The All-Star reserve list was announced on Thursday and with every announcement come a band of critics of the list. For instance, Al Jefferson didn’t make the All-Star team but some would argue that he’s not deserving because although he's playing great, his team is horrible. A lot of good players on bad teams never get the credit as All-Star talent because their team is sitting in the bottom of the standings. Some people call them All-Star snubs, some people call them Stat Stuffers on bad teams, either way here’s the best of the worst.
Here are the qualifications for this team:
Have to have played at least 40 Games
All-Starrish stats this season
Player's come from a team with a losing record
In the West:
Starting at Point Guard
Russell Westbroook, Oklahoma City Thunder (11-35)
Finding a good point guard in the West is easy. Finding a good point guard in the West on a losing team is impossible. There's Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Steve Nash on the winning side but the best on the losing side is Russell Westbrook. He has been amazing as a rookie. Westbrook has averaged 14 pts, 4 reb and 4 assists for the Thunder. And on another note, he should also be in the dunk contest instead of Rudy Fernandez.
Starting at Shooting Guard
OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies (11-34)
This spot is hard to fill . I could have went a few directions but Mayo has been pretty consistent and has been an offensive threat for the Grizz. Mayo is averaging 19 pts per game and is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year.
Starting at Small Forward
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder (11-35)
The Thunder are in 13th place in the Western Conference but they got a young 20-year old Kevin Durant to build their franchise around for the future. KD has been a quiet all-star in OKC and has been averaging 25 points and 6.6 boards. In the West, Durant is the third highest scorer behind Kobe & Dirk.
Starting at Power Forward
Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves (16-28)
Probably the biggest All-Star snub, Al Jefferson has been averaging 22 pts, 10 rebounds & 1.6 blocks with the Wolves. Minnesota has been playing good ball as of late going 7-3 in their last ten. Jefferson is one of only three players in the league to average 20/10.
Starting at Centre
Andris Biedrins, Golden Sate Warriors (14-32)
Biedrins has been a beast on the boards for Golden State. He averages 13 pts & 12 boards on the season along with 1.2 steals & 1.6 blocks. The Latvian has been getting in done in Golden State with his double double consistency.
In the Eastern Conference where pretty much half of the teams have losing records...
Starting at Point Guard
Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets (20-26)
New Jersey has been a perfect opportunity for Harris. He landed a lead point guard role and has flourished with the Nets. He has been the biggest suprise for the Nets averaging 22 pts & 6 assists, he deserves to be on this year's All-Star team.
Starting at Shooting Guard
Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets (20-26)
I mean the Nets unload Jason Kidd & Richard Jefferson, who else is supposed to pick up the scoring?
Starting at Small Forward
Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers (18-28)
Granger isn't all-star snub as he made the All-Star reserves. Granger's scoring has been bananas lately averaging 27.6 points in the last month including a game against the Warriors where he dropped 42.
Starting at Power Forward
Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards (9-36)
Jamison is averaging 21 pts, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. He has been a consistent 20/10 threat each night but the Wiz just stink. Someday Gilbert Arenas will be healthy for the Wizards.
Starting at Centre
Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors (19-29)
Of course, CB4 is an all-star he's one of the best big men in the East. But unfortunately, the Raps have not lived up to their expectations. CB4 has been the leader on the Raps and since the Eastern conference is so bad, the Raps have an opportunity to make a run for the playoffs with Bosh leading the way.
Photo credit: (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Raptors 107, Net 106
We at Hoop Heads North love to let the Canadian side of the game shine whenever possible, so we'd be remiss not to showcase, the Miami Heat's shot blocker extraordinaire, Runnin' Rebel, and Montreal, Quebec, Canada native, Joel Anthony. By the way, it's pronounced JO-EL!
With Toronto, Ontario native and Kentucky Wildcat Jamaal Magloire also on Miami's roster, I'm thinking we might get a chance to see some Heat players doing charity events or making other event appearances throughout Canada in the future.
Sun Sports feature on Joel:
This is David Stern @ The Rucker (Rucker Park, Harlem, NYC) Summer of 2003, rockin' the Fat Joe/Terror Squad chain. No, this is not a photoshop job. This is the real deal.
Not quite sure why he's rockin' the Terror Squad Ice but this is pre-2005 NBA dress code. Maybe this was when he dropped his hip hop album which later flopped leading to the institution the '05 NBA dress code to get back at hip hop, who knows.
Shoutouts to San Fran for the tip!
Ever since the New Year, Andrea Bargnani has really stepped it up. The production from the former #1 draft pick has increased dramatically. He has moved from a Darko comparison to a Dirk comparison. In this same time frame, Andrea looks to have stopped shaving and has grown a ridiculous beard that only the Gasol brothers could be jealous of.
Here is the statistical analysis of the bearded Bargnani vs. beardless Bargnani.
Beardless Bargnani (15 games before New Years Eve)
Averaged: 7.5 ppg, 31% FG pctg , 23% 3PT pctg, 3.2 rebounds
(picture from 12/29 game vs. Golden State)
Notable games:
Dec 5th @ Utah: 7 pts on 3-12 shooting, 6 rebounds
Dec 10th vs Ind: 0 pts on 0-4 shooting, 4 rebounds
Dec 17th vs Dal: 3 pts on 1-5 shooting, 3 rebounds
Dec 20th @ SA: 2 pts on 1-5 shooting, 2 rebounds
Dec 22nd @ LAC: 3 pts on 1-5 shooting, 1 rebound
Dec 29th @ GSW: 7 pts on 3-8 shooting, 6 rebounds
Words to describe Beard-less Bargs' play:
No confidence, hesitant, soft, no defense, can't rebound, sucks, Darko, Kwame, Bust-nani, inconstistent, defensive liability
"There is no chin behind Andrea Bargnani's beard. There is only another fist."
Bearded Bargs (15 games after New Years Eve)
Averages: 21 ppg, 52% FG pctg , 49% 3PT pctg, 6.7 rebounds
Notable games:
Dec 31st vs Den: 26 pts, 6 rebounds
Jan 4th @Mil: 21 pts, 5 threes, 8 rebounds
Jan 7th @ Was: 25 pts, 4 threes, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
Jan 12th @ Bos: 23 pts, 8 rebounds
Jan 14th vs Chi: 31 pts on 10-14 shooting, 10 rebounds
Jan 19th @ Atl: 20 pts, 10 rebounds
Jan 25th vs Sac: 24 pts, 7 rebounds
Words to describe Bearded Bargs' play:
Confident, Tough, talented scorer, swagger, consistent, gritty, Rebel Without A Cause
Other Notable Beards:
Chuck Norris, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, Abe Lincoln, Mr.T
Ever since the growth of the beard, here are the percentage improvements on Bargnani's stats:
Scoring is up 184%
Assists are up 110%
Rebounds up 108%
3 pt percentage up 62%
FG percentage up 113%
Toughness is up 400% (just watch below)
Raptors 113, Kings 97
Raptors 114, Bulls 94
...because Jose sank some shots.
Jose made his return, A.P. moved back into the shooting guard slot and J.O was ready to showcase for Pat Riley as the Raps were ready to get revenge on the Bulls last night. And guess what? The Raps didn't blow it. They actually ended their 7 game losing streak, finishing off the Bulls 114-94. The Raps actually fixed some of their mistakes and played some good D. Jose Calderon didn't show any signs of rust.
The game started and my girlfriend got a glimpse of Bulls coach, Vinny Del Negro and was like "Is that Luke Wilson?" I've never seen the resemblance until she mentioned it.
Derrick Rose is too freaking quick, he just blew by the Raps for easy layups. Jose came out strong passing the ball to get everyone good shots and he nailed his jumpers, I mean all of them. The Raps looked so much better without Roko/Solomon running the point. Joey Graham had a nice jam to get the Raps an early lead 24-17. Tyrus Thomas then had a block on Chris Bosh and then just posterized Jermaine O'Neal.
The wheels started to fall off for the Raps again in the fourth. Ben Gordon nailed a J to get it to a five point game and then the Bulls went on a 16-6 run to get within one. Derrick Rose who scored 17 in the fourth at the last game, was non-apparent in the fourth and sat most of the quarter. Anthony Parker came up big, nailing his corner threes to build the Raps lead, as the Raps went on another run getting back up to ten. Jose was clutch in this game, going 8 for 9 from the field as the Raps finished off the Bulls on a 23-4 run.
Key Notes:
Jose Calderon was unstoppable in his return: 23 points, 10 assists, 0 turnovers, 9-10 from the floor in 29 minutes of action
Bargs had 22 pts, 5 assists
Joey Graham had 16 points
The Bulls had 23 turnovers
Kirk Hinrich had 17 pts, 5 rebounds and 7 assist off of the bench for the Bulls
Raps shot 56% from the floor
Raps are home against Sacamento on Sunday
Ever considered ankle insurance? After seeing this new viral ad for the Nike Zoom Kobe IV you may want to invest in some :) I think the satire in this is genius. Shouts to my homie AB for hitting me with this!
Pistons 95, Raps 76
Raps got blown out by the Pistons last night, leading to their 7th loss in a row as the Raps just fell apart in the second half. The Raps stayed close in the first two quarters only to get outscored 30-19 in the third quarter. This was the first game that the Pistons had Rip Hamilton coming off of the bench. Jermaine O'Neal made his return to coming off the bench for the Raps.
Nathan Jawai made his NBA debut last night. The Aussie Baby Shaq got the ball in the post only to be called for a travel.
His line: 3:05 minutes, 1 turnover
Yep, that's how exciting the game was, the Nathan Jawai's 3 minutes of garbage time was the highlight of the night.
Key Notes:
Joey Graham sucked. Your starting shooting guard had 0 points in 22 min. Need I explain more? If the Raps even think about winning a game, Joey Graham has to do something.
Rodney Stuckey didn't suck. He took it to the Raptor guards going for 17 pts & 7 assists. Iverson got the start at the two and Rip Hamilton was last night's sixth man. The Billups-Iverson trade has really displayed what type of talent this kid has.
Roko Ukic sucked. He also had a donut off of the bench (0 pts, 3 assists, 2 reb). Sometimes he looks unstoppable on the the floor and then sometimes you just have to cringe when he tries to create his own offense. On back to back possessions, Roko decided to get the offense going on his own but had no luck.
Tayshaun Prince didn't suck. Tayshaun just torched the Raps for 25 pts on 11-16 shooting.
The Raptors in the second half sucked. The Raps only scored 33 points in the second half and gave up 49 to the Pistons. They got killed on the boards....Raps defense, Raps offense were just terrible all the way through.
The Bosh/Bargnani comobo didn't suck. They weren't great but Bosh/Bargs did their thing offensively. Bosh started off strong and finished with 19 pts & 5 rebounds. Bargs had 16 pts 6 rebounds.
But 12 combined rebounds from the Raps Bigs (O'Neal/Bosh/Bargnani)? That's horrible.
Rasheed Wallace sucked. 'Sheed didn't get anything going offensively, which I guess the Raps Bigs did do something right defensively. Rasheed finished with three points on 1-6 shooting.
Jason Maxiell didn't suck. J-Max had 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Wow, he played better than anyone on the Raps roster last night. Jason Maxiell eats babies.
The Raps have to do something soon, this Marion-O'Neal trade has to happen or the Raps just have to start thinking about next year's draft. Raps play the Bulls on Friday.
In true Conan O'Brien style, here is NBATV's exclusive interview with the Atlanta Hawks star, the quiet, soft spoken Joe Johnson.
"In all of Atlanta sports, I am the best athlete, embrace me!"
Remember Reggie Slater? Me neither. But I do remember Doug Christie and Alvin Williams.
Check out this classic Toronto Raptors' Maple Leafs spot.
Hawks 87, Raps 84
Ok here's the situation:
Score: 84-85 Hawks
0:41 Chris Bosh defensive rebound
0:35 Jamario Moon misses 26-foot three point jumper
WTF.
Why oh why would Jamario Moon chuck a quick three during one of the last Raps' possessions down 1? Ugh...Raps dropped their sixth game in a row.
Triano went with the same lineup change today with AP at the point and Joey Graham at the two. As the J.O./Sean Marion trade rumors swirl, Jermaine O'Neal sat out and Jose Calderon sat today as well.
First quarter, Joey Graham started with a sick dunk. Josh Smith had a couple of nice dunks as well in the first quarter with his Hawks down 24-21. Raps were up 24-23 after one. The Raps took control in the first half, Roko was just blowing by the Hawks with layups, Bosh & Bargs also had it going as the Raps got up 11, 51-40. Raps shot 50% in the first half holding the Atlanta Hawks to 39% shooting. The Raps also outrebounded the Hawks 23-17 in the first half.
The Raps stunk it up in the second half, Joe Johnson hit a jumper in the third to get it to a 58-53 Raps lead. Then the Raps went cold going 0 for 7, while Mike Bibby cut it to one point. Raps led 64-62 after the third quarter. Toronto only scored 13 points in the third. The Raps continued to tank as they shot 9-32 throughout the second half, shooting under 30%. The Raps fell behing 76-71 until Jamario Moon hit a three to tie it at 78. The Raps started to hit shots as Chris Bosh hit a jumper to get up 2.
Then this is where it started to go sour. First, Jamario bit on a Mike Bibby pump fake that sent Bibby to the line where Bibby went 2/2 from the line to get up 85-84. With 54 seconds left, the Raps inballed the ball to Bosh who just lost it off the dribble which lead to a Hawks steal. Luckily, Mo Evans completely missed a layup giving the Raps a perfect opportunity to set up for the go-ahead basket. But as Jamario ran down the floor, he decided to go for the quick three. A quick three? Ugh. Ugly. Leo and Matt Devlin couldn't believe it along with the rest of the Raps nation. This set up Joe Johnson to nail a clutch jumper to get up three. Raps had 12 seconds to get a decent shot, but they couldn't a decent shot at all. The Raps lose another "OHHH, SO CLOSE" game again.
Raps have Detroit on Wednesday.
Photo credit: (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't suck.
Last Week Average: 29 pts, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Obviously he doesn't suck but 'Bron-'Bron had three double digit rebounding games last week. Averaging 29 points and 13 rebounds, that's just sick.
Check out this video: "Flight 23" and select the HD version.
Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats didn't suck.
Last Week Average: 24 pts, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1.5 blocks
Wallace had a bad-ass game going 31-16 against Portland Blazers and this nasty dunk on Greg Oden.
Suns 117, Raps 113
The good news is that the Raps next nine games include seven against the Eastern Coference. So this is a the stretch where the Raps can either make or break their season. Yesterday, Triano made some lineup changes putting Anthony Parker as the starting point guard and puttting Joey Graham as the starting shooting guard. Apparently, these guys along with Bosh, Bargs and Moon were the only ones who could get it going in the fourth of the Raps-Pacers game.
The Raps came out swinging in this one starting off with 18-6 start over the Suns as this would be a high scoring affair. Then the Terry Porter Phoenix Suns looked more like the D'Antoni Suns Sunday afternoon as J-Rich hit a three to lead the Suns to five buckets in a row to get up on the Raps 27-26. Phoenix would continue the hot streak going on a 21-9 run to get up 36-34. The Raps would shoot a hot 64% but the defense let Phoenix shoot a sweltering 72%. The hot offense continued until halftime, the Phoenix Suns led 71-67.......at halftime, yes halftime. Steve Nash was scoreless at the half but had 11 assists.
Pacers 111, Raptors 104
Man, the Pacers pulled off a Raptor-esque performance by blowing their 24 point lead after the third quarter. It all started with a 10-1 run by the Raps in the first. Jermaine O'Neal made his first appearance in Indiana and got a mixed review with both boos and claps. After the first quarter, the game was tied 20-20.
In the second is where the wheels started to fall off for the Raps. The Raps fell behind 41-30 and then the Pacers started to hit the threes. Danny Granger hit a big three, Troy Murphy had an open three and then Dunleavy hit a three. The Raps defense was too slow, and their shots were just ugly as nothing was falling for the Raps. The Pacers were up 56-42 at half.
Jamario Moon started the third quarter with an airball. Toronto continued to turn the ball over and Troy Murphy hit a three to get up 81-59 on the Raps. Former Raptor, TJ Ford hit a late jumper to end off the third up 24 points.
In the fourth, Bosh started off with back to back baskets as the Raps went on a 11-0 run to start the fourth. Bargs continued to struggle shooting 4-13. Raps contined to rally as AP passed to an open Bosh for the dunk. Toronto continued to go on a 17-5 run. Then Bargs hit a three to make the game close to get within nine. Jason Kapono hit an open three and then Danny Granger who was 7-22 missed an open three. Bosh continued to go on a tear and hit two free thrown to get within three. Then Anthony Parker hit a jumper to get within 1. Even though the Raps made the 4th quarter run, the Pacers hit key free throws to put the Raps away.
Key Notes:
Toronto had 20 turnovers leading to 29 Pacer points
Danny Granger had 23 pts on 8-24 shooting
Bosh had 25 pts, 16 rebounds
Jermaine O'Neal had 2 points and 7 boards in his return
Raps are home to Phoenix on Sunday.
Photo Credit: (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bulls 102, Raps 98
Bargs was large. He played so well, he even tipped in a basket for the Bulls. Andrea Bargnani had a career night but this was another heart-breaker. The Raps came out flat in the first, falling as much as 12 pts behind the Bulls. After one, the Bulls led 27-18, outrebounding the Raps 14-6.
The Raps just got killed on the offensive boards in the first half, the Bulls had 10 offensive boards versus the Raps' donut. The Raps made a run in the second that started with a huge Jamario Moon block on Kirk Hinrich as the Raps got within four. Will Solomon then hit a jumper to get within one and then he followed it with an alley oop pass to Jamario Moon to take the lead. Bargs had it going scoring 10 points in the second quarter alone. The Raps took the lead at 48-47 at halftime. Bulls outrebounded the Raps 26-11 and killed them on the offensive boards 12-1.
The third quarter had the Raps bench struggling and settling for too many jumpers. Bosh/Bargnani carried the load scoring 14 of the Raps 18 points. Roko Ukic had a late layup to get up 71-68 at the end of the third.
The Bulls started off on a 7-0 run to start the fourth. The Bulls had good ball movement passing it around until they found a high percentage shot. The Bulls were just killing the Raps in the paint. Then the Raps got back on a run again, AP hit a three to get within one. AP was clutch in the fourth as he hit another jumper to take the lead. Derrick Rose was amazing, he was just so quick and explosive, he just drove to the basket with ease. Chris Bosh had a nice cut to the basket for the dunk, as the score was 98-96 Bulls. Derrick Rose and Anthony Parker traded baskets and then the Bulls had the ball with 15 seconds left. Kirk Hinrich had a bad inbounds pass which led to a Chris Bosh steal. Toronto got the ball to Chris Bosh, down 2, but Joakim Noah stuck to him and blocked Bosh's jumper. Bulls Win, Bulls Win, Bulls Win, break out the salami and cheese that ball game was over.
Key Notes:
Andrea Bargnani had a career high 31 points and 10 rebounds
Derrick Rose had 25 points and 10 assists and scored 17 in the fourth quarter
Luol Deng had 16 points and 14 rebounds
Chris Bosh had 25 points and 4 rebounds
Raps are @ Indiana on Friday.
Photo credit: (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
Tonight the Raps face off against the 16-22 Chicago Bulls but this also means the return of The Swirsk, Chuck Swirsky, former Raps announcer.
After having Chuck as the announcer of the Raps for so many years, it just seems weird of having the new guy in Matt Devlin in there. Don't get me wrong Matt Devlin is a great announcer but I was just a fan of the originality that Chuck had brought. Be it "Another MP3 Download" (for a Morris Peterson three) or "The Red Rocket" (for former Raptor Matt Bonner) it just made the Raps broadcast that more enjoyable to watch. I know Devlin doing his best for the nicknames but the "Rockin' Roko" or "Will the Thrill" nicknames just doesn't cut it. Anyhow, it will be nice to see Swirsk back in Toronto.
Welcome back, Swirsk.
Check out TSN's Top 10 Chuck Swirsky Tribute:
Vince Carter of the NJ Nets didn't suck
Last week: 25pts, 8 rebounds, 11 assists
VC has been dropping dimes, getting double digit assist games against Milwaukee and Memphis.
Lamarcus Aldridge of the Portland Blazers didn't suck
Last week: 24 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Lamarcus had three twenty point games against the LA Lakers, Detroit Pistons and Golden State. The Blazers sit a game and half behind the Nuggets in the Northwest.
Pau Gasol of the LA Lakers didn't suck
Last week: 20 pts, 10 rebounds
PG 20-10 averaged 20-10 last week with a huge game against Golden State. He had 33 points, 18 rebounds and 2 blocks against the Warriors. Check out the dish by Pau in this clip:
Philadelphia 76ers didn't suck
Last Week: Won 4 in a row
The've won four in a row knocking off Houston, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Atlanta. They sit in the third spot in the Atlantic Division.
Minnesota Timberwolves didn't suck
Last Week: Won 5 in a row
The Wolves are only 11-25 but are on a streak beating mediocre teams Golden State, Chicago, Memphis, OKC and Milwauekee. The Wolves are 4th in the Northwest. They squeaked out a win against the Bucks 106-104 even without Kevin McHale (ejected) and Al Jefferson (fouled out)
Photo credit: (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Celtics, 115, Raptors 109 (OT)
Suprisingly, the Raps had the lead early on. Andrea Bargnani had 3 fouls in the second as the Raps were up 41-35. The Raps bench played an important factor in the first half with Roko Ukic, Jason Kapono and Joey Graham all hitting shots. The trio from the bench had a combined 20 points in the first half. The Raps shot 54% from the field and also outrebounded the C's in the first half. The Bosh/Bargnani combo also played well combining for 20 pts and 11 rebounds.
In the third, Brian Scalabrine hit back to back shots to knock the Raps lead down to four. But then the Raps managed to build their lead back up, Anthony Parker hit a late shot clock jumper and then Bargs hit a three to get up ten. Andrea has been a beast lately playing with so much confidence, I really don't know what they plan on doing when J.O. returns. In the late third quarter, Paul Pierce just took over getting the C's within two. The Raps led 74-70 afer three.
To start off the fourth, Gabe Pruitt hit an open three to get the C's a lead. Then Bosh had a sick dunk on Big Baby Davis. The Raps were a little cold, Roko tried to make plays but his shot wasn't falling. I've never seen anyone play such good defense on Bosh better than KG. He just gets right in his face every play. KG & Ray Allen hit back to back baskets to get up 4. The Raps were cold, only 2 for 14 in 9 minutes. Rajon Rondo had a nice layup, faking the pass and then driving to the hoop.
The last minute of the fourth was pretty exciting. First Will Solomon hit a three to get within 2. Paul Pierce nailed a jumper and then Bargs had the pump fake on KG and hit the j, to make the score 92-90 for the Celtics. Pierce went to the line for free throws and went 1/2 to put the Celtics to get up 93-90. The last play was chaos, Bosh tried to knock the rebound out and it got to parker, passed to Kapono and then Kapono dished it to Bargs for the three and then whoosh. Tie game with 1 second left.
The overtime period was all Paul Pierce and the Celtics as they went on to beat the Raps 115-109. Raps have the Bulls on Wednesday.
Key notes:
Andrea Bargnani scored 23 pts, 8 rebounds
Paul Pierce had 39 pts, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
Roko Ukic had 16 points off of the Raps bench
Photo credit: (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Do you want to see a young Chris Bosh at a press conference discussing trash talk or a young Jose Calderon speaking about his contract negotiations? Check out these Raptors Foundation spots:
Chris Bosh is a stupid head.
Celtics 94, Raps 88
Good effort. Going into the game, the Raps were the hot team and the Celtics not so hot. The Raps offense had been on fire, averaging 100 points/game in their last five. The Celtics on the other hand have been losers of four in a row. There were a few lineup changes today, Jose Calderon was back in the Raps starting five. For the C's, Kendrick Perkins was out and Brian Scalabrine started in his place.
Raps started off the first well, Jamario Moon hit a three to put the Raps up 12-6. And then.....Jesus came out on Sunday. Jesus Shuttlesworth AKA Ray Allen started to drop some treys on the Raps. The Celtics hit back to back threes to tie it back up at 12. Ray Allen went 5/5 in the first quarter from three point land. The Raps only shot 37%. 32-20 after 1.
The Celtics got up 42-24 on the Raps until Bargnani hit a three and then Anthony Parker hit another triple to get with 10. Things got a little physical as Joey Graham and Brian Scalabrine knocked heads. It was pretty cool, the ACC just erupted with a "JOEY, JOEY, JOEY" chant. As the crowd got excited, the Raps went on a run to get it down to 42-34. And then to top it off, Joey Graham dunked on Brian Scalabrine to get within six as the Raps went on a 10-0 run. But the Celtics went back on a run as Rajon Rondo had a ridiculous dunk on Will Solomon. Celtics were up 54-41 at halftime.
The third quarter was all Celtics as Ray Allen continued to hit threes. Boston outscored the Raps 21-14 in the 3rd, leading the Raps by 18, 73-55. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics went cold. They started off 0/7 until Ray Allen hit a shot to end the Raps 11-2 run. Joey Graham hit a basket to cut the Celtics lead down from 20 to 10 points. The Raps got hot in the fourth, going 6/8 and then Joey Graham had a block on Rajon Rondo that lead to a Chris Bosh dunk. The Raps continued to make a push when Andrea Bargnani hit a three with 1:30 left in the game to get within five. Kapono hit a late three to get it to 92-88 but the Celtics managed to maintain their lead. Final, C's won 94-88.
Key Notes:
Raps shot 28 for 74, 37% for the game
Ray Allen had 8 of the Celtics' 10 threes, he finished with 36 points
Rajon Rondo and KG both had double doubles
The Killer B's: Andrea Bargnani had 17 pts & 9 rebounds, Bosh had 15 pts & 11 boards
For a Celtics perspective, check out RedsArmy
The Raps are at Boston on Monday.
Photo credit: (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
Rajon Rondo with the nastiness on Will Solomon. Rondo had 14 points against the Raps today and here was two of them:
Final Score: Raps 103, Grizz 82
Raps are on a streak! Raps are now winners of 4 of the last 5 and it's a great time for the Raps to get on this streak since they are facing the slumping Celtics on Sunday. Now that game can result in one of two ways: Celtics can continue to slump on Sunday afternoon or they can finally wake up and just demolish the Raps.
Unfortunately, I didn't catch last night's game since I was in attendance at the home opener of the Halifax Rainmen. The Rainmen are a local PBL (Premier Basketball League) basketball team based in Halifax. An interesting tidbit about this minor basketball league is that former Houston Rocket and TNT analyst Kenny Smith is the commissioner.
Key Notes from the Raps-Grizz Game:
Chris Bosh - 32 pts, 10 reb, 3 blocks , 11/13 from the floor, 10/12 from the line
Bargnani - 21 pts, 8 reb, 2 blocks
Raps outrebounded the Grizz 38-33
Rudy Gay led the Memphis Grizzlies with 22 pts
Raps outscored the Grizz 56-38 in the second half
For an extensive recap, check out these blogs:
Raptors Forum - Raps vs. Grizzlies - Post-game
Raptors Repbulic - God smiles on Chris Bosh
Next Game, Sunday afternoon: Celtics - Raps
Final score: Raptors 99, Wiz 93
Ok, first off Hassan Adams was traded yesterday. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers along with cash for a future second round draft pick. He was then immediately waived by the Clippers as the headlines read "Clippers acquire, waive Hassan Adams" I'm sure there's a logical explanation but I'm not exactly sure what it is.
Anyhow, Raptors were shorthanded for the night. No Jose, no J.O., no Jamario (attending the birth of mini-Jamario) and no Hassan Adams. So the Raps were short 3 starters and 1 cheerleader. Joey Graham, Will Solomon and Andrea Bargnani got the start. Jake Voskuhl replaced Hassan Adams as the bench cheerleader.
So the Raps were down to nine players but they were facing the lowly 7-26 Wizards. If the Raps could pull off a win, it would have to be against the Wizards who were on the end of a back to back. And the Raps lucked out, the Wiz looked flat from the start. Andrea Bargnani got another start at centre and showed more of his Dirk-side and not hit Darko-side last night. The Raps quickly got off to a hot start getting up 10-2 on the Wizards from the start. The Raps could barely miss a shot in the first quarter, Will Solomon was hitting shots, Bargs was hitting shots and the Raps as a team shot freaking 70% in the first quarter. They were had a lead up as big as 21-8 and finished the first quarter 27-16.
In the second, Andrea & Anthony Parker got the Raps up to 46-25 after hitting back to back threes with 4 minutes left in the quarter. That's when I thought, "OK, this is where the Raps will begin to blow the lead" And it happened, the Wiz went on a 9-0 run to knock the lead down to 12. Antwawn Jamison led the way to the second half as the Wiz trailed the Raps 50-38 at the half.
The third quarter got a little sloppy for the Raps. Andray Blatche hit a jumper to get within 8 as the Raps turned the ball over too many times. And then Bosh, Will Solomon and Andrea Bargnani got the Raps offense going again to get the lead back up 73-60. I was sure that this quarter was going to be the one that the Raps were going to blow but they held their ground and built their lead again. Andrea Bargnani had 15 points at this point going 6/7 from the field.
The fourth quarter was all Jamison as he was hitting jumpers to lead the Wiz back into the game. Five minutes into the fourth, the Wiz were only down five as the Raps continued to turn the ball over. But from that point on, Raps kept their compsure as Andrea Bargnani was "on" in the 4th hitting his shots down the stretch.
Key notes:
Bargs had a nice game, 25 pts, 4 rebounds
Antawn Jamison had 32 pts, 7 rebounds for the Wiz
Raps actually outrebounded a team beating the Wiz 39-28 on the boards
Toronto had a horrible 20 turnovers
The Wizards never had a lead during this game
For a Wiz perspective check out Bullets Forever
Raps beat the Wiz and the take on the Grizz on Friday.
Photo credit: (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Forget about Andrea Bargnani scoring 21, forget about Bosh's 31 points, forget that the Raps shot 55% and forget that the Raps have won two in a row. This game was a "shoulda won" game.
Just scrap the first 46 minutes of the game and go right to the 2:39 minute mark left in the fourth quarter. Raps are up 95-91.
Here's the play-play:
Luke Ridnour makes 27-foot three point jumper (Michael Redd assists) 95-94
Will Solomon misses 18-foot jumper
Charlie Bell makes 23-foot three point jumper (Charlie Villanueva assists) 97-97
Will Solomon misses 26-foot three point jumper
Luke Ridnour makes 26-foot three point jumper 97-102
Andrea Bargnani misses 21-foot jumper
Michael Redd makes free throw 2 of 2 97-104
Michael Redd makes free throw 2 of 2 97-106
Will Solomon misses layup
Will Solomon? Will Solomon who was 2 for 13? Did they forget Chris Bosh was on the floor?
This game just slipped away from the Raps so fast as the Bucks went on a 13-0 run in the closing 2 minutes. It went from a four-point Raps lead to a 10 point loss against the Bucks. It was just a nasty way to finish a game and it goes to show that the Raps still have a ways to go if they couldn't finish off this game. The Raps went ice cold while the Bucks' Luke Ridnour hit a couple of big threes at the end.
For the Bucks, Michael Redd went for 35 pts, Charlie V went for 25 and Richard Jefferson had an offnight going for 6 points. For the Raptors, Bargs had a good game, 21 points and 8 boards, no one can call him Darko Two now. Chris Bosh scored 31 for the Raps along with 11 boards but the Raps did not go to the leading scorer in the closing minutes. The Raps had a lead as large as 13 during this game but the three ball got the Bucks back into this game as the Bucks hit 11 threes. This was a ugly loss, just too much Michael Redd and too much Will Solomon in the deciding minutes.
For a Bucks perspective, check out Brew Hoop The Raps are at Washington Wednesday night.
Photo credit: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
D12 dropped the DX on Sunday.
I caught this in the last minute of Sunday's Raps-Magic game. Chris Bosh had been shooting free throws and the Toronto hecklers kept taunting Dwight Howard with "HOOOOOOWWARRD.....YOU SUCK!" Dwight Howard in turn, dropped the ol' Degeneration X Suck It. Watch closely:
BREAKING NEWS: SAM MITCHELL SIGHTING.....SAM MITCHELL SIGHTING.....
I couldn't help but post this and shoutouts to ballerblogger.com for the find.
I was watching this YouTube clip of Tony Parker's buzzer beater against the Sixers from Saturday night and then I heard this familiar voice at the end of the clip. Who was it? Sam Mitchell doing commentary for NBATV.
The 26-7 Orlando Magic came into town as winners of 9 of their last 10 games. The Toronto Raptors were winners of 3 of their last 10. Normally, I would think this would be another L for the Raps but I had new outlook on this game. It's 2009 and the Raps are 1-0 for the new year. Today's starters for the Raptors looked a little different: Anthony Parker, Will Solomon and Jamario Moon were all starting with Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon sitting out due to injury. This meant more run for Will Solomon and Roko Ukic at the point guard position.
First Half Pleasure & Pain
Pleasure - The G's were Money
The Magic had an early 17-14 lead on the Raptors seven minutes into the game but the Raptors guards put an end to it. The combo of Anthony Parker and Will Solomon went 6 for 6 from the field as the Raptors went on a 20-5 run from that point. Roko Ukic came into the game in the late first quarter hitting a shot and extended the Raptor lead to 15. By the end of the first, the guards (Parker-Solomon-Ukic) were 7 of 8 from the field and the Raps led 34-22. Raps had the hot hand shooting 66% and their defense held the Orlando Magic to only 40% shooting.
Pleasure - Andrea Bargnani
I don't know where this Andrea Bargnani has been, but I like it. More confidence, more swagger...we should have seen this a long time ago. Bargs played some decent defense on Dwight Howard and he also hit a big three to get up 38-26 on the Magic.
Pain - The infamous Toronto Raptors lead blowing
Dwight Howard started to get get things going with big dunks down low and had 18 points by mid second quarter. Jameer Nelson started to hit shots and knocked the Raptors lead down to only 6. Hedo Turkoglu continued the run and hit a jumper while Jameer Nelson hit another shot to get it down to a one-possession game. The Raps were lucky enough to have Will Solomon hit a jumper in the closing minutes of the second to put the Raps back up by seven. The Raps were up 56-49 at the half and were on pace to a 100 point game...which usually leads to Raptor wins.
Second Half Pleasure & Pain
Pain - Magic Eight Ball, No...More like Magic Three Ball
The Magic wouldn't go away and stayed in it with the three ball. Rashard Lewis came into the third quarter and hit a three and then the three ball came from everywhere. Everytime the Raps would double team Dwight Howard, there were open bodies on the three point line waiting for a shot. Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Courtney Lee all hit threes and then with 40 seconds to go in the third, Dwight Howard came down with the ferocious jam to take the lead 78-77. At the end of the third, the Magic were 12 for 26 from three point land vs. the Raps 2 for 9 from three point land. The Magic finished with 15 threes in the game.
Pleasure - AP
Anthony Paker finally got it going, he had 14 points by mid third quarter. I've never seen this guy dunk so much until this game, the Magic just didn't defend him at all. He finished with 26 points going 13-15 from the field.
Pleasure - Raps actually maintaing composure
The Raps didn't seem to get rattled when the Magic came back. They kept their ground and actually played well down the stretch. Jamario had played great defense and got some key defensive boards. Andrea Bargnani was all over the place, hitting a three to get the Raps up by ten and then stole the ball and took it to the basket for a layup. And then when he got doubled, he dished it to Bosh for the dunk.
Pain - The Magic fought back
Dwight Howard had a big game (he finished with 39 points) and got it going in the 4th. Stan Van Gundy put in JJ Redick to get the offense going and he hit threes. Then Rashard Lewis hit another big three, his 6th three of the game.
Pleasure - Toronto clutch down the stretch
Bosh hit both free throws with 2:27 left to tie the game at 101. Up to the fourth quarter, the Raps were 18 for 18 from the free throw line. Bosh was key at the end of the fourth, grabbing key rebounds and hit a crazy almost And-1 circus shot (thanks to hoopdoctors.com)
Pleasure - We Will, We Will Roko U
Roko Ukic was important at the end and it was actually the first time fans got to see Roko in a decisive portion of a Raps game. Roko hit a key jumper in the closing minutes to seal the win as the Raps won 108-102.
For a Magic perspective, check out thirdquartercollapse.com The Raps are at Milwaukee tomorrow night.
Photo credit: (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
....Raps worked it all around the clock.
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