Rajon Rondo with the nastiness on Will Solomon. Rondo had 14 points against the Raps today and here was two of them:
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)
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)
With the Raps losing five in a row and struggling to compete, I am reminded that they sorely miss the creative play-by-play calling of Chuck Swirsky, who moved on to do radio commentary for the Chicago Bulls at the start of the season. Now, we've all heard 18 Parkerville Court, oh my Bosh and another MP3 download (#3 Mo Peete when he was with the Raps), which we at HoopHeadsNorth affectionately call “Swirsky-isms”, from season's past. Let's take a moment and venture into a parallel universe, where the Raps are leading the league, have a 20 game winning streak going and the Swirsk is calling the Raps game versus the Pacers tonight. What would we hear him say? Hmmm...
10 - “What a block by the Raptor's Jermaine man in the middle!”
9 - “Oooh! Calderon! Numero ochoooooooo mama what a pass by Jose!”
8 - “Joey throws down a Graham slam!”
7 - “A-B-7! It's as easy as 1-2-3, Do re mi, Bargnani with another threeahhhballlzzaahhh like the meeeattaballlzahh!”
6 - “And 1 for Moon! Granger picks up the foul going for the block, but its-a 33, Jamario! - (in a super mario voice – Swirsk had pizza tonight and seems to be riding out the Italian theme)
5 - “J-Kap caps another one! Quick on the trigga coming off a CB-4 screen!” (Swirsk has been brushing up on his gangsta rap)
4 - “Hassan Adams! Leo, I'm gonna need a SAM Adams after that move!”
3 - “Everybody, do the Humphries hump, watch #43 do the humphries hump! People say “Yo Humphries! You're real funny-lookin'. That's aiight 'cause he gets things cookin'” (Apparently, he's been brushing up on his early 90's hip hop as well. Digital Underground WHAT!)
2 - “Roko with the slam over Rasho! He will, he will Roko U, Indiana! Raps routing the Pacers!”
(Roko throwing it down over Rasho?!? Rout for the Raps?!? Remember, parallel universe. On that note, Ukic also went through the legs and 360'ed before his dunk. Cut to Brian Colangelo by the tunnel SMILING.)
1 - “Will Solomon Grundy sinks a shot on a Wednesday bring on the Nets on a Friday! It's salami and cheese time Leo!”
Swirsk also said, “Oh my Bosh!” about 50 times on this night, as the crowd chanted M-V-P! M-V-P on multiple occasions...
If each Raptor fan chants all ten of these once, maybe just maybe, the Curse of No-Swirsk will be lifted and the Raps can begin the turn around tonight against the Pacers and beyond. May reality collide with this parallel universe. Strength and honour!
Chris Bosh was bananas. Yes, anytime a player has a performance like Bosh's tonight you either have to say "sick" or "bananas" As for the rest of the Raps, they were a little ugly. JO was in foul trouble, Anthony Parker couldn't get it going, Andrea Bargnani had 3 boards, I don't think that was the gameplan. The Raps had an opportunity to redeem themselves against the Orlando Magic but lost to Orlando 103-90.
Chris Bosh was phenomenal with 40 pts, 18 reb, 2 steals, 1 block (99.5 fps!)
Will Solomon got the start at point again....his game was a little ugly but give him credit, it was only his second start. Jameer Nelson easily won the point guard battle as he went for 20+ pts and Solomon had 10 points and 7 turnovers. Turnovers were a big problem from the Raps with 21 turnovers.
Raps did a good defensive job on Dwight Howard but Orlando's Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis & Hedo Turkoglu all went off and each scored 22 pts.
Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani and the rest of the Raps didn't do much of anything, Chris Bosh kept them in the game. The Raps were so bad, even Matt Devlin was even knocking the Raps, Roko and Will Solomon during the game. It's a little hard right now to see if the Raps are that much better than last season. It takes time for chemistry & development but they need more from their guards to win games. Jose Calderon needs to be back on the floor. I think Raps fans were expecting a better start for the Raps, but they just need to get a streak rolling and have to get a win against a good team to get their confidence going. Raps face the Miami Heat for a second time tomorrow.
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