<font size=""4"">Team play puts Raps on track</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Raptors, coming off a humbling defeat in San Antonio, re-asserted themselves last night with a convincing 106-90 win over the Houston Rockets. That ball movement that somehow had disappeared against the Spurs was back last night. The Raptors scored on open look after open look in the early going to build a 20-point lead by halftime. </div> <font size=""4"">MoPete sucks it up</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Morris Peterson played through sickness in San Antonio after coming down with what he believes was some type of food poisoning. He was feeling much better yesterday at shootaround and it's good thing too because he's being asked to start in place of the injured Anthony Parker. Peterson didn't see anything extraordinary about playing through his troubles. "Welcome to the NBA," Peterson said. "It stands for no boys allowed." </div> <font size=""4"">Bargnani's daggers bring down Rockets</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Andrea Bargnani had just shrugged off a defender with a quick fake and some brute strength, then palmed the ball, pulled it back and drilled a three-pointer, prompting Rudy Tomjanovich to turn to the guy sitting next to him on press row. "That's scary," the Rockets' distinguished former coach said.</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Bargnani's 8-for-12 night from the floor, coupled with a shocking 7-for-7 effort from Kris Humphries, led Toronto to one of its best shooting nights of the season. In a 67-point first half, the Raptors shot an astonishing 69 per cent against a Houston team known for its stingy defence. Toronto finished at 57 per cent from the floor and the rout was thorough. And no one was better than Bargnani.</div> <font size=""4"">Raptors' hot hands sizzle in Houston</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">They led 27-21 after the first quarter, but really found their stride in the second as they placed a number of season bests in the ledger. They finished with 67 points after two quarters on 69-per-cent shooting, the most points by the Raptors in a half this season and the most the Rockets have given up in two seasons. The last team to shoot better than 69 per cent against Houston was Golden State ? in 1996.</div> <font size=""4"">Raptors rebound against Rockets</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Houston native T.J. Ford, who had never previously won an NBA game in his hometown, scored 16 points for Toronto, including a three-pointer in the third quarter that effectively ended any comeback hopes for the Rockets. Ford also had six assists and six rebounds, and was one of several Raptors to step up offensively on a night that saw Chris Bosh held in check for the second straight game.</div> <font size=""4"">Raptors put on shooting clinic in first half, beat Rockets 106-90</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Andrea Bargnani scored 20 points, and the Toronto Raptors used a torrid shooting first half to build a 20-point lead and beat the Houston Rockets 106-90 on Wednesday night. T.J. Ford and Kris Humphries added 16 points apiece for the Raptors, who have won 10 of 13.</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Raptors shot 57.1 per cent (44-of-77) after hitting 69 per cent (29-of-42) the first half. They made 16 of 20 shots (80 per cent) in the second quarter alone.</div> <font size=""4"">Raptors make it look easy</font> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Ranked first in several defensive categories, the Rockets define themselves by their defense. However, Boston rolled up 33 fourth-quarter points Monday, and then Toronto soared to a 67-47 first-half lead, scoring seven more points than any team had against the Rockets in a half this season. The Raptors' 69 percent shooting in the first half was the best against the Rockets in more than 10 years ? the Warriors made 71 percent in November 1996. The Rockets made 53.8 percent of their shots but still trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half.</div> <div align="center"><font size=""5""><u>Sunshine Girl - 3/1/07</u></font> </div>
