The Goods On The Game, Vol. 11, let the game begin

Nice sign of respect: Ref Monty McCutchen was spotted mouthing the words to O Canada as part of the pre-game festivities.
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The Chicken, like Jose, is not 100 per cent but he's out there providing his unique brand of zaniness.
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It's really too old to care about but they booed Vince Carter. For a change. Boring. And they applauded mightily when Carter fouled Bosh 90 seconds in.
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The Nets are using rookie Brook Lopez on JO and Yi Jianlian on Bosh. This could be a long, long night for the New Jersey bigs.
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Another one-dribble, pull-up jumper by Bargnani is good. That's become the kid's signature move. And once he establishes it and people know it around the league, he's going to be able to blow by defenders.
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What'd I tell ya: Four minutes in and Brook Lopez has two fouls. And a seat on the bench.
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Oooh, this'll get the masses riled: Carter just jab-stepped Jose, hit a jumper and smiled the whole way back down the court.
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JO gets a technical. Another. He's among the league leaders.
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Nets 13, Raptors 10 with six minutes to go.
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Here's tonight's developing story line: Carter, Yi and Lopez all have two fouls for New Jersey and we're 6:04 into the game. The Raptors have to attack them unrelentlessly now. Jersey coach Lawrence Frank is sticking with Yi and Carter. That wouldn't fly here in Toronto, I don't think.
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O'Neal just got his second foul and Sam's staying with him, which is a break in tradition.
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This is men against boys. Bosh just about faked Yi into a crippling ankle injury, went around him like he was me and is about to complete a three-point play.
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Here's The Hump. Let the excitement begin. I love Hump because whenever he gets in the game, the frenzy factor goes up.
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Bosh just hit some kind of odd, running, hook shot from about his hip.
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Nice moment when Keyon Dooling checks in. Jose goes over to say hi and perhaps reminisce about Dooling helping drill Toronto when he was with Orlando last spring.
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Chris Bosh, if he plays his regular minutes, might get 45 tonight.
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The Nets have blown two extra timeouts already. Unless they're using them to find big men somewhere, I believe it's a waste.
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Jamario Moon gets an earlier-than-usual call from the bench. And a nice round of applause when he checks in.
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Raps 33, Nets 22 after one.
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Imagine my shame. Me, who professes to know a thing or two about dance reality shows, entirely miss Tre Armstrong sitting in the front row across from us. Luckily, tonight's seat is next to the First Lady Of The Beat and she makes the catch.
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Guess the Roko Ukic Backup Era hasn't yet begun. Will Solomon's into start the second quarter.
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Speaking of front row spectators, The Chicken just enlisted the aid of Buffalo Bills receiver Lee Evans in a little timeout football tossing skit. The yucks never end around here.
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Right now, I'm putting the over-and-under number for Nets wins this season at 33.
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The 33 points was a season best first quarter for the Raps, the 11-point lead was their biggest advantage of the season after one.
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Andrea just set a high screen for Solomon and rolled right down the lane, took a nice pass and finished with a layup. The coaches have been drilling him on that for years.
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Carter's playing with aggression. The fans are unimpressed.
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Toronto 45, New Jersey 37 with six minutes 'til half.
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Okay, Bargnani's got 11 points in 14 minutes and this would be his second good game in a row, spoiling that one-on, one-off trend of his.
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Eddy Najera just smacked Bosh across the head trying to make a steal. That's gotta hurt.
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You know who'd look really good on this team? This No. 15 cat from the Nets. Wonder if he's available?
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Jermaine O'Neal's havin some serious issues with the strap on the bottom of his knee brace.
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Devin Harris was supposed to be the big problem for Toronto. The Nets point guard has seven points and one assist. Joe's got 11 and 6.
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That ties the most prolific scoring half of the season for Toronto.
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Raps 61, Nets 47 at the break.
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It's like a Vancouver Grizzlies reunion around here. There's Brian Hill, former coach, now on the Nets bench. There's Roy Rogers, former player, now a Nets assistant; and Jay Triano, former broadcaster now on the Raptor bench. If Stu Jackson shows up, we've got ourselves a story.
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If this is the second half, it must be Anthony Parker time. Zero points in the first two quarters, two straight buckets to start the third.
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If Raps can get up 20, this one's over. And it looks like they've got some determination in 'em to start the second half tonight.
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Seriously, can this incessant booing of Carter end? It's like you're all jilted lovers who can't get over a breakup that happened four years ago. Boo him when the game's on the line, sure. Every time he touches the ball? Not so much.
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Nets are trying to junk up the game with some full court pressure and zone defence. That's just the kind of things the Raptors don't handle well.
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Not surprisingly, an 18-point Raptor led is down to 12 and Sam has to burn a timeout.
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So we'll take one, too.
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Toronto 69, New Jersey 57 with 6:49 left in the third.
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This just in: Devin Harris is back in the Jersey locker room with an upset stomach. We didn't see him eating in the press room before the game.
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Brook Lopez has some promise, I will say that.
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All of a sudden it's a seven-point game and I take back all that stuff I said about Toronto being determined.
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Raps' biggest failing? They haven't been able to go at New Jersey's bigs, who are not in any more serious foul trouble now than they were 10 minutes into the game.
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Toronto's being out-rebounded 32-27 at the moment. That's an odd occurence, isn't it?
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Two times in a row, Jarvis Hayes has slipped a screen for an easy layup and Bosh is entirely unimpressed with himself and, I believe, Jason Kapono, who is guarding (such that it is) Hayes.
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Devin Harris is back, guess his tummy's better.
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Through 35 minutes, Toronto's 21-for-22 from the free throw line, the Nets are 4-for-7.
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Raps 85, Nets 76 at three
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They're doing that 60 Seconds of Madness craziness at the end of the third and a Lady Of The Pak just about whacks Jose in the head on her windup to toss a t-shirt to the happy fans right behind me. That'd be an injury to write home about. "Calderon: Out. Smacked by Dancer. Will not return."
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Seriously, the White Stripes thing: Gotta go. Old. Boring. Surely there's something else out there, no?
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Will Solomon time again. I say he gets five minutes.
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Oh no. Jermaine O'Neal just got hurt. Was hammered to the floor by Sean Williams, a Flagrant Penalty 1. Williams, in a rather punkish move, grabbed the back of O'Neal's jersey and pulled him down.
Seems to be more scary than anything, O'Neal's back up and ready to shoot his free throws.
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Keyon Dooling, who I'm coming to like, just stopped by to ask Jack and Matt how bad it looked. He sorta grimaced when they told him it looked bad.
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I'm not entire sure who this buffoon is behind me ragging on O'Neal for missing the free throws but he's way out of line.
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That's all for Solomon, who commits two fouls and misses a bad shot in less than 2 1-2 minutes. If it's not Roko Ukic in that backup role Sunday, I'll be shocked.
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Well, that big lead's just about gone and I think we might have a white-knuckler on our hands.
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Jose looks tired. But he's got to play the entire game now.
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Toronto had four turnovers in the first three quarters. They've had four in the first five minutes of the fourth.
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Devin Harris is fast. I mean almost T.J. Ford fast.
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Raps 93, Nets 91 with 6 1-2 left.
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Just got word, JO's got a "strained left knee" and is going for tests.
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It's going to be a Bosh-Carter finish, I believe. Bosh just had a three-point play to give him 31 for the night.
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Sam's much more volatile on the sidelines tonight than he's been.
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Like I said, when Hump plays, things happen. He just schooled Brook Lopez on a drive to put Toronto up seven with 3 1-2 to go.
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That might be the dagger, the Calderon three for a seven-point lead with 1:50 left. He took a long time to look at Harris after he hit it, too.
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Hump just got tied up by two Nets but didn't call timeout; Sam was almost at midcourt screaming at him to make the call.
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Sam's going offence-defence with Kapono and Hump for the last minute. He doesn't do that as often as he should.
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Vince Carter had 21 points when the quarter began. With 52.9 seconds left, he's still got 21 points. Now, 23.
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I can't believe I just saw Toronto fail to inbound the ball -- TWICE -- on the same play.
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I take back that dagger comment
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Wow, That shot Carter hit to tie it was un-freaking-real.
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Raps 111, Nets 111 heading to overtime.
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The Bargnani three in overtime gives him 29 points and a career high.
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VC is sick.
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Bosh is sicker.
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VC is sickest.
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Great game, wasn't it?
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Nets 129, Raptors 127

Comments

[Rich]

One could argue that JO's T and accompanying discussion (once he was calmed down after the timeout) won over the ref a bit and got us two even-up calls in a row.

[Saad]

Here's a suggestion: instead of VC sucks, the fans should chant "CB4". They're both mindlessly inane, but at least this way we don't look like jilted lovers. And isn't living well the best revenge?

[Kevin]

Is is okay to really like Vince the player but have no respect for Vince the person?

[papa]

the first lady of the beat is in the house??! this better not be an anniversary or something. not good.

the rap's bigs are making fools of the nets. though that kid lopez is a legit playa. he'll do good things in the league, for sure. just not tonight!

vinny is the only thing standing in the way of a disgusting blow-out tonight, as opposed to a regular win.

[Doug]

this is what I don't get...when these idiot fans boo Carter all it does is spur him on more...if they'd just shut-up, Carter wouldn't be motivated and would just revert back to playing his uninspring game...it's liek he's feeling the negative love...let him feel nothing...

[Mark F.]

I like the Solomon-Dooling matchup. Dooling seems to be at Will's level. In 6 minutes, Will has NO turnovers and NO ridiculous shots. Amazing.

[Mark F.]

AP should slap VC and see if he can get the retaliation ejection just like good ol' times.

[Rahulan. S]

I know still a quarter left but best all around game of Bargnani's carreer I've seen, what do you think Doug? Mayve wait until the end of the game to reply...

Blogger's note: I don't remember him being any better, that's for sure. At both ends

[Doug]

the fans booing Carter is like Jennifer Anniston still trashing Angelie Jolie get over it and move on..at first yea there is compassion and they have a right, now its just sad and pathetic on the fans part...oh no O'Neal just down with his knee??

[Doug]

this new Raptors game commentator is calling his best game yet...Devlin I believe his name is....he's showing emotion and loosening up and just having fun...good to hear..

[Dan]

It drives me nuts seeing other teams have great plays out of timeouts. Sam is just an average coach at best. On a team with deep playoff aspirations that is not acceptable. I always said the worst thing to happen to the Raptors was Sam winning coach of the year because from a pr standpoint the Raptors had to sign him back.

[N. Yang]

The Raptors have been completely out coached this game, there is no question. When you blow a 18 point 3rd quarter lead two nights a row, when the other team isn't even shooting that well, it's all on the coach. There's no way this should be tolerated. The nets actually have real plays coming out of time outs. The raptors blow an INBOUND PLAY. We had better inbound plays in middle school.

[GM]

As soon as they fouled Parker near the end of regulation, I said he goes one-for-two. Only because he always seems to go one-for-two with the game on the line. I don't know what that means, but there it is. He cost them the game (if they go on to lose).

[GM]

Hey, who cares if the fans boo Carter? It's fun. What, are fans not supposed to have fun? Everyone loves a villain. And if he plays harder because of it, so be it. They need good competition.

[Dan]

I realize Parker has to defend the other teams best players. $0 from Wade. Almost 40 from Carter. He missed the freethrow to seal the victory. I have not been impressed by him. Star player score at will on him and he with the exception of last game does not offer much on the offensive side. I cannot believe they blew this game. It has nothing to do with O'neal being gone. Out of the four home games this was the easy one. Outside of jose, bosh, andrea and o'neal this team is complete garbage.

[Rahil]

What a game... wow.

[papa]

you've got to love it...the ultimate raptor killer. vc.

good game though. (if the pain doesn't melt your face off.)

[Matt]

What a heartbreaker. I guess we should get ready for the insane half of the Raptor nation to start calling for everyone's head.

[MAD]

FIRE MITCHELL... HOW CAN U LEAVE CARTER OPEN FOR AN ALLEYOPP???

[N. Yang]

There is no way anyone in their right mind can still defend Sam Mitchell after this game. He was completely out coached on both ends of the floor. No plays out of time outs, and failed to inbound the ball TWICE. what does it take for Colangelo to wake up and fire this guy already.

[FC]

Vince remains a great basketball player & a whining little nebbish. Our solace is that New Jersey (or Brooklyn) will never win anything....

[Lola B]

The difference in this game was the coaching. Key players stepped up big for both teams. Sucks that TO lost, but it was a great game. When are we going to stop blowing big leads?

[Boko]

Sam & his crazy lack of using his rotation optimally cost us the game. Our big 3 got tired. Theirs were more rested. They won. We lost. Thanks, Sam, again.

[tones]

Where was the intentional foul with 3.5 to go in regulation? That could haveput us in a position to win the game? WHY?

[alex]

Who gets beat on a lob out of a timeout. Looks terrible on the raptors coaching staff.