<div align="center"> @ <font color="Navy"><font color="Navy"> Toronto Raptors (18-26) @ Idiana Pacers (20-22) TV: Toronto (The Score), Indiana (FSN) Venue: COnseco Fieldhouse Date: Wednesday, Feb 3rd. TipOff time: 7:10 PM est</font></font> <font color="Red">- Starting LineUps</font> The Raptors: Milt Palacio-Morris Peterson-Jalen Rose-Chris Bosh-Rafael Araujo 6th Man: Donyell Marshall Coach: Sam Mitchell <font size="7">.......</font> The Pacers: Jamaal Tinsley-Reggie Miller-Steven Jackson-Jermaine O'Neal-Jeff Foster 6th Man: Fred Jones Coach: Rick Carlisle <font size="7">.......</font> <font color="Red">Keys To The Game:</font> - Attack The Perimeter: Tinsley, Miller and Jackson are all below average defenders. We can't settle for jumpers against them. Jalen, Moe, and Milt have got to look at attack and drive at every chance. - Eliminate Foster: By that I mean, box him out, beat him to loose balls, and don't give him the easy layups. This ispretty much all he does, and if we can stop him from doing so, he'll be ineffective. - No DT for JO: The mistake most teams make against the Pacers, is they double team O'Neal from the weak side or top of the key, which leaves either Tinsley open for a juper, or Foster underneath the basket. We're better off playing him straight up and making him take contested shots by closing the driving lanes. <font size="7">.......</font> <font color="Red">Matchup Of The Game:</font> vs Chris Bosh vs Jermaine O'Neal Offensivley: If Bosh gets his way in the first few minutes, it's more than likely that Carlisle will send the double team off of Palacio. It's important for CB4 to not panic and just move the ball around. If Carlisle indeed does this, look for Jalen or Moe to bring the ball up so they'll be a shooting threat when the double team occurs. If there is no double team and JO will play straight up, Chris has to look to drive every single time, because O'Neal still lacks mobility and doesn't work as hard on the defensive end. Defensivly: Again, I'm not really a fan of double teaming O'Neal, because that's what the Pacers really want, it gets their other guys going by hitiing open jumpers. Assuming no double team is sent, Chris got the quickness advantage over JO, so he doesn't need to back off him and give him the midrange, because he'll nail it, but he has to put pressure on him and push him as far away from the basket as possible. <font color="Red">Say What?! (Prediction)</font> Raps are in a 3-game losing streak. After a Shaq Fest on Wednesday, we were a no-show at Charlotte and got abused against Phoenix on Sunday. Although Rafer is serving his second and last game of the suspension he recieved on Sunday, I think we should be motivated and playing with a chip on our shoulders against a Pacer team that lost 4 straight at home. I'm going on a limb and prediction a Raptors victory. Raps win 95-89. <font size="7">.......</font> </div>
I think this will be a tough game for Toronto especially without Rafer Alston. Shouls be an interesting match. Rose might have a good game playing for his old team. The Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal matchup should be very interesting especially since some think Bosh will develop into a player like him. Stephen Jackson can definitely cause some problems. I think his presence will be key down the stretch. I think if Indiana was playing without him it would have been a better situation but, I'm going with Indiana with a final score of 99-92. Definitely an interesting one though.
The Pacers, even without Artest, have more depth than the Raptors, and that will be key in deciding the outcome of the game. O'Neal should have his way with Bosh on him. Palacio is the X-Factor in this game. He had a solid game against Phoenix yesterday. If he can shut down Tinsley and neutralize his presence, the Raptors should have a much better chance of winning. However, how likely is it the Raptors win on the road? Pacers by 8.
The Raptors are so strange lately, the only players that have been consistent are really only Bosh and Jalen off the bench. Oh wait, we don't have Jalen off the bench. That leaves good old Bosh. I think we need to re-insert our sparky McJalen back onto the bench to help us win. Then we need our role-players to be confident, except Murray, he needs to lose some confidence. I don't think our chemistry will be patched up yet to win this next one. I say Pacers 95 Raptors 78. I think our next game, we will win. Regardless of our foe.
Screw Tinsley, Jackson, or O'Neal cuz we have guys who can guard them (Milt's actually not that bad of a defender and Bosh plays surprising well defensively against the top PFs in this league)..... the guy I'm worried about is Jeff Foster. After seeing what Brezec did to us in Charlotte, I don't even want to think about what kind of game Foster will have. He's a very scrappy guy and is very hard to contain on the boards. I'd expect him to get a lot of offensive rebounds and put-backs considering how we as a team always fail to put a body on opposing players on the defensive boards. Hopefully the Raps can steal one tonight, but since we're missing Alston and are playing on the road, that ain't bloody likely...... Pacers 104 Raps 92
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Screw Tinsley, Jackson, or O'Neal cuz we have guys who can guard them</div> Since when did we actually guard anyone on opposing teams? This will be a tough game, I don't know if we can win, considering we're on the road, no Rafer, and did I say we were on the road? The Pacers aren't that bad, and I don't know if we can take this one, Jeff Foster should get 15+ rebounds if he get's the minutes, and we'll see how it goes. Bosh should have a good game, 20+, but that's not going to be enough to give us a win in this game. Pacers 103 - Rapors 94
swirsky is reporting that tinsley isn't playing should make things interesting hopefully the raps can pull one out on the road and get some confidence going
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">Since when did we actually guard anyone on opposing teams? </div>lol very true...... As a team we have an uncanny abitlity to make any opposing player look like an all-star, but I was just stating how I think Foster would be the one we should worry about most considering the matchup. Games about to start..... pllleeeassse don't get embarrassed out there Raps.....
53-36 pacers at the half, ugly game so far, we have too many turnovers and we're not getting good offense. Mo as usual is having a bad game on the road, but bosh is getting to the line and is having a decent game.
Im wondering who have we beat on the road?? miami, Minnesota, and Houston right? i cant remember if houston. but seriously we gotta play like a team. bosh and rose are doing everything that they can! same for bonner!seriously this is pathetic, no tinsley milt should be having a good game cuz he did have a good game against nash, and now this! trade milt to some place!!!!!!!for some rounders or release him and sign carl english(nfld) or troy bell. maybe troy bell. i dont like milt! i hate this! we should bench mo when we are on road games and start bonner, i wanna c what he can do when he gets serious minutes! hoepfully we can pull something together and mo pete can actually make a basket!
Bosh huge game 25 points 15 boards....but damn, he lost the ball. Hope we can pulll it off still, 95-93...55 secs left, Time out; we have the possession. EDIT: Marshall for 3333333333333333 Milt is showing why he's better than Jason Kidd, tonight Double EDIT: 1.9 Seconds left...97-96 Pacers....damn you foster Triple EDIT: Raptors WINNNNNNNNNNNN 98-97 Foul by Pacers on Rose, nails both with .4 secs left. I love Raptors basketball
Man, after Bosh's anti-clutch 2 turnovers in a row I got a little scared, but then Donyell Marshall with the three, also got a block on the other end, and though they got the foul, Jalen was able to get to the line, and ice the game. Very boring game for the most part, till the end...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">Bosh huge game 25 points 15 boards....but damn, he lost the ball. Hope we can pulll it off still, 95-93...55 secs left, Time out; we have the possession. EDIT: Marshall for 3333333333333333 Milt is showing why he's better than Jason Kidd, tonight Double EDIT: 1.9 Seconds left...97-96 Pacers....damn you foster Triple EDIT: Raptors WINNNNNNNNNNNN 98-97 Foul by Pacers on Rose, nails both with .4 secs left. I love Raptors basketball </div> i like a win....but i want that high lottery pick #1 would be nice...so i think i wish we had lost that said...very dramatic finish
I spoke 2 soon! Milt is the Raptors Godson! yay, what a comeback guys i 2 love raptors basketball awesome game by bosh, BOSH is the man, and JALEN! i luv u 2 man, dont leave TO unless we screw ourselves for the month of feb. that is basically what is gonna go down now! we do good jalen will stay and maybe donyell. if we suck this month they both go. simple as that guys!
^hah, we won't get #1. AS for the game, I couldnt watch after the first Q, but turned on the TV right @ the inbounds. needless to say, crazy game. crazy game. Anyone see Stephen Jackson? He was heated. Sucks for the little pacers fans, one got Jalen's headband, but the one who just watned a high five got nothing. not even that high five. Owned!.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">I love Raptors basketball </div> Agreed . man Foster was dominating us, no one would box the man out. I think he had 8 offensive boards Jalen got some sweet revenge for his last performance against Indiana. Donyell hit that big 3. Gotta love it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting VinKanaddy:</div><div class="quote_post">Don't forget Hoffa. He put out a solid effort tonight putting a body on Jermaine O'Neal.</div> Yep, 3-6 FG, 8 points, 5 boards in 10 min!! Not too shabby. Anyone notice that in the last 4 minutes that we had Jalen subbed in for offense and then E. Dub would come in for defense. Do we really need Jalen to play D? Does E Dub need to be an offensive weapon? I guess not.
Now that I think about it. If Mitchell had played Hoffa the 48 minutes. Damn, Hoffa would have had.... 38 points and 24 boards. Man Mitchell needs to learn when to keep hot players in the game.
Did we just win a game on the road??? Man I can't believe I was debating whether I should watch the State of the Union or the Raps (this was during our 15+ point deficit)...... great game for the Raps, I'm still shocked that we overcame a 19 point deficit in the 3rd quarter to steal a game ON THE ROAD.... We were very lucky that SJax made that ill-advised foul to bring Jalen to the line with 0.4 seconds left.... Game Notes: - Bosh with yet another stellar performance: 25pts, 15reb, 15-17 from the line, and 9 offensive boards - Milt, I repeat MILT, with a near triple double: 13/9/7 and 4-5 from the field - Rose was exceptional throughout the game but was HUGE in the clutch.... same deal for Marshall - MoPete is just asking to get benched on the road: 5pts 2reb in 31 minutes
