<div align="center"> @ <font color="Navy"><font color="Navy"> Toronto Raptors (21-32) @ San Antonio Spurs(43-13) TV: Toronto (Sportsnet Ontario), San Antonio (FSNSW) Venue: SBC Centre Date: Wednesday, March 2nd. TipOff time: 8:40 PM est</font></font> <font color="Red">- Starting LineUps</font> The Raptors: <font size="1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Rafer Alston-Morris Peterson-Jalen Rose-Chris Bosh-Rafael Araujo</font></font> 6th Man: <font size="1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Donyell Marshall</font></font> Coach: <font size="1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Sam Mitchell</font></font> Team Leaders: <font face="Comic Sans MS">Scoring:J.Rose-17.1 Rebounds:C.Bosh-8.4 Assists:R.Alston-7.0 FG%:M.Bonner-54.4% FT%:J.Rose-85.2% 3PT%:L.Murray-43.8% Blk:C.Bosh-1.3 Steals:R.Alston-1.5</font> <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font> The Spurs: <font size="1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Tony Parker-Manu Ginobli-Bruce Bowen-Tim Duncan-Rasho Nestarovic</font></font> 6th Man: <font size="1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Brent Barry</font></font> Coach: <font size="1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">Greg Popovich</font></font> Team Leaders: <font face="Comic Sans MS">Scoring:T.Duncan-21.4 Rebounds:T.Duncan-11.8 Assists:T.Parker-6.2 FG%:T.Duncan-49.6% FT%:D.Brown-83.5% 3PT%:B.Udrih-41.1% Blk:T.Duncan-2.7 Steals:M.Ginobli-1.7 </font> <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font> <font color="Red">Keys To The Game:</font> - REBOUND REBOUND REBOUND With the addition of Nazr Mohammed, who in the past have cause the Raps many fits, the Spurs now have argubly the best/deepest frontcourt in the league. We have to box out on every position and eliminate their offensive rebounds. - Have No Fear: Everybody knows that the Spurs are the best team in the league, and the fact that they lost only 3 games since March 2004 at home makes them intimidating for any team that goes to the SBC Centre. Raps have to come out and just play the way they've been playing after the All Star break. - Organized Offence/Defence: You can't mess up against the Spurs and expect to get away with it. They capatliza on every mistake the opponent makes and that's apparent in their 10.0 points differential in their games. Have to be as effecient as ever to get a shot at winning this game. <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font> <font color="Red">MatchUp Of The Game:</font> vs Tim Duncan vs Chris Bosh Chris comes up big when he faces big time Power Forwards, and it can't get bigger than Tim Duncan. Offensevily, attack, attack, attack. Duncan is a shot blocker and a great defender, so if you give him time to react, he'll stuff the ball down your throat. Defensively, Chris has to do the exact same thing he has done when the Spurs played at Toronto. Contain his shots and push him as far away from the basket as possible. His ability to pass opens up good shots for Ginobli, Bowen, and Parker. <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font> <font color="Green">The X-Factor:</font> Sam Mitchell I really believe the way Sam attacks Popovich's defence and how he holds his own on the other end will be the major key for the game. Considering the Raptors' two main scorers (Bosh & Rose) are guarded by two of teh top defenders in the league (Duncan & Bowen), Mitchell has to be creative offensively to find other options if Chris and Jalen get locked up defensevely. <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font> <font color="Red">Say What?! (Prediction)</font> Raps are in a 3-Game winning streak. However, on paper, they have no chance in hell at getting this win. I predict a close game, and hopefully the Raps can pull an almost impossible victory. <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font> </div>
delete my thread, I made it just as you made yours... i just wanted one to be there before the game. prediction: 98-95 Raptors, 4th quarter comeback
Wow Tim Ducan sure looks a lot like Vince Carter these days and Chris Bosh has been hanging out with that Mo Pete guy a little, too much. I think the Raptors actually match-up fairly well against the Spurs. They have scorers at four out of the five positions, making it a little tougher for the Spurs to sag on defense. The Spurs are the best home team in the league, and the Raptors have their road woes. However, the Raptors are a dangerous team this point in the year, because they are playing loose. Bosh gets a chance to play against the best power forward in the game, which should be a nice test for him.
The win isn't impossible but it is very unlikely. Spurs at home are dangerous but I have to take the Raptors right now until they start showing me otherwise. They have been playing amazing team basketball and great defence so hopefully they can continue it in San Antonio. Raptors 93-92
I think that if Bosh is really agressive like he is some nights. He can get Tim Duncan in foul trouble and really bother Duncan's game. BTW, CourtVision, people is mispelt in your Jay-Z quote. Unless peole is a word and I'm just an illiterate fob.
That was some of the most sloppiest and boring basketball I've ever seen. I found myself watching that Missy Elliot reality show more than the game. 21-18 after one.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SkiptoMyLue11:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm just an illiterate fob.</div> dude! ur fresh out the boat! wtf, me 2. nice 2 c some desi people in hear! im not watching the game im just going by NBA.com, but by the looks of it, raps are still in this game everyone is like in foul trouble both ways, we need milt to have the game of his life or we are screwed. the best player right now statistically is hoffa, why not more minutes mitchell??? he is the brazilian beast doesnt that say enough? anyways hope for a good and fresh half. i think our defence has clicked in! 4 TO, and 10 TO for them! looks like agood finish.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SkiptoMyLue11:</div><div class="quote_post">BTW, CourtVision, people is mispelt in your Jay-Z quote. Unless peole is a word and I'm just an illiterate fob.</div>Good look Skip. Man this game is pissing me off. Of course it's against one of the best teams in the NBA but there is no reason we should be shooting 20%. Someone do something out there.
Raps were down by too much to get it back, and it really looked like no hope the way SA had the flow to the game..when Alston made that 3 though, to make it a 6 pt game, I thought we had a chance, then of course, Ginobili answers back with a little banker..
I missed the game today, but we only lost by 6, so not too bad, unless the score made it look closer than it was. Bosh didn't have the best game, and MoPete sucked on the road again. I wasn't expecting a win, so I'm not really dissapointed.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">I missed the game today, but we only lost by 6, so not too bad, unless the score made it look closer than it was. Bosh didn't have the best game, and MoPete sucked on the road again. I wasn't expecting a win, so I'm not really dissapointed.</div> yes but this was a very winnable game for us, they had so many turnonvers and we werent able to capitalize! we shot under 40% and one time at like 20% this was a horrible game and we had one that was within our grasp! dam
God damnit. When it was 90-84, and the Spurs got the offensive rebound, I knew it was over. We actually had a chance.
Game Recap and other stories <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> If Davey Crockett and his brave band of Texans shot as poorly as the Raptors did last night, this state would still be part of Mexico. As it was, the Raptors shot 37% from the field -- 28% after the first three quarters -- against the NBA-leading San Antonio Spurs, and limped away with their tails between their legs in the form of a 92-86 loss at the SBC Center, putting an end to a modest three-game win streak. The defeat dropped the Raps to 24-33 and a little bit further out of the Atlantic Division playoff picture. The Spurs improved to 44-13. Yesterday's contest certainly was one-sided, but would have been even worse if the Raptors weren't so aggressive in the first half. The Raptors trailed the Spurs by only six points at the half, 42-36, despite shooting a measly 24% from the field</div> Source I found this one to be a quite laughable one- Morris Peterson is pissed that he isn't getting the ball <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Raptors forward Morris Peterson couldn't hit the broad side of a barn last night at the SBC Center, but his shot at head coach Sam Mitchell certainly hit the target. Peterson was livid after Toronto's 92-86 loss the San Antonio Spurs, not so much because of the loss, but because he felt he was ignored by his teammates on the court. The result, he said, of unimaginative play selection. Peterson took six shots from the field all night, missing all of them, and played a grand total of 17 minutes as a starter. He did not play at all in the second and fourth quarter and lashed out at coach Mitchell afterward. </div> Source First of all if you ain't doing anything out there and you can't hit a shot to save your life, you damn well better be sitting on the bench. MoPete is a proven choker on the road. I am not surprised at Mitchell benching him but I am surprised that he is starting to complain about it. His defence wouldn't have been effective either because there was not a main guy to defend unless it was Tim Duncan. The Spurs moved the ball freely between all teammates so he didn't really have to guard anyone straight up. All in all another poor performance on the road by Mo. He should keep his mouth shut and play ball.
They should have played Pape Sow, maybe he could have won the game for the Raptors. On a serious note..if they didnt shoot so badly all game, they would have won. Donyell did a nice job on TD all night.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"I'm upset," the normally mild-mannered Peterson said. "I don't play in the second quarter and I have to come out in the third quarter and I'm not loose."</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"We have no plays where guys move, we just stand in one spot like we did last year," he said, adding that he is going to have a talk with Mitchell. "I don't know what to say (but) I definitely want to talk to him." </div> http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/S...948390-sun.html Quit being a baby Mo, oyu've sucked on the road all year, and now it's Mtchell's fault
I feel bad for Mo though. Maybe if Sam kept him on the court a bit longer he could have tried to help..he would have been better than Hoffa anyways. Offtopic: It's funny how the Raptors forum is always the most viewed one in the JustBBall Forums..i always see 10-15 people viewing it and the rest are like 1-3 people. Whoever said Canadians liked only hockey?
Man the spurs were just came through in the clutch. Nesterovich had a couple tapped offensive boards, Ginobli had that drive which kind of put the game away. On the bright side, Donyell blocked TD a couple times, played great D. Shut TD down well, considering the mismatch.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting urbannomad23:</div><div class="quote_post">dude! ur fresh out the boat! wtf, me 2. nice 2 c some desi people in hear! im not watching the game im just going by NBA.com, but by the looks of it, raps are still in this game everyone is like in foul trouble both ways, we need milt to have the game of his life or we are screwed. the best player right now statistically is hoffa, why not more minutes mitchell??? he is the brazilian beast doesnt that say enough? anyways hope for a good and fresh half. i think our defence has clicked in! 4 TO, and 10 TO for them! looks like agood finish.</div> i agree urbannomad nice to see some desi ppl here, by the way guys i dont mind losing to teams that are far superior in talent and are expected to win because it is a great measure to see where we stand but i hate losing when the refs miss so many calls the block by chris bosh where he got a foul and had to sit out most of the second that was bull shit and then there were so many fouls against bosh that were overlooked...shit if the raps even sneezed on duncan he would go to the foul line
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting raptors4life:</div><div class="quote_post">I feel bad for Mo though. Maybe if Sam kept him on the court a bit longer he could have tried to help..he would have been better than Hoffa anyways. Offtopic: It's funny how the Raptors forum is always the most viewed one in the JustBBall Forums..i always see 10-15 people viewing it and the rest are like 1-3 people. Whoever said Canadians liked only hockey? </div> Could be because Canada only has one team, while the States has 29 teams for their fans to cheer for
