<font size="14">VS</font> <font color="purple">Toronto Raptors</font> (7-10) @ <font color="DARkred">Cleveland Cavaliers</font> (10-6) Saturday, December 4, 2004 7:30 pm, Gund Arena TV: FSOhio, NBALP COACHES Sam Mitchell / Paul Silas PROBABLE STARTERS Rafer Alston / Jeff McInnis Vince Carter / Ira Newble Jalen Rose / LeBron James Chris Bosh / Drew Gooden Loren Woods / Zydrunas Ilgauskas 6th MEN Donyell Marshall / Eric Snow Players To Watch Vince Carter / LeBron James Injury List Cleveland: Scott Williams, Dajuan Wagner Toronto: Roger Mason, Pape Sow, Alvin Williams <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><font size="4"><font color="darkred">Wine and Gold Return Home </font></font> The Cavaliers took the last game of their three-game West Coast trip, knocking off the Nuggets on Thursday night in Denver. Cleveland now comes home for a pair beginning on Saturday night when they take on Vince Carter and the Raptors. Toronto is in the middle of a six-game road trip. The Cavaliers stand at 10-6, one-half game behind Indiana in the Central Division. The Optimist has a good feeling about the Cavaliers for Saturday's battle, siting the Canadian exhange rate. Game time is 7:30 p.m. ET. </div> Source <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><font size="4"><font color="darkred">The Optimist</font></font> Click here to contact the Optimist Guten tag, Cavaliers fans! It?s just me, the Optimist, checking in from overcast Cleveland, Ohio. Sorry I wasn?t able to file a report before Thursday?s wonderful blowout in Denver, sports fans. My big office move, along with the Cavaliers playing on the West Coast, has really kicked my butt. The sad thing is, I really had a great feeling about the Nuggets? game. All afternoon, my mind was aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought, careening through a cosmic vapor of invention. And yet, time ran out on me. I apologize. And I feel shame. But I am, after all, the Optimist. So, it?s back on the horse for me. Normally, I don?t do weekend games. Frankly, I feel that working weekends is for chumps. But first, I feel shame for missing the Nuggets win. And second, I have that same good feeling about Saturday?s game against Toronto. Just this morning, my mind was a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought, cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives. But first, let?s recap Thursday?s butt-whipping, shall we? Before rolling into Denver, the Cavaliers got in the way of the high-octane buzzsaw that is the Suns and it wasn?t pretty. Cleveland didn?t necessarily play a bad game, but Phoenix shot 88% from the floor ? two percentage points below their season average ? and our road-weary Cavaliers were doomed. But here?s the silver lining comes in ? Going against the Suns and Nuggets back-to-back is like going against the Globetrotters and Generals back-to-back. After facing the Suns, the Nuggets must have looked like a bunch of old men shuffling around the WalMart to our beloved Cavaliers. Denver could have pulled out Dan Issell, David Thompson, Fat Lever, John Denver, John Elway, Lyle Alzado and Mork from Ork last night, and it wouldn?t have done them any good. Besides, you didn?t think TheBron was going to have two bad nights in a row, did you? But that?s in the past. On Saturday night the Cavaliers return home to face Vince Carter and the Raptors. Toronto has only won two road games this year and by the time they roll into Cleveland tomorrow, they?ll be in the middle of a six-game road trip. Overall, the Raptors are 7-10 and they face Boston on Friday night. Toronto?s futility on the road is easily explained. We went over this last year, but for those of you who didn?t pay attention or are just tuning in, it?s very simple. Two words: exchange rate. Nobody, and I mean nobody, could have saved Denver on Thursday night. When the Raptors travel south of the Canadian border, their point totals just don?t transfer. Three-pointers to us are only worth 2.4 points for the Raptors. Field goals that count as two points for the Cavaliers only translate to 1.6 points for them. Made free throws net a mere nine-tenths of a point. It really kind of sucks for Sam Mitchell?s squad down here in the States. But, by the same token, nobody told Toronto to get a basketball team. They already have the Maple Leafs, but I guess that wasn?t good enough for those hosers. If I seem a little callous, it?s because I remember vividly the painful loss that Toronto dealt the Cavaliers late last season when All-Optimist All-Nemesis First Teamer, Jalen Rose hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to stick a dagger in Cleveland?s playoff hopes. So, I can?t worry about hurt feelings. I have to call for a big, bad blowout on Saturday night. Put it on your bulletin board, Raptors! It won?t matter. The Cavaliers are going to skunk Toronto good at the Gund this weekend. TheBron loves a Saturday night home game; look for him to finally get his first triple-double. Big Z will bounce back from Thursday?s game. J-Mac will stay strong and the Thunder & Lightning combination of Drew Gooden and Tractor Traylor will dominate in the low post. Let?s go with an offensive show since the Cavaliers are still trying to adjust to Eastern Conference speed: Cavaliers 111, Raptors 101. You heard it here first, people. Feel free to use those digits for your Pick Six lottery tickets as well. Because I like you, it's on the house. Hope everyone has a great weekend and please, always remember ? Keep the Faith, Cleveland! Your pal, The Optimist </div> Source <font color="red">Infante's Keys</font> * Continue the 2 man game with Mac and Z. A good number of points come off the double teams on Zydrunas and then the kick out to JMac for three. It works everytime. * Contain Rose and Carter. Both players can score several different ways. If we can contain at least one of them, then the game should be in control. FINAL THOUGHT : Back at the Gund, I smell a big night for Cleveland. After the raping the Cavaliers gave to Denver, they will surely be up, ready and pumped for their return for the Gund. Prediction. Cavaliers win 101-89 Source RealCavsFans
They both won't start is what I heard, Alston is still being benched altough I would expect them to still play, atleast Woods. Alston already wants out of toronto, didn't he play there before? Shouldn't he know if it was a place he wanted to be or not? Anyhow he claims he doesn't know if he fits in the league and wants a trade, I really don't know what's up with woods.
The Raptors obviosly has some issues here. No one ever wants to play for them. EVER. TMac didn't, Lamond Murry doesn't, VC, and now Raefer. The team carries talent, I am not sure why the club never lived to it's potential.
Does anyone have a source to where Rafer said he wants out? Because although he may be upset with management he loves the city during a and 1 game two seasons ago he said he wanted to be there the rest of his career. The Ratpors main lack of success is losing good players in my opinion they had Damon Stodumire, Marcus Camby, Tracy Mcgrady, and Vince Carter (soon to added to the list) yet lost all of them.
rafer didnt say he wanted out toronto.i saw on tv when the reporters said " so are you asking for a trade"? he said no i just need some time to think about my career and stuff.
we might have to forfeit the game cause there are some issues we need to clear up. notably trade carter and rose before more players start retiring.
The Raps have had an absolutely BRUTAL schedule. I mean, this will be their 12th road game in 19 games. This will be their 7th back to back. The competition is amazing too: Houston (despite them struggling, they are still good, just got no chemistry), Detroit, Portland (twice), Sacramento, Utah, Seattle (twice), Clippers (they've been surprisingly good), Denver (havn't lived up to the hype, but still a tough team), San Antonio, Washington (another surprising good team), Miami, Orlando, and now Cleveland (again, another surprising good team). The Raps are much better than their record indicates. For tonights game, I predict Cavs by 13.
You guy sare taking this out of context. Rafer got Tech'd up along with Loren woods and the coach told them to go tothe locker room. They were4 benched the rest of teh game. Something is wrong in Toronto's locker room, and Rafer has obviously been frustrated and not performing. He never said he didnt want to play for toronto, he came back because he loved it here. He was just contemplating stopping Basketball for good becasue of how stressful the Raptors have been. It is most likely that Rafer and Loren won't start tonight, unless Rafer has talked to sam and rob. And as Bobcats said, the Raptors are much better than their record indicates, but something is wrong in the locker room, and it has to be solved soon. the MLSE is paying tons for Carter and Jalen, but the second unit is doing all the work. I would have predicted this a very close game(and alot prettier than last nights versus the celtics), but seeing that all these issues have arisen, I see a clear cut win by the Cavs, b atleast 10 points.
In this game you never know who will show up will it be the team that beat the Heat or the team that got blown out by the Orlando Magic. Depending on which team shows up this game can go down to the last minute or be a blow out after the first quarter one of the main problems I have with the cavs team is they can win as long as they do not take Lebron off the court. If Lebron gets shut down the Cavs will lose in my opinion playing zone defense will help do that for the Raptors. Though I do not see the Raptors coming into this game as a unit. I think that a change is coming up in Toronto, and I think it will be one other than just the VC and Rose trade. I think that unless the Raptors can rebound soon a coaching change may happen before the all star break. Or after the season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">To make matters worse, Vince Carter has come down with flu-like symptoms and is listed as questionable for Saturday's game.</div> http://tsn.ca/nba/news_story.asp?id=106906 <u>Starting Lineup should be:</u> PG - Milt Palacio SG - Vince Carter SF - Jalen Rose PF - Chris Bosh C - No one knows, Moiso, Marshall, Araujo?
man, if vince doesnt play than the raptors will probably lose by 20 points. It seems like things are getting worse as each day goes by. but i think that marshall will most likely start at center.
Oh hell no. Milt "I don't have a jumopshot" Paclio is starting? Over Alston? Now this is getting out of hand. Does Sam want to win basketball games or puposely infuriate and disgruntle ALL of the players on his team? Geez. Cavs by 11.
yup, he's not playing tonight. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sportsnet.ca -- Vince Carter will be on the bench for the start of Saturday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The reason? One bad burger. </div> http://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article.jsp?co...204_145014_4828
<u>Official Raptors Lineup for Today</u> PG Milt Palacio SG Jalen Rose SF Chris Bosh PF Jerome Moiso C Rafael Araujo Bench: Morris Peterson, Donyell Marshall, Matt Bonner, Lammond Murray
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting RAKIM:</div><div class="quote_post">wow theres a lot of ugly people in cleveland</div> Wherre that come from? Also great win for the Cavs.. was a little rocky but we shut them out at the end. Currently 1st place in the central
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting RAKIM:</div><div class="quote_post">wow theres a lot of ugly people in cleveland</div> Trolls... :shakehead:
