls about his availability. Colangelo in his defensive of the pick of Andrea said that he even said that Brandon Roy was going to win the Rookie of the Year. He said that Bargnani was picked for a variety of reasons and he was the best fit for the Raptors. The comment about Roy is true as Colangelo was on the record as saying that Brandon Roy was the most NBA ready of the players in the draft. So that would not be far from saying he would be the rookie of the year. He even went as far as to praise Roy and how he is getting to the level of a superstar player in the league. He said if people are going to compare Andrea to Brandon Roy than Andrea could be considered a failure for some. He suggested that it was more about judging Andrea on his own merits. He pointed to his youth and the fact that they had been asking him to learn several positions. He didn't go as far as saying that was a mistake but you were left with the impression that is what he was saying without saying it.

This season before it started I said would end up deciding the Sam Mitchell debate. Well it has done that in a negative way. Although Sam is starting to do his thing on T.V as he made a guest appearence on NBA T.V on the weekend. Thanks to Holly Mackenzie for giving that a mention. I have no doubt if Sam wants a career in T.V he can have a long and successful one. But I don't think he is ready to settle into a media career just yet. However turning back to Colangelo in firing Mitchell he has now made this season a lot about his legacy as the G.M and President. He will have one last card to play even if he does not find the trade to save the season. In fact he could have a couple depending on what he does. The most obvious is he will be in a spot to hire a coach that is his guy and their will be no debate about it even if that guy was Jay Triano. The other chip he has is that massive contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The 2010 frenzy is only going to grow as the year gets closer. A contract worth 23 million dollars of cap space is almost as valuable as any player in the league at this point given the free agents that are out there to be had in 2010. The longer and closer to that time the more attractive Jermaine O'Neal and his contract will become. There is no question this big chip to play of keep was at the core of why Colangelo made the trade in the summer to acquire O'Neal. If O'Neal was able to perform well on top of that it was going to be a win win situation. It has turned into a lose win situation. That contract is still a valuable asset to have no matter the win total the Raptors end up with this season. Colangelo is not going to give it up unless he gets exactly what he wants in return.

So for a lot of reasons you can expect the roller coaster ride to continue on for the rest of this season and will get really wild as we get closer to trade deadline day. It may not be as fun as you like but it sure does make for a lot of information and speculation to keep up to date on. I'd love for someday a G.M to write a book long after he retired and recount all of the things that happened behind the scenes. If Bryan Colangelo were to write that book I would be in the front of the line to buy it.

Raptors Rewind- The Buck Doesn't Stop Here Edition?

So the last time Raptors won 3 games in a row it was a win over these Milwaukee Bucks to start the season as 3-0. Things since that time it has been tough times for Raptors. But a couple of big wins and a whole lot of new questions have started. None of which involve the Raptors being in the NBA Lottery. So the Bucks will be taking on the Raptors and may be with out a very big man in there line-up. Andrew Bogut has a bad back and is listed as day to day. Should he be out it will be a much tougher challenge for the Bucks to deal with Bosh and Bargnani. Andrea has taken off since Jermaine O'Neal went down and he was inserted into the starting line-up. The trade talks have died down and Bryan Colangelo in an interview on the Fan 590 today said that he has not been looking to move Andrea. He said they get many calls that come in about his availability but that they have not made any calls looking to move him. So I guess the folks like me will not be happy about that. However if Andrea could continue to play like this no one myself included would want to trade him. The fear now becomes is what will happen once J.O is healthy. But the first issue will be prior to that if Bargnani can continue at this pace for the next few games. The same applies for the combo of what I have called Soloic. That would be Will Solomon and Roko Ukic for those who did not read yesterday. They need to do there thing as well. Both Jose Calderon and Jermaine O'Neal did not make the trip with the Raptors.

1st Quarter

The Raptors win the opening tip and went to Bosh would would draw a foul. But the Raptors would misfire on the inbound play. The Bucks would take down the floor and score with a dunk in transition. Jamario Moon would answer on the other end with a basket. Chris Bosh was able to hit a jumper to give the Raps their first lead of the night. Some sloppy play by both teams and it was ugly looking. But a steal and Will Solomon hooking up Jamario Moon for an alley opp would end the ugly for a bit. The Bucks would respond with a bucket that was answered quickly by Chris Bosh. Another Buck basket and quick Bosh answer and it was 10-6 Raptors early on still in the 1st.

Chris Bosh continued his hot start with a basket plus a foul that he would make. Raptors lead was 13-6 with just over 7 minutes to play. Andrea Bargnani had a block and was doing nice on defense despite he had yet to get going on the offensive end. Will Solomon would make a long lead pass to Anthony Parker who would draw a foul and get to the line. He would split a pair as he was coming off his best performance of the season yesterday against the Magic. Andrea Bargnani would get the offense going as Bosh kicked it out to Andrea that would nail a 3 pointer. Bucks would finally get a response with a basket that looked like it went in off a Raptor. A.P would score in response and it was 19-8 Raptors. The Bucks were shooting 1-10 for their last 10 attempts. That is 10% for all you math majors out there. Andrea made his way to the line and drained a pair of free throws. Michael Redd would get a drive and score but it was the Raptors leading big time early 21-10. Redd was fouled on the drive and added the free throw so make the Raptor lead 10. Michael Redd would get to the line again fouled by Jake Voskhul who had checked in and already had 2 fouls. Redd would make both. Roko Ukic was also in and he would find Andrea Bargnani would would make another 3 pointer and the Raptors lead was 24-13. Redd was driving and scoring at will as he had another drive and score and had brought life to a lifeless Milwaukee offense. Jake Voskhul would get hooked up by Andrea Bargnani for a score. Milwaukee would get an answer and cut the lead down to 8 despite shooting 36% for the quarter. Raptors lead after one 27-19.

2nd Quarter

The Bucks continued to struggle with a miss on their first trip of the second Quarter. Kris Humphries was in and he would get a dunk. Roko Ukic would follow that with a nice reverse lay up. Charlie V would have an answer for that with a jumper from the top of the key. Ramon Sessions would get a score. The Charlie V would hit a 3 pointer and the Bucks had a 7-0 run going. Time out was called with 8:49 left in the quarter. Jason Kapono would score out of the time out. Bucks continue to fight and got back to down 6 points. Kris Humphries answered the call with a big hump slam. Joey G would show is dunking skills which were a bit different from Hump and Raptors lead was back to 10. The Bucks continued to try to get back in the game and cut the lead down to just 4. The Raptors were able to keep the lead and build the advantage back to 10 with a 48-38 lead.

But once again the Bucks would start to push back and Micheal Redd hit a 3 pointer and the Bucks had a 5-0 run to get the game back to within 5 points with the score 48-43. Redd had 14 correction make that 16 as the Bucks run continued and the Raptors lead that was once 13 points had been shaved down to 3 points. The Team U.S.A Team Members Michael Redd and Chris Bosh were leading the way for their teams. Redd with his 16 points and Bosh was 7-8 from the field with 15 points. It was the Raptors hanging on to a 48-45 lead at the half.

3rd Quarter

Raptor hung tough and were able to hand on to the lead but just barely. Raptors were shoot 12% better than the Bucks but 7 turnovers and some costly offensive boards and it was just a 3 point lead. But Chris Bosh was having a big night and it continued to start the second half. He would score and get fouled but miss the free throw. Michael Redd was just as good for the Bucks and he scored and Bosh answered. Another Buck basket by rookie Mbah a Moute and a Michael Redd 3 ball and the Bucks had taken the lead. But Andrea Bargnani would answer with a 3 pointer and it was the Raptors with a 55-53 lead. A.P would extend that lead with a 2 ball from the corner. Another difference from the Orlando game was Will Solomon who had 9 assists but was 1-8 from the field. His 9th assist was a feed to Bosh who was looking to be on the verge of a big night. Andrea Bargnani was having a good effort as well as he made a 2 pointer and followed that up with another 3- ball and The Raptors had once again built the lead back to 9 points with the score 63-54. Jake Vokhul was excited on the bench about that one. Holly Mackenzie in her game notes from the home stand made not of Voskhul's cheering ability on the bench. A cheerleader on the bench and a tough as nails guy when he is on the floor. Reminds me a little of the J.Y.D. I don't think Voskhul has a dog pound but he is growing a fan base.

Charlie Bell would score for the Bucks out of the time out. Chris Bosh would miss only his second shot of the night. He would get tagged with his third foul on the other end of the floor sending Elson to the line for a pair that he would make. Raptors would lead by 6 points with score 64-58 there was just under 5 minutes remaining in the quarter. Charlie V would get a bucket with the mid range jump shot. He would have another chance to cut the lead to just 2 but would miss badly. Anthony Parker would score on the other end. Michael Redd would come down and knock down another 3-ball and it was a tight 66-63 lead with just 2:59 to play in the quarter. Bosh out of a time out would get the ball from Ukic and drive on Elson and draw the foul. He would make both. Bosh on the other end would get a defensive board and it would lead to Joey Graham getting fouled by former team mate Charlie V. Joey would split a pair. The Bucks would get a score on the next trip down and the the would score again all thanks to Ramon Sessions and it was a 69-67 lead for Toronto. Roko Ukic would get a basket and it would extend the lead briefly till Michael Redd answered. Raptors had been making turnovers as well. Charlie V would drive at Bosh and get the score and the foul which he would make and the Bucks lead 72-71. Another turnover late almost cost the Raptors and in fact it would as Jason Kapono got called for a foul after the Raptors had thought the quarter was over. So Michael Redd would be heading to the line with .5 second on the clock for a pair of free throws. He would make both and the lead for the Bucks would be 3 with the score 74-71.

4th Quarter

Raptors had only their second 4th quarter comeback of the season yesterday against the Magic. The lead was just a one point advantage. The Bucks only had a single possession lead as well with a 3 point lead. Raptors were shooting 54% but had 12 turnovers and those were the reason the Raptors trailed. Raptors would not get a basket on their first chance of the 4th. Charlie V was becoming a factor on the glass and in the game. He would get on the glass for an offensive rebound and score for the Bucks. Michael Redd would score as well and the Bucks lead was 78-71. Andrea Bargnani would score a 2 point effort. But Charlie V would nail a 3 pointer and he had 17 off the bench for the Bucks. Andrea would match the 3 ball with one of his own. Roko Ukic had a basket and the Raptors trailed 83-78. Roko Ukic was coming up big in a 4th quarter again. He would get another score plus a foul shot to come.

Roko would hit the free throw and he would make it and the score was 83-81. Ramon Sessions would score and Chris Bosh who was back in answered that with a basket and he had 25 points. Charlie Villianueva was hustling and got another bucket working the glass. Anthony Parker would score in response. A steal right after his score and he would hook up Roko Ukic who would get credit for the basket on a goaltending call. The score was tied at 87. But the Bucks would score to take back the lead. Mbah a Moute would get called for a foul on Bosh and he would step to the line looking to tie the score. He would only make 1-2 and it was 89-88 with 6 minutes left to go in regulation. Bosh would have a pass stolen but the Bucks could not add to the lead. Roko Ukic would also turn it over but again the Bucks miss a chance to extend the lead. Chris Bosh would make them pay.Raptors now had taken the lead 90-89. But Charlie V answered for his Bucks with a basket. Roko would get the ball to the franchise player always wise. Bosh would get fouled and was back to the line. He would again only split a pair. The game was tied at 91. Bosh would grasp a key defensive board and the would turn into 2 points for Jamario Moon with a jumper. A Bucks turnover and Will Solomon who had checked in for Ukic made a big basket with his foot on the line so it would only count for 2 points. But it would extend the Raptor lead to 4 points with the score 95-91 with 2:39 to play in the 4th.

Bosh and Bargnani had combined for 50 points to this point. They would likely need a few more to win. Luke Ridnour who had not scored all night picked a key time to make a 3 pointer. Chris Bosh would end up back on the line looking to get 2 back for the Raptors. He would make both this time Raptors lead 97-94 with 2 minutes left to play. Charlie Bell would hit from the corner for 3 points and we were tied at 97. Will Solomon would miss a jumper and the Bucks would catch a break as Elson had dribbled the ball off his foot. But the Referee said it went out of Will Solomon. The replay would show the Ref was wrong. But that is not something we use replay for in NBA. Charlie V would make good on the gift and score. Solomon again would shoot and miss and you have to wonder why he would take that shot with Bosh and Bargnani having big nights. Luke Ridnour would make another clutch 3 pointer. The Bucks had a 5 point lead not with just 34.1 seconds to play. Raps would get it to Bargnani who had a look for 3 but he had his foot on the line and missed anyway. Ramon Sessions would make a pair from the line and the Raptors chances seemed lost. Bucks had some good luck and great performances from Redd and Villianuea as well as two key 3-balls from lucky Luke. The Raptors continued to misfire and foul. The final score would not reflect how close a game this was as the Bucks would win 107-97. Milwaukee who sits in 8th spot in the East now had a 2.5 game lead over the Raptors for that final playoff spot. Bosh had 31 and Bargnani 21 but Redd had 35 and Charlie V had 25 and they were the winners. For the rest of the stats check out the boxscore brought to you via The Score.com

Bucks/ Raptors Boxscore

So at least Canada won a gold in hockey so not many will notice that the Raptors lost a game in the closing moments. But the diehard Raptor fans will notice and they will be very disappointed. Raptors will try to regroup to take on the Wizards on Wednesday.