<div align="center"> - <font color="Navy"><font color="Navy"> Phoenix Suns (35-10) @ Toronto Raptors (17-25) TV: Toronto (TSN), Phoenix (UPN 45) Venue: Air Canada Centre Date: Sunday, Jan. 30th, 2005 TipOff time: 4:40 PM est</font></font> <font color="Red">- Starting LineUps</font> <font color="Black">The Raptors: </font> Milt Palacio-Morris Peterson-Jalen Rose-Chris Bosh-Rafael Araujo <font color="Black">6th Man:</font> Donyell Marshall <font color="Black">Coach:</font> Sam Mitchell <font color="Black">The Suns:</font> Steve Nash-Quentin Richardson-Joe Johnson-Shawn Marion-Ja Rule <font color="Black">6th Man:</font> Jim Jackson <font color="Black">Coach:</font> Mike D'Antoni ........ <font color="Red">Keys To The Game:</font> - Transition D: I'm not saying we have to stop their fast break, 'cause it ain't gonna happen, hustle back on makes and misses and try to - Nash can't hang with Rafer's quickness. If Skip' doesn't settle for jack up 3's and penetrates, this matchup could be an advantage for coach Sam. - Switch Pick n' Rolls: Amare is getting plenty of dunks from Nash passes because most teams that played the Suns have not switched on the pick n' roll. Switch, and if it's a total mismatch you send the double team from the weak side. - Rebound: Although Marion and Ja are very athletic, they're smaller than our frontcourt. Hoffa's has to lay his body around and BOX OUT them Suns if we want a shot at getting the Dup. .... <font color="Red">Say What?! (Prediction)</font> We're coming out of what it is arguebly the most embarresing loss in the last few years. The Suns are just too good of a team to look for a Raptor victory here. Go Raps! </div> <div align="center"> </div> <font size="1"><font color="Red">* Note: Special starting time, 4:40 PM est.</font></font>
I can't predict who will win this one. I want a Raptors win, but I just don't feel that we can pull it out. I like the Suns a lot, and if they lose to us it would just disturb me. I hope for us to compete well with them and have a close game.
i wont predict, cause at home when we are facing good teams we give it our all, and weve beaten alot of good teams, that we thought were sure losses. hopefully this is no difference
Im a rap fan so i'll say 110-116 raps win! yeah, you heard me! we are gonna be raging, i'd be insanely mad if i ever lost a game like that in charlotte!
I dont like prediciting losses, but here it goes: Suns 119 Raps 108 Amare will eat us up, again. 34 Points for the Beast, Marion with 16 Boards, Nash with 15 and 15, and Q with 15, all on 3's. JJ will have a quite 21 points (Joe Johnson).
The Suns are just too scary, we can run, but not on the same level, by the time you look down against the Suns, they have 3 guys on the wing, Nash in the middle, and someone else trailing. They run the break to perfection, and we just don't have the ahtleticism to keep up. Let's hope Q-Rich is off today and get's a lot of shots, because he's their weakest link. I don't think we'll win this one, but we can keep up for a while. Suns 119 - Raptors 110
i doubt we'll win....but i never predict loses ...so raps win 110-105...i expect mo pete to bounce back after that horrible game against the cats
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><div align="center">The Suns: Ja Rule</div></div> LOL at Ja Rule. anyways i think that the raptors are going to get stomped on but im still routing for the raps. high scoring game for sure.
I wonder how the matchups will go, it wouldn't make sense for them to have Amare on Bosh because then who would box out Araujo on defense, Joe Johnson? I think they'll keep the matchups as Marion vs Bosh, JJ vs Rose.
Come look at it, we do have some mismatches we could take advantage off. Hoffa vs Ja - Amare will get plenty of open layups (Dunks in this case) in transition cause no way can Hoffa keep up with him. But what Araujo should do is lay his body around and box out, and apply the No-Dunk No-Lay Up rule without getting posterized. Bosh vs Marion- Both long athletic players but CB has the strenght advantage so we should capatlize on this matchup as well.
i got tickets to this game...pretty hot seats too. christmas gift from my girls mom. cant wait for this one. i really wanted to see this game...ill be happy if we win, but stoudi has 40 points and nash has 15 dimes and i was thinkin...raps should start donyell at the 5, so that we can match their size and speed. hoffa is only gonna hurt us out there.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dj_premium_plus:</div><div class="quote_post">i got tickets to this game...pretty hot seats too. christmas gift from my girls mom. cant wait for this one. i really wanted to see this game...ill be happy if we win, but stoudi has 40 points and nash has 15 dimes and i was thinkin...raps should start donyell at the 5, so that we can match their size and speed. hoffa is only gonna hurt us out there.</div> You know you're loved when you get those type of gifts from your future mother-in-law I think Hoffa must outrebound Amare when he's in, if he does so, I don't think he'd be a liability.
Donyell definately wouldn't be any better, at least Hoffa fouls hard, Donyell will get eaten alive too because Amare is stronger, and quicker and faster, while against Hoffa, he's quicker and faster, but not stronger. Either way, I don't think either of them will cause him too much trouble, we need Pape Sow! Actually maybe Aaron Williams could do a decent job.
Ok, so like you sad we need switch every 'PnR' get some help from the weak side... but think who you have there... in the weak side... J-Rich, JJ... great 3pt shooters, they can KILL us easily, and break us for sure, and don't forget Nash and his passes- can find Amare with or without Double Team. So what can i say ?! Perfect team ?! not really... we need stop Nash!!! not Amare or someone else. You sad about Rafer and Nash in our offence- you sad that elso in the previous game at Suns- but Rafer can't on Nash what ever u say... GL Raptors vs this challenge. Yours Proz4k.
It was just announced that Rob Babcock suspended guard Rafer Alston for 2 games for conduct determinal to the team. Why?? Not know yet! Word on the street is that he had a run-in with Coach Mitchell, but nothing confirmed yet. Say good night.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">(January 30, 2005) -- Toronto Raptors general manager Rob Babcock announced Sunday that guard Rafer Alston has been suspended for two games (Sunday versus Phoenix and Wednesday at Indiana) for conduct detrimental to the team. No further comment will be made by the organization at this time.</div> Link Wow, I bet Palacio is all smiles now. Alston needs to get his emotions in check. He's gonna hurt us big if he gets suspended all the time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple Fever:</div><div class="quote_post">You know you're loved when you get those type of gifts from your future mother-in-law </div> err...did i miss something here? whats with the sarcasm? i thought it was a perfect gift. whats the problem?
Even though the Raptors lost, it's a sign for things to come for the PHX Suns. Once the playoffs come they can't play like they do now. When they have to play great defensive teams I think they'll falter. If they were playing a team like the Spurs in a 7 game series, they wouldn't be the same team scoring wise, and on top of that they couldn't stop the Spurs defensively.
^ Huh? Scoring wise? 123 points ain't enough? They just let a big 4th quarter lead get away, and couldn't play defense.
