<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="color:#c8362d"><span style="font-family:Impact">Toronto</span> </span></span><span style="color:#c8362d">(34-31)</span> vs. <span style="color:#7D4B9E"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Impact">Sacramento</span></span></span> <span style="color:#7D4B9E">(29-36)</span> </div> <div align="center"> When: Sunday March 16th, 2007 @ 9:00PM EST Where:Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA 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 Toronto Raptors have gotten off to a horrible start to their five-game road trip, and it may not get any easier as it continues in a venue where they have not won in more than a decade. The Raptors look to avoid dropping their fourth straight game on the trip and end a nine-game losing streak in Sacramento as they visit the Kings Sunday. Toronto (34-31) finished February with the fourth-best road record in the Eastern Conference at 14-13, but this month has been a disaster away from the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors are just 1-5 on the road in March, and have been outscored by an average of 15.8 points in those losses. Toronto is coming off a 137-105 loss to Denver on Friday, after opening the trip with a 117-108 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and a 117-106 loss to Golden State on Wednesday. Against the Nuggets, the Raptors allowed a franchise-record 44 points in the first quarter and a club-record 79 first-half points. Toronto, which wraps up its road trip in Utah on Monday, is allowing an average of 123.7 points on 54.9 percent shooting through the first three games of the trek. “Last two games, we’re not guarding anybody,” Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. “We’re not guarding anybody, and if you’re not guarding anybody, you’re going to come out of the game.” This disappointing trip is beginning to look much like a five-game West Coast swing Toronto had last season. From Nov. 12-20, 2006, the Raptors were swept by the Kings, Warriors, Lakers, Nuggets and Jazz. Toronto, which lost to Sacramento 107-92 on Nov. 12, 2006, has been outscored by at least 15 points in four of its last five trips to Arco Arena. The Raptors have lost nine straight games in Sacramento since a 103-96 victory on March 13, 1997. The Kings (29-36), meanwhile, have won 11 of their last 15 at home. Toronto defeated Sacramento 116-91 at the Air Canada Centre on Jan. 16, and has never swept the season series over the Kings in its 13-year history. Chris Bosh had 31 points on 11-of-12 shooting against Sacramento in January, but the three-time All-Star has missed the last eight games with a sore right knee. The Raptors have won just twice in that stretch. Toronto’s Anthony Parker scored 19 points on Friday, and is averaging 20.0 points in his last nine games—7.3 better than his season average. Parker had 12 points versus the Kings in January. Sacramento is coming of a 127-99 loss at Phoenix on Saturday, its eighth defeat in its last 11 games.</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:#c8362d">Jose Calderon - Anthony Parker - Jamario Moon - Andrea Bargnani - Rasho Nesterovic</span> <span style="color:#7D4B9E">Beno Udrih - Kevin Martin - Ron Artest - Mikki Moore - Brad Miller</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:#c8362d">Sam Mitchell</span> vs. <span style="color:#c8362d">Himself</span></div> I have to express my frustration with our coaching over this slump. This is, by no means, an attempt to shift all the blame on Smitch because that would just be naive and unfair. The players came out against Denver with no effort and they're inevitably the ones who have to be accountable for individual defense and rebounding. The coach can only tell them to box out, rotate, get up on shooters, etc. so many times. But a coach's job is to put his players in a position where they can succeed and Mitchell has not done that lately. His substitution patterns have been out of wack and nobody on this team seems to understand their roles anymore. I'm looking for him to show some real improvement tonight. Please, for the love of god, feed the ball to Anthony Parker! He's been our best player since Bosh went down and is currently playing like an All-Star guard. Stop rewarding TJ Ford for his selfish play! If he's hogging the ball, give him the quick hook: we know Jose can shoulder the load. Recognize patterns and make timely adjustments! Its time he realizes when a certain strategy isn't working and how to play match-ups properly. The list could go on, but I want to see him get his head out of his ass tonight and actually show that he deserved that Coach of the Year award. <div align="center"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Impact"><u>PREDICTION</u></span></span></div> After Friday night's puke-fest, I can't reasonably expect a Raps' win. We've played the Kings well this year, but they have a solid home court advantage and I'm not so sure all of our players have the testicular fortitude to drag themselves out of this rut and get back on track. I'm predicting a loss, but hoping to be proven wrong.
<u><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Impact"><div align="center">Something to look at while you wait for the game</u></span></span></div> <div align="center"></div>
i honestly don't know what to expect, but hes another note apparently BC is in Rome checking out Ukic and that makes me even madder, he could've been in LA to see Love, Kansas City to see Rush or Memphis to see CDR he better be negotiating a buyout if hes over there
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigWilly @ Mar 16 2008, 08:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Hey, you guys think BC is shopping TJ?</div> if its for a good 2-guard who can put up 20 then i hope so, but i doubt it
wat a SAD and i mean SAD game, so many 2nd chance points for kings, man wat is this, IS BOSH SERIOUSLY THAT GOOD FOR US? or do we just suck at road:S?
Bosh is seriously THAT GOOD! and Mitchell IMO is seriously THAT BAD of a coach! I am seriously questioning Mitchell's ability to coach this team, all he does is preach about playing good defense and getting back to the basics but he does not have a clue how to teach it. We are going to get smoked tomorrow against the Jazz no questions about it, im probably going to watch it only to see the green Raptor jerseys. BTW about BC being in Rome, apparently I read somewhere that he was scouting Gallinari as well. OT: I still believe in Bargnani to have a bright future but we just need to pick to best direction for him. I honestly think the coaching staff are wasting their time on trying to develop Bargnani into a post threat. I say let the big guy play his natural game and keep working on his shooting and dribble drive instead.
