<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">(23-36)</span> vs. <span style="color:#412367"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Impact">Phoenix</span></span></span> <span style="color:#412367">(32-25)</span> </div> <div align="center"> When: Friday February 27th, 2008 @ 9:00 PM EST Where: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AR TV/Radio: TSN2, FAN 590 </div> <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><div align="center"> <span style="font-family:Impact"><u>THOUGHTS ON THE GAME</u></span></div></span> The Suns will be without Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, which is an absolutely stroke of luck for a Raptors team that needs any break it can get. The team's built up some momentum after beating up on similarly crappy teams (NY and Minnesota) and they could really use a victory in a game that most of us would have pencilled in as a loss a month ago. The Raps will be looking to match their season-high winning streak tonight: 3 games. Yep. This is the team we're all hoping will make an improbable playoff run and jump up 6 spots in the standings. Fuck me... Of course, with the team playing such high quality basketball of late, it's a given that the majority of Raptors fans will be denied TV coverage. I'm sure we'll find a live stream at some point tonight, so keep checking into this thread for updates. <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 - Shawn Marion - Chris Bosh - Andrea Bargnani</span> <span style="color:#412367">Leandro Barbosa - Jason Richardson - Grant Hill - Alando Tucker - Shaquille O'Neal</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">Jose Calderon</span> vs. <span style="color:#412367">Leandro Barbosa</span></div> The Phoenix Suns currently remind me of the Raptors a couple weeks ago, when Bosh was injured. Their supposed best player on the floor, with all these injuries, is O'Neal and he simply can't carry this team on its back. Furthermore, his game just doesn't jive with new head coach Alvin Gentry's gameplan. I expect Barbosa to dominate ball possession and try to lead his team to a victory through pure scoring. With Jose Calderon on defense, there's a chance such a ridiculous plan could work. Calderon needs to sag off Barbosa at first and hope he doesn't set an early precedent by getting into the lane at will. Additionally, he has to keep pushing the tempo and try to feed Andrea and Marion on the break.
Fuck you TSN2, you Bell digital box piece of shit. When I went to the Raps game, they announce you could watch this game on TSN2 and everyone, and I mean everyone boo'd. The whole arena. It's if like Vince himself were on the floor. I think if VC where to come out on to center court, with a TSN2 rocks my socks t-shirt, the city of Toronto would implode from the massive "Boo" given.
The officiating has just been terrible this game. Of course, it doesn't excuse how much we've been fouling.
Nice little run we've got going. The offense has been consistent all game long, its just about getting stops.
I think we really got to push the tempo when Shaq's on the court. When he's off, it doesn't matter. But we have to do something to take him out of the game and tire him out.
