<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="color:#003614"><span style="font-family:Impact">Milwaukee</span> </span></span><span style="color:#003614">(17-26)</span> vs. <span style="color:#c8362d"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Impact">Toronto</span></span></span> <span style="color:#c8362d">(23-19)</span> </div> <div align="center"> When: Friday January 25th, 2007 @ 7:00PM EST Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON TV/Radio: TSN, FAN 590 </div> <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><div align="center"> <span style="font-family:Impact"><u>GAME PREVIEW</u></span></div></span> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The last thing the Toronto Raptors need is a letdown after earning their most gratifying victory of the season. The surging Raptors look for a season-high fifth straight home win when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. For the first time in four tries this season, Toronto (23-19) beat the Boston Celtics - owners of the NBA's best record - 114-112 on the road Wednesday night. The second-place Raptors are 11 games back of the Celtics in the Atlantic Division, but the victory proved they can play with the league's best as they shot a season-high 58.0 percent (40-for-69) from the field and 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from 3-point range. Toronto also went 19-for-19 from the free-throw line. Guard Jose Calderon, who converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 10.5 seconds left, had 24 points and 13 assists, while Chris Bosh and Anthony Parker each had 23 points as Toronto won for the sixth time in eight games overall. "It was a good win against the best team in basketball, but you can't hang your season on that," coach Sam Mitchell told the Raptors' official Web site. Toronto, which also won four straight home games Nov. 25-Dec. 3, will now try for its longest winning streak at the Air Canada Centre since it won seven in a row there from March 21-April 15, 2007.. Though a home-and-home series with Washington and a date with the Los Angeles Lakers await Toronto next week, the Raptors can't afford to look past the Bucks (17-26), who beat them 112-85 in Milwaukee on Nov. 6. Bosh, who is averaging 22.2 points per game this season - 28.5 in his last four games - was held to a season-low one point against the Bucks, as the Raptors' starters combined for only 28 points. "They pounded us pretty good when we were at their house," Bosh said. "We're looking forward to Friday's game, kind of like redemption for us. Everyone is feeling pretty good as a team and we want to start stringing some games together."</div> <div align="center">Source: Yahoo!Sports</div> <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Impact"><u>STARTING LINEUPS</u></span></div></span> <div align="center"> <span style="color:#003614">Mo Williams - Michael Redd - Bobby Simmons - Yi Jianlian - Andrew Bogut</span> <span style="color:#c8362d">Jose Calderon - Anthony Parker - Jamario Moon - Chris Bosh - Andrea Bargnani</span></div> <span style="font-family:Impact"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><div align="center"><u>KEY MATCHUP</u></div></span></span> <div align="center"> <span style="color:#003614">Andrew Bogut</span> vs. <span style="color:#c8362d">Andrea Bargnani</span></div> Andrea busted loose against Boston with an excellent 20, 7, and 7 performance that Raptors fans had been waiting for. However, in this matchup of first overall picks, Bargnani's defensive work will arguably be more important than his offense. In his third season, Bogut has stepped up his game and become a force down low. He's averaging a double-double in the month of January and, unless Toronto intends to shoot 58% from the field again, Bargnani will need to box his man out and limit his offensive rebounds. The Bucks guards have a habit of ignoring their big man for stretches and if Andrea can limit him slightly (obviously with some help from his teammates), it'll probably convince them to take the game into their own hands and make it that much easier for the Raps. <div align="center"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Impact"><u>PREDICTION</u></span></span></div> Toronto's offense had been stellar in the new year and the team seems genuinely motivated to avenge their worst loss of the season. <span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><div align="center"><span style="color:#c8362d">Toronto 106</span> - <span style="color:#003614">Milwaukee 99</span></div></span>
<span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><div align="center"> <span style="font-family:Impact"><u>Something to look at while you wait for the game....</u></span></div></span> <div align="center"></div>
I'm going to miss this game, but I know we should win this. After the huge performance against the Celtics, I don't know how we can lose tonight. Everyone should be on a win high, and they need to go in to this game fast and without remorse. Bosh will probably have a big night, along with Calderon and Delfino. Parker and Bargnani will play well, on both ends and Moon should be grabbing mad boards.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shookem @ Jan 25 2008, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>i'll be at the game so i super excited about that. those darn raps better win!</div> Have fun tonight, go buy a Moon jersey before the dunk contest. I'm getting one in a few weeks, I ordered it.
Raps up by 5 at the half... They need to break away from the bucks now and really blow them out! Hopefully Bargs picks it up in the 3rd...
Raps made it look easy tonight. I'll never understand why the Bucks were so quick to get rid of Terry Porter. The guy was a decent coach who got a pretty mediocre Bucks team into the playoffs in his first year. The next year KVH and Mike James both missed big chunks of the year, the team won 30 games, and boom, Porter is gone. Then they hired Terry Stotts, who is terrible, and fired him. Now they have Special K coaching the team and he'll probably be replaced in the summer... if they don't blow up the team... what gives?
how great is Jose excellent 2nd half by the raps and gave Bargs some more time on the court awesome, lets get these games vs Washington now
I didnt get to watch the game I had work but how come Bargnani only played 20minutes, from the boxscore it looks like he was having a decent game.
I missed the first half, but from what I heard, he started off shooting poorly. When he came back on in the second half, he got back on track and was playing pretty well. Second straight solid rebounding/defensive game for him though, so that's encouraging news. As is this: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Calderon has played extensive minutes as a starter since T.J. Ford suffered a left arm stinger on Dec. 11, and said he can now tell simply by making eye-contact where to give his teammates the ball. "It's easy to play that way when you just have to look at somebody and you know what he wants," Calderon said.</div>
Also, I think I heard Shook yelling for pizza when the Raps were stuck at 98 points and missed like 5 straight shots in a single possession.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chutney @ Jan 26 2008, 01:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I missed the first half, but from what I heard, he started off shooting poorly. When he came back on in the second half, he got back on track and was playing pretty well. Second straight solid rebounding/defensive game for him though, so that's encouraging news. As is this: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Calderon has played extensive minutes as a starter since T.J. Ford suffered a left arm stinger on Dec. 11, and said he can now tell simply by making eye-contact where to give his teammates the ball. "It's easy to play that way when you just have to look at somebody and you know what he wants," Calderon said.</div> </div> he did missed a god amount of shots but they were not bad shots, maybe a few, but then Smitch got him in there in the 2nd half and i believe that was very Beneficial for Bargs
