Playing Out The String Begins In Charlotte.

The Raptors begin the post All-Star Schedule tonight in Charlotte with the Bulls waiting for them in Toronto for a game tomorrow night. Demar DeRozan promises to go nuts in this final stretch of the season after getting jobbed in the Dunk Contest for a 2nd year. That is really what season is about for the Raptors now. How there younger players approach and play the rest of the games on the schedule. There is no playoffs in this team's future and a uncertain future with no CBA in place after this season. Bryan Colangelo is making noise about trading one of his first round picks. I think that would be a mistake at this point. But it is not like I have agreed with the J.O Deal, The Hedo signing and a lot of other things. Let's also hope he is talking about the Miami pick and not their own pick. Trade deadline is 3 days away and the Melodrama has ended. There is not likely much Raptor drama despite all the talk from B.C at least that is what I am thinking. Reggie Evans one the Raptors more interesting expiring contracts is almost set to return. If he makes it past Thursday it will be nice to see him back. Reggie has in a recent interview expressed that he could be interesting in staying with the Raptors if it was possible. Oh yeah and there is a game tonight the Bobcats and Raptors with Charles Oakley as an assistant for the Bobcats. Charlotte has had a massive overhaul since the Raptors last saw them. Brand new coaching staff and an attitude to go with it.

The Basics: Toronto 15-41 (Last Road Win 1/05/11 @Cavs) Charlotte 24-32 ( 15-12 at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: Bosh was back and the Raptors put up a great fight led by Andrea Bargnani with 38 points and no defence to speak of. The Crowd was fired up but fizzled while the Raptors had to with in 4 points with less than 4 to play before finally getting sun burned by the Heat.

Key Match-Ups: Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace are the key guys for the Raptors to shutdown in this one. Jackson has potential to go off both in losing his temper or scoring a ton. While Wallace has been a thorn in the Raptors side for years and is the exact opposite of what Raptors have been. He is a freak athlete and has always got the better of the Raptors when he has been healthy and in the line-up. Raptors need to take advantage of Augustin and Brown with Bargnani and Calderon. The X-Factor is a motivated Demar DeRozan that seem less than impressed he got jobbed again in the Dunk Contest. He tweeted that he is going Ham on the rest of this season. I am not up on my slang but it seemed to imply he is going to as the Rock says BRING IT!!! For the rest of the year. That is good because we need to see that happen.

Other Things of Note: Bobcats are 15-13 under Paul Silas who prior to Charlotte last coached Lebron James and the Cavs in 04-05 before taking over in Charlotte. Bobcats have a 2-0 lead in the season series vs the Raptors. Had a great chat with Chuck Swirsky yesterday and many of you have already checked that out. But in case you have not based on the feedback I have got you probably should. Chicago who the Raptors play tomorrow do not play tonight and will be sitting back waiting for the Raptors which will make for a tough back to back for Toronto prior to the trade deadline. If people expect the Raptors to do a lot at deadline I think you will be sadly disappointed. I don't see this team doing anything. Will see If I am right on Thursday or before that but pretty sure I am.

Where Is It On ?: Sportsnet Uno (This was Sportsnet's chance to prove they care about B-Ball after TSN FAILED to show MVP of All-Star Game but let's face it Trade Deadline Wars are coming and no one at TSN or Sportsnet is paying attention to basketball)

Welcome to Rock Bottom?

I am tempted to write about the last 30 seconds of this game and vent then go to bed. I was live blogging this one for The Score. I even lost my feed of the game during this one somewhere around the 2nd quarter. It might have been an act of God warning me what was to come. At many times throughout the night I was convinced that both teams were playing for the tie. But seeing as that is impossible eventually someone had to win this one and they did. I don't think it is being bias towards the Raptors in saying they needed this one more. When you consider they are taking their limited talents South to Orlando and South Beach aka Miami.

So with that stage the Raptors were also with out Barbosa out with a shoulder injury and no clue to when he will be back. Andersen was suffering from the flu and was also a scratch. Jack was in but not at 100% and ditto for Linas Kleiza. All of that and you also throw into the mix that Demar DeRozan got into early foul trouble. But the Raptors were able to hang around with the Bobcats in the first quarter despite a lot of turnovers and mistakes. The starting unit giving up 12 of the Raptors 17 turnovers on the night overall. This game seemed like a battle for control of the pace throughout. The Raptors trying to make it more up tempo and the Bobcats trying to turn it into a slow paced street fight.

Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson were making a living at the line getting there a combined 16 times on the night. Jackson would lead the team in scoring with 20 points but it was a balanced effort with 6 players in double figures. That is the kind of night we need to be seeing for the Raptors. This game would go to halftime all squared at 48 points. The Raptors aside from the turnovers were getting a good game from Andrea Bargnani. He started 5-6 from the floor and he was actually able to get some boards. Jack had a gutsy effort but also was plagued with turnovers and it devalues his 14 points and 5 assists. Kleiza was also trying to gut it out but was far less successful. We touched on DeRozan who was derailed by fouls the whole night. One dunk for the highlight reel in the 4th and that was about all. Reggie was typical Reggie with 10 boards and only a couple of points

Really if there was a bright spot in this one was the bench where Amir, Sonny and playing the role of Demar DeRozan it was Julian Wright. It was Weems with 20 and Johnson had 16 and 9. As for Julian Wright he has looked decent each time he gets to see some floor time with 9 points. In part because of these guys the Raptors were able to grind out a 5 point lead after 3.

On the whole the Bobcats won the 4th Quarter by a score of 32-22 which would earn them the 101-96 win. But I mentioned off the top the last 30 seconds or so. Raptors were down I believe it was 3 and called a time out. Coming out of the time out the ball ended up with Bargnani. Which makes sense given the situation. Bargnani not only didn't get up a shot he had it stolen from him by Jackson. But worse yet he stood their like a statute and so did the entire Raptor squad. There was 20 seconds on the clock, it was an obvious situation in which the Raptors had to foul to keep the game alive. 8 seconds later in a game you almost have to win they finally foul. There would be a second situation where the Raptors would let more time slip away to 2.1 seconds and that was the ball game. I re-watched this and frustration clouded my memory. Bargnani scored on that first one then Raps had brain freeze didn't foul and then the steal and the same lack of fouling. Bottom line it was an awful finish and maybe I was attempting to mentally block it out.

That is about as basic as it gets. Like seriously wake the heck up. It leads into a debate that broke out on Twitter. Jay Triano and his future as the coach of the Raptors. Some people seem to be of the opinion that Jay Triano basically can do nothing that would impact on his job status. I am sorry but I have a problem with that. The reason that was commonly given is there is no point in doing it. Raptors are going no where anyway so what would be the point. Is this the attitude we are going to have all season. If this is a development year that means screw the wins and loses altogether? Who cares how this team plays defence. So they don't execute the most basic tasks in basketball, like you foul the other team when trailing with less than 24 seconds?

I honestly think Jay Triano is bullet proof some how. I mean he has a terrible win/loss record and his team crumbled down the stretch, not just because of Chris Bosh, but because of the effort of everyone else including Jay. The fact we have a guy sitting next to Jay that has head coaching experience, that could easily move one seat over should be ignored? Not to say P.J is the coach of the future for the Raptors long term. However, would he do any worse than Jay? Hard to imagine. God no, if he were to actually win games that would be terrible. If we are going to be bad we need to get as many of those ping pong balls as possible.

Stop the insanity. No on should be able to work with out consequences. The way people were talking if Jay Triano coached the Raptors to a sub 20 win season he would remain to the bitter end. This sends an excellent message to your young players. Play good or bad it really doesn't matter. I mean I get that having consistency at coaching position is good. But no one should be confusing Jay Triano with Jerry Sloan. He is not that. At the end of the day Jay Triano might just be a great assistant coach on the NBA level. There is no shame in that and it is a hell of a lot better then any other Canadian has done.

Another thing we are suddenly putting are faith the the NBA Lottery that some people will never be convinced that it is on the level. Ewing to New York, Lebron to Cleveland and all. But even if it is the stats don't lie about the lottery. The Raptors could be 1-81 and the they still can lose in the lottery. In fact the team with the worst record seldom does win it.

There has to be accountability regardless of the amount of talent this team has or doesn't have. Eric Spoelstra is more concerned about his job, then a guy that is 1-7, with a career losing record, in last place in the Eastern Conference. Does that not seem a little nuts? If he were to get fired or anyone else in the league that might make a good fit for the Raptors, do we just ignore that and blindly let Jay go forward regardless. Sorry if I find that totally insane. I am not suggesting a coaching change changes the fate of this season. It doesn't but does anyone believe Jay Triano is going to be the long term answer? The Raptors version of a Jerry Sloan? I know that I don't and am pretty confident that no one else does. So to suggest that Jay is totally safe is honestly totally crazy. About as crazy as saying there will be a statue of Andrea Bargnani outside the ACC one day.

Looking Ahead To Bobcats

I have been having some major issues with a toothache. Finally I sucked it up and went to the dentist this morning. I am going to have to get a tooth pulled in the New Year. So I am taking some medication and am starting to feel better. Last night I was not feeling as well but did try my best to watch the Bobcats and Bucks game. The Bobcats at home are a much different story than they are on the road. Raptors experienced that first hand. The Raptors lost 116-81 to the Bobcats in Charlotte. It was one of those awful games, where the Raptors looked truly defenseless at times. The Bobcats won 94-84 last night against the Bucks to move to 11-4 at home despite a lack of fan support. However they are a dreadful 1-13 on the road it is like night and day. Raptors have been like that as we can relate. Toronto is a fairly impressive 10-5 at home. In the year the Raptors won a division title they won 30 on their home floor that year.

In watching last night what becomes fairly obvious when you watch the Bobcats they seem to go as well as Gerald Wallace will take them. Stephen Jackson has added a scorer to the mix for Charlotte. He looked sloppy last night and made several silly turnovers in the game. Another Bobcat that has taken some steps backwards this season is D.J Augustin. He had a solid rookie season but has not been enjoying the same success in his 2nd season. Speaking of rookies, Gerald Henderson has pretty much lost his spot in the Bobcats rotation.The reason is the play of Stephen Graham the twin brother of Joey G. It is odd given the success of the Duke program that so many of their players end up as disappointments. Henderson was a player I liked a lot in this draft class but safe to say Demar DeRozan and his future looks a lot brighter.

Tyson Chandler is out again for the Bobcats that will be welcome news to both Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Chandler has matched up well against both in the past. He was a big factor for Charlotte on the defensive end of the floor in that big win. In fact that win against the Raptors was the largest margin of victory in Bobcats history. Raptors have far to many of those stats on the books with both teams and individuals. I have not researched it but it would be interesting to know how many players in the league have a career high against the Raps. I can think of 3 just off the top of my head. Kobe and his 81 we all know, Jamal Crawford in his days with the Bulls dropped 50 and LBJ had a huge 50+ performance for the Cavs against the Raps.

It was a pretty easy win for the Bobcats as the Bucks were never really close in this game. Brandon Jennings was able to get to the hoop fairly easily and the Bucks shot terrible. They had a lot of open looks that you could imagine the Raptors hitting in the same situation. A big reason for the Bobcats win was the contribution they have from their bench scoring 43 points. Raptors have trouble with the athletic nature of the Bobcats. Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith and other players on that nature have always been a thorn in the Raptors side.

The Raptors are rolling winning 4 in a row and looking very solid on the defensive end. It will be interesting to see how that holds up against this athletic and aggressive team. Given the Bobcats struggles on the road it would be wise to get off to fast start. Raptors have actually been fairly good at that throughout the year. The key will be keeping after it for all 4 quarters. This is a game that screams for the "Young Guns" to step up and get noticed. Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems and Demar DeRozan can all battle in terms of athletic ability and they need to hustle and fight it out on both ends of the floor.

If the Raptors do not overlook the Bobcats, which they would have no business doing, this is a winnable game. While many have discredited the Bobcats I said at the beginning of the season that I felt they would be in the fight for the 8th spot in the East. They are doing that but it is more by a case of omission on behalf of the entire lower half of the East. You have to say this though they likely play in the toughest division in the East in the Southwest. The Division that some people once laughed about is now a pretty solid Division with the Magic and Hawks at the top. The Raptors have the good fortune of being in the easiest with only the Celtics as a real challenge. The Raptors will those Celtics and the Magic along with the Spurs at the start of the New Year. All though challenges and it makes this one all the more important.

I am going to be in the house for this one live so I will get a look first hand on how they make out. So no Raptors Rewind tomorrow. In fact likely not a blog at all. I am not the only one on the IR here at the Dino Nation Blog...my laptop is also on the shelf as well. So doubt I will be doing much tomorrow in terms of writing. However I will be looking to chat with a bunch of folks and take advantage of the chance to talk with as many of the Raps as I can, and get my bang for my buck in going down to cover the game. So be it bad tooth...bad monitor or whatever else...The DNB marches along and grinds it out. Just in case Happy New Year..and all the Best in 2010. Thinking some of you might be to busy to read on New Year's Eve. So I will get the all the best in the New Year business out of the way. May all of you that read have a happy and successful 2010.

Raptor Rewind- Return Of The Bobcat Edition

I highly debated if I should continue watching March Madness and just watch the recap in an hour of this one. However after much debate I am here for the Bobcats and Raptors. I figured who beyond me would watch this one so it might actually be on of those times where a Raptor Rewind would be important. Well as important as it can be for a team that is heading to the NBA lottery. At the start of this season that team you would have figured would be the Charlotte Bobcats. But they are very much alive in the playoff race as the Raptors are barely hanging on to a pulse. They looked every bit that team when they took on the Bobcats on Monday. I can only pray I will be rewarded for my dedication with at least an entertaining game to talk about. Let's hope so anyway. I am missing the Madness for this. My bracket is taking some shots but my final four is very much alive. James Harden was not that impressive today for all the folks calling for him to be a Raptor. Whoever and where ever the Raptors select they need to pick the best player available that is the bottom line. For tonight the bottom line is effort with a large E. Need to see some. Will we? We are about to find out.

1st Quarter

Bobcats win the tip and away we go. Bobcats have a couple chances to score and do not but kept possession and eventually score on a Gerald Wallace dunk. Jose Calderon scores and Raps create a turnover but can't turn it into points. Wallace another dunk and Bobcats lead 4-2. He is fighting through pain and keeps playing. Raps turn the ball over and Okafor gets the easy score inside. Wallace is fouled and heads to the line looking to add to an early lead which he does going 2 for 2. Bosh answers the Bobcat 6-0 run with a basket. But Bobcats offer a quick reply and it is 10-4 Bobcats. After the teams exchange misses Gerald Wallace drives and scores with pretty much no one willing to stop him. Time out Toronto.

Bosh out of time out has his shot blocked and go out off him. Bobcats quickly score and lead by 10. Andrea Bargnani answers with a 3 point and cuts the lead to 14-7. Boris Diaw one of the new Bobcats gets a basket to extend the lead. Bargnani answers with a 2 point effort. Felton answers that with a quick 2. Graham happy to learn OSU got a win gets 2 points for the Raps. But Bobcats fire right back and there is no D in Toronto that I have seen of yet. Anthony Parker attempts to make this a game, making an open three ball. But as things have been of late Raymond Felton answers with a 3 of his own. Bosh makes a pair at the line and the Bobcats lead 23-16.

Raja Bell cranked up a 3 ball but missed it. Raps can't cut the lead. Bobcats are showing hustle and Raps are sleep walking. Bargnani missed in the lane and Joey Graham cleans up the mess in relief of Shawn Marion who was taken out early by Triano. Bobcats answer the Raptors score to maintain a 7 point lead. Pops checks in for CB4. Calderon fouled and makes a pair at the line. Wallace draws a foul on the other end and heads to the line. He splits a pair and Bargnani is fouled on the other end. He is 2 for 2. Okafor scores on inside guarded by Pops on D. Wallace draws a foul and Triano gets teched up. Who knew Jay Triano was so fiery. He has got more techs than Sam Mitchell ever did. Sam was known for talking but he rarely got teched up for it. After the tech and free throws Bobcat lead was 9. Raptors would score to cut the lead to 7 and after a Bobcat miss have a chance to cut lead to 5 after one. But would not and in fact the Bobcats would add to the lead. Bobcats lead 33-24 after one.

2nd Quarter.

Bosh is fouled and heads to the line to start the second. He makes a pair and the lead was 7 points again. Raymond Felton answers with a score plus a foul. Bobcat lead was back to 10 points. Make that a dozen and I am rapidly regretting my choice not to stick with the Madness. Diaw would score and after the Bosh free throws the Bobcats had rattled off a run to lead by 14. This season is just painful to watch at this point. I would be interested to see the Ratings for March Madness in comparison to this game. I am thinking it would be shockingly bad for the Raptors much like the effort on the floor to this point.

Shawn Marion gets his first basket out of the time out to end the Bobcat run. Diaw drives and draws a foul on CB4 but non shooting and Bobcats don't get a score. But no worries Raptors turn it over and give it right back they have already racked up 7. Diaw would drive and score and Raps would answer but still were down 12 and showing 0 defensive pride. Bosh would get a score and cut the lead to 10. Marion would get a score and the lead was down to 8.

Bobcats were finally cooling off and Raps were taking advantage a bit. Bosh would draw a foul and Raptors were making a push to get back in this game. Bosh made both and lead was down to 6. Oakfor would put a stop to the Raptors run with an easy score and the lead was back to 8 with score 44-36. Bosh is fouled and at the line makes a pair. D.J Augstin the drive and score to keep the lead at 8. Raps would get a Bargnani score and had a chance to cut the lead even more. Bosh would do just that as he had 14 and the Raptors trailed by the number on his jersey. But a 3 pointer for the Bobcats would make the lead 7 once more. Radmanovic doing the damage. Raps were staying in this by making free throws they were perfect at the line and got 2 more. Bosh would get fouled again and he could actually cut the Bobcat lead down to 1 if he made both. Which he did and Raps were down just 49-48. Felton would make a much needed jump shot for the Bobcats. Calderon a brutal miss and Bobcats had chance to score again but could not. But an easy Parker miss and Gerald Wallace would draw a foul and split a pair at the line. Calderon would drive and score and the lead was 2 and Bobcats would get a last chance to respond. An Augustin chuck at buzzer would not fall. Bobcats leas 52-50 at the half. Bosh with 20 for the home side.

3rd Quarter

Marion was denied by Gerald Wallace to start the second half. But Bargnani would make a basket after a Bobcats failed first possession. 52 all...and worth noting Bobcats only have 10 road wins on the year. While I type that the Bobcats score to restore a 2 point advantage. Okafor would pick up 2 quick fouls and had 4 in the game and take a seat. Parker would score after Oakfor checked out. Felton would answer and Bobcats leasd 56-54. Wallace would hit a 3 pointer as he was wide open and would take advantage. He would score again driving the the basket and a 7-0 run Bobcats and lead was 7. Bosh would make a couple jumpers with a bobcat score in between them and it was 63-58 Bobcats.

Felton with the easy drive and score off the screen and roll. Bosh was doing all he could to keep Raps in the game as he would answer. Bobcats would turn the ball over with a 5 point lead 65-60. Parker would get fouled non shooting and a time out on the floor. Raps would fail to convert after the break. Felton drives and Bosh would make him change the shot and he missed it. Calderon was left in the dust again by Felton a theme of the evening. Bosh an ill advised jumper would not fall. Give and go play would lead to a score for Brois Diaw who now had 22 in the game. Bobcats leading it 67-60. Calderon would score on the drive. Charlotte would answer with a quick score. Bargnani would comeback with a 3 ball for the Raptors cutting the lead to 4. Bobcats a miss and Pops on the glass gets it. He would get an offensive board on the other end but travel before passing it to Marion.

Bobcats fail to cash in on the turnover and Bargnani would draw the foul on the other end. He would split a pair and the Bobcat lead was trimmed to 3. Diaw would score in the lane over Bosh. Bargnani would answer on the other end for the Raptors. Wallace would return the favour for the Bobcats. He would get a steal and a slam and end the back and forth giving the Bobcats a 8 point lead with score 76-68. The Raptors had never lead in this game and looked like Bobcats were determined to keep it that way. Bobcats split a pair at the line. Jose a miss from 3 and Graham would clean up the mess with a score. But Bobcats would add to the lead and end the quarter up 82-70.

4th Quarter

Wide open look for 3 does not fall for Felton to start the 4th. Kapono would get called for a foul on the offensive end. Wallace took the ball from Bosh and would draw the foul on Bosh as the 2 would riun the other way off the turnover. Diaw would score in the post on the possession off the turnover. Bobcats missed on a lay up that could have made it a 16 point lead. Marion missed on offensive he was a sorry 2 of 8 and Raptors were looking primed for another loss. Bosh taking a 3 pointer was not going to change that. Diaw would score agian the Bobcats had largest lead of night with score 86-70.

After Raps would trail by 18 they would score back to back baskets and cut it down to 14 points. Mark Ivaroni was in the house and got a on camera appearnce on the broadcast. Meanwhile Bargnani would hit a 3 with his new coach watching on? Regardless Raps had cut lead to 11 and the very much employed Larry Brown would call a time out. D.J Augstin would get it done out of time out and this game was pretty much settled. Wallace would take a hip check from Bargnani and was not happy about it. He may have been more shocked than anything. Good for Andrea. Raps were out of it down 16 but they need more of that and honestly they needed it long before now. D.J Augstin with a drive and score and Bobcats lead was 18 and this thing was all over but the final score. Bobcats have got back on track with 3 straight wins after this. They had lost 3 straight prior to the Raptors visit on Monday, 2 wins over the Raps and a win over the Kings in the middle and Bobcats are still in the playoff hunt. Raptors would cut the lead to 11 with just over 2 minutes to play but the damage had been done. A wide open 3 ball would make it 102-86 and all that was left to do is determine the final score. The final score would be 102-89. Bosh had 35 but had little help beyond Andrea Bargnani who had 27. Diaw and Wallace both had 30 to lead the Bobcats.

Cats/Raps Boxscore.

Raptors play Clippers on Sunday and if they can't win that I mean really what can you say. I mean it really has all been said at this point.

Raptors Rewind- Must Win Edition

So let's start with who is not playing in this game. Jermaine O'Neal is out with his knee and ankle. Meanwhile for the Bobcats no J-Rich for the Bobcats. He is said to be injured but has been the talk of several trade rumours. But point is he will not be in the line-up for Bobcats. The Toronto Raptors faces a game that is about as much a must win as you can get for a late November game. The Raptors will be looking to improve on 2-4 record at the A.C.C this year. It was Jose Calderon bobble head night and he must step up to the plate tonight on defense. Raymond Felton and D.J Augustin coming off impressive outings vs the 76ers. This is a game the Raptors desperately need to win. Andrea Bargnani would start at the center spot and Jamario Moon will fill in for Andrea who had been playing at the 3 spot.

1st Quarter

Raptors win the tip and score with a Bosh mid range jumper. Raptors force a turnover on the first Bobcat trip of the night. Bosh after a few turnover by both would score again on a turn around jumper down low. Gerald Wallace would be sent to the line on a Moon foul and he made both. Jose Calderon hit a nice jumper from the corner and Raptors lead early 6-3. Jamario Moon did not see a pass from Calderon it would lead to a turnover and a second foul for Moon. Andrea Bargnani got his first two of the night. He would score again on a second chance for the Raptors. Gerald Wallace took an elbow to the eye from Jamario Moon. He would leave.

Raptors with a 10-7 lead and Chris Bosh fumbled the ball a bit but was heading to the free throw line. Bosh would make both for Raptors. The Raptors were much more active on defense tonight creating deflections and causing headaches. Gearld Wallace was back in the game and back at the line going one of two with some question on how well he could see the target. Raptors were off to a decent start with a 15- 9 lead about midway through the first. Both teams were looking sloppy and the Bobcats manged to rattle off 4 straight in between the miscues by both. Chris Bosh would end the mini 4-0 run with the a basket he had 8. But Gerald Wallace was back at it again and he scored and had 11 points for the Bobcats. A.P made a nice jumper and he got the Raptor advantage to 19-15. Sean May was seeing some time and the former UNC product had a couple baskets. Raymond Felton had a basket and the score was all even at 19-19. Bobcats continued to keep it going as Emeka Okafor had a couple baskets and Bobcats had a 4 point advantage. Chris Bosh would answer with a drive and score and a trip to the line. He would make that and it was 23-22. Bobcats on the final trip for them of the quarter had a sweet alley opp to Gearld Wallace. Jason Kapono would hit a 2-ball and it was a one point leading 25-24

2nd Quarter

The Bobcats started a bit of a run to start the quarter. Chris Bosh would again get to the hoop score and draw a foul. Another 3 points for Bosh and Raptors were again just down 29-28 early in the second quarter. Bosh would score again to put the Raptors in front. Bobcats would score and Bosh again replied he was 7-7 and at least he understood how important this game was. A steal and Roko Ukic hooked Bosh up for the dunk. Ukic would then get a rare bucket for himself and Raptors lead 36-31.

But Matt Carroll would score. Bobcats would get another basket and Bosh got called for a foul and get a technical as well. It was clear Bosh was playing with an edge as he on his own was trying to keep the Raptors alive. Raptors after letting the Bobcats tie the score would get a basket to go back in front. Gearld Wallace would be fouled by Joey Graham who was seeing some rare time. Wallace would connect all tied again at 38-38. Andrea Bargnani would make a block to keep the score tied. Joey Graham with a rare basket on the offensive tap back. Raptors lead 40-38.

D.J Augustin would draw a foul on Chris Bosh his second of the night and D.J was heading to the line for 3 shots. D.J would make them all for his first 3 points of the night and his team had the one point lead. Augustin would follow it up with a 3 pointer in the more traditional sense. That would get answered by an Anthony Parker 3-ball. Gerald Wallace got another basket and Bosh would answer in reply for the Raptors. Both were having great nights individually. Joey Graham drove and got fouled and was at the line with a chance to put the Raptors back in the lead. Joey would get it done. Joey Graham would get a highlight reel dunk and on a night where few have shown up for Raptors, Joey G has been able to do so. A foul late in the half would send Joey Graham back to the line. The Raptors got a final push from Joey to have a 51-46 lead. Chris Bosh had 24 points and was keeping his team in this game.

3rd Quarter.

Raptors did not play a great half but they had a 5 point lead. So a good second half was needed to secure a win that they were in bad need of. Bobcats missed on two chances to score to start the half for them. The Raptors lost the ball out of bounds on their first chance. Gearld Wallace would score the next time up the floor for the Bobcats. Andrea Bargnani nailed a 3 pointer on his first shot of the second half. Chris Bosh would get an offensive rebound and get fouled on a drive to the basket. He would make both and was 8-8 from the line to this point. Raptors lead 56-48 early in the third. Gearld Wallace and Chris Bosh were having a battle. Wallace was keeping the Bobcats in it. But Bosh was doing just a bit more to keep his Raptors in it. The score was 60-54 Raptors.

Chris Bosh had 32 points with lots left to play but yet his team had just a 62-59 lead. Andrea Bargnani was giving help on D with his 3rd block on the night but the lead was still just 3 points. Joey Graham was having a night and he had another basket plus a foul. I am far from Joey Graham fan but he was helping more than anyone else to this point. The bad news is Joey Graham would pick up his 4th foul on a night you needed him to stay on the floor. But Joey was staying in the game and had 13 points a season high I am confident in saying without checking. Bargnani would get a basket and raptors had built a 70-61 lead. Jose Calderon joined the party hitting a 3 pointer. Joey Graham had another basket and he had 15 points now I am almost ready to believe again. The Raptors would take a 75-68 lead to the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter

Raptors needed a win bad and let's see if they could get it. Jose Calderon getting another 3-ball was a good start. Jason Kapono would pop in a long 2 pointer and Raptors lead was 80-70. Joey Graham would get nailed with an offensive foul his 5th foul on the night. Chris Bosh would get back in on the action with a basket to push his total to 34 on the evening. Raptors lead was 82-74 for the Raptors. Joey Graham was remaining in the game with the 5 fouls.

Joey would eventually get taken out by Sam before he fouled out and he got a nice hand from the ACC crowd that was well deserved. Despite a huge night from Chris Bosh and rare night of excellence from Joey Graham the lead was only 87-82. Gearld Wallace cam back in the game with about 5 minute left to try to rally the Bobcats. Joey Graham was back in as well with his 5 fouls. D.J Augustin would drive and score and that Raptor lead was now just 3 points at 87-84.

Chris Bosh does not get the respect that a player of his level deserves. He drove to basket and got hacked with no call. Emeka Oakfor hit a corner jumper and this was a one point game. Chris Bosh answer the challenge with his 38 and 39th points of the night on a jumper. Raptors had ball and got key second chance that Joey Graham would score on. He had 17 points. That was 3 points away from a career high for Joey. Raptors had a 5 point lead with a minute to play. Bobcats would mis-fire and Raptors had the ball Jose Calderon would hit a basket and this game should be over. A bobcat turnover that just so happened ended up in the hands of Joey Graham. Raptors get back to .500 with a win. Chris Bosh had 39 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Raptors take the Bobcats for second time this year 93-86. For the rest of the numbers check out the boxscore below.

Raps/Bobcats Boxscore

The defense was better but not perfect but the bottom line was the Raptors got a win and it was one that they desperately needed.