<div align="center"> <font face=""Tahoma""><font size=""4"">Chicago Bulls</font></font> (46-31) @ <font face=""Tahoma""><font size=""4"">Toronto Raptors</font></font> (43-33) Venue: Air Canada Center Date: Sunday April 8th, 2007 Time: 6:00 PM EST Coverage: TSN </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Toronto Raptors have come a long way from the start of the season, and were able to clinch their first division title with some help from the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls also are playing considerably better then they were at the season's outset and are aiming for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. These two red-hot teams meet at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday as Chicago tries to avenge a rare loss to the Raptors. Toronto (43-33) beat Philadelphia 94-85 on Friday, but didn't clinch the Atlantic Division until the Bulls (46-31) defeated New Jersey 105-74 later in the night. "You come to all of these arenas and they have division championship banners up in the rafters," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "If you are trying to start a culture of winning, these guys need to start seeing the fruits of their labor and those things are important." Although Toronto is the only team in the East to have wrapped up a division title, it still trails Chicago in the conference standings. The second-place Bulls are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Raptors, and three games back of East-leading Detroit, whom they beat 106-88 on Wednesday. Toronto is one game ahead of Atlantic Division-leading Miami, and the fourth seed will likely be without home-court advantage in the playoffs. </div> <div align="center">Link <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Projected Starters</font></font> TJ Ford - Anthony Parker - Joey Graham - Chris Bosh - Rasho Nesterovic <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Reserves</font></font> Jose Calderon - Darrick Martin - Juan Dixon - Morris Peterson - Luke Jackson - Uros Slokar - Pape Sow - Kris Humphries <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Coach</font></font> Sam Mitchell <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Injuries</font></font> Andrea Bargnani (appendectomy); Jorge Garbajosa (left ankle) <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Projected Starters</font></font> Kirk Hinrich - Ben Gordon - Thabo Sefolosha - Luol Deng - PJ Brown <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Reserves</font></font> Chris Duhon - Andre Barrett - Adrian Griffin - Viktor Khryapa - Andres Nocioni - Michael Sweetney - Malik Allen <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Coach</font></font> Scott Skiles <font face=""Verdana""><font size=""3"">Injuries</font></font> Tyrus Thomas (flu); Ben Wallace (sinusitis); Martynas Andriuskevicius (minor skull fracture) <div align="center"> <font face=""Tahoma""><font size=""4""> Prediction</font></font> Bulls win 96-89.</div> <font size=""4""><font face=""Tahoma"">Something to look at while you wait for the game</font></font> </div>
I think this is the closest thing we'll get to a playoff style matchup this regular season. I hope we're up to the task. If we let Deng take open jumpers again i'm going to be pissed.
It will be a great game. The way that both teams are playing now i dont exspect either team to roll over. this game will be decided by 6 points.
yep looking forward to this game and tomorows in Minny against the Timberwolves. I think we need to win both if where to have any hope of finishing in 3rd place. Since we still have 2 games left against detroit.
Should be a hell of a game. This is always a tough matchup for us, so my expectations are a little tempered. But I do want them to come out competitive. If we can just keep up our level of intensity going into the playoffs, without any weak performances, the wins and losses won't matter as much in my mind. On a plus note, if we do happen to win, we might even have a shot at the 2nd seed.
What was up with the Mo-Pete ejection? It was a dangerous foul, but he was going for the ball. I would've given it a technical, but definitely not an ejection. Anyways, the Raps are playing with great effort on the defensive end. Been real impressed with their play so far. Bosh has been awesome so far. They'll need to try and limit Ben Gordon's touches coming out of the half.
That MoPete ejection was a BS call. It was obviously not intentional. Anyways it's not like MoPete is going to be playing very much so it's not a huge deal.
The Mo Pete ejection was a questionable call. He did clip Hinrich in the head, which could've seriously injured him. He obviously didn't do it on purpose though. Our commentators didn't agree that he should've been ejected either. I don't understand the technical on Calderon though.
this is a good game so far. its a been a game of runs. chicago willscore 7 the raps will score 7. lets see who is gonna finally take control of the game.
Raps up by 16! Gotta admit, Joey has been playing well lately. Edit: Good for nothing Charlotte isn't helping us right now.
I'm not! (but I'd still rather not play them) Big win for the Raps. This team is growing some onions as the season goes on. GO CHARLOTTE!
GG for Toronto. Parker sat in that corner and shot the three and made the bulls pay for leaving him. The Bulls energy level didnt match Toronto. Toronto simply took the game more seriosly then chicago. This should be a lesson for them. We have had a great stretch of wins and all things must come to an end. Hinrch and deng was brick city all night. And those 3rd quarter fouls burried us.
Very nice win for the Raps, I don't get why the media doesn't consider them contenders. Then again, they don't consider the Bulls to be either. Anyway, the Bulls experimented tonight and plenty of their players shown side effects of their injuries/sicknesses. Ben Wallace was very congested the entire night and Thomas wasn't feeling great from the flu either. The team didn't play good defense either and the Raps were on fire, while the Bulls were just not prepared.
^ Yea, I think that showed. Ben Wallace lacked energy and, with Thomas or Nocioni not able to play heavy minutes yet, there wasn't a lot you could do to stop Bosh. I think we're officially at pre-ASG form. That was one of the better games we've played all year. Very impressive. I loved our defense. The players were rotating quickly, doubling at all the right times, and really pressuring the ballhandlers to force turnovers. And our shots were just falling tonight. Both PG's did a good job of moving the ball and the shooter at the corner (usually AP) was almost always open. This really helps for tomorrow's game, because Bosh didn't have to play heavy minutes. I'll be repeating what I said last game, but Joey Graham's played great since Garbajosa went down. He's playing his own game and he had the most impressive statline of all our players, IMO.
Miami lost so we're now up 2 games for the third spot (which is basically 1 game since Miami holds the tiebreaker), with 5 games left.
Not to jinx it or anything, but we're also only a game and a half behind Chicago for 2nd overall (hope I got the math right).
Do we really want to have the second seed and play NJ though? I'd rather play Washington with no Arenas or Butler than NJ with Kidd/Carter/Jefferson.
