The Goods On The Game, Vol. 16

They might have the coolest video introuction in all of pro sports here. They drop a round curtain from the scoreboard to the court and play a video on it. Outstanding.
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Raptors are wearing black, I guess to change things up. But I'm pretty sure the equipment guys aren't too happy because it means dragging a second bag of jerseys on the trip. They've got the red ones for a lesser stage later in the week.
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The "M-V-P" chant for Kobe starts two minuets in when he's shooting free throws. Which he'll do again right now 'cause Jamario just fouled him shooting a three-pointer.
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I'm pretty sure you've seen him on TV if you're watching, too, but, yes, Jack Nicholson's in his usual seat.
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Wow. Jamario just finished on a textbook break after filling the lane. Odd.
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Pau Gasol's made two 17-footers and it's a nice little shootout between he and Bargnani, who's got six points already.
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Two quick ones on Parker and he sits down for Kapono.
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Timeout for the Lakers, timeout for me.
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Lakers 19, Raptors 18 with 5:45 left.
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Kapono's first touch is curling offf a screen and he goes to the lane and scores. Someone obviously got to him, and the coaches,to make him more assertive.
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Gasol's got 10 and I like his game. Except for the lack of toughness, that is.
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Bad closeouts are becoming quite the habit for Your Raptors. They just don't get to shooters quickly enough.
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Here comes Joey, let the fun begin.
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Vlad Radmanovic is wearing the goggles not in homage to assistant coach Kurt Rambis but because he got poked in the eye in a game last week.
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Jose Calderon has two baskets and both have come from beating his man to the basket.
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I'm betting that when the voting for Most Improved Player comes around in the spring, you're going to be hearing the name Trevor Ariza an awful lot.
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Legendary Media Relations Man Jim LaBumbard reports this is the most points the Raptors have allowed in a first quarter this year.
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Lakers 34, Raptors 29
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Hmm, now there's some question what the score actually is. The scorebard says 34, the stats monitor says 32 for the Lakers. Sort of a reverse Atlanta deal.
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There is one row of seats along the baseline on the court and I imagine they cost a fair dollar. And every time the Lakers score, a gaggle of Laker Girls stand up right in front of the patrons and jump up and down. Some like it; I imagine there are those who don't.
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Kapono's got six points in eight minutes, I believe it's the influence of being so close to UCLA.
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Of course, Trevor Ariza's badly missed all three shots he's taken so maybe I'm too quick with the most improved talk.
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Good Joey's gone to the basket twice already.
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Hump just drilled Trevor Ariza with the hardest foul of the night. Not dirty. Just hard.
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Raptors just simply lost Jordan Farmar in transition and he hit a wide open three. Terrible recognition. Sam calls a timeout to talk about it. Again.
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I'm pretty sure there are rich and famous movie stars in here tonight, I just don't know any of them. Where's the First Lady when you need her? Actually, they usually pass around a sheet with the names of the big shots in attendance. If we get it, you will, too.
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Roko just gave them five pretty solid minutes. Wonder if he'll get the same chance in the second half.
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This one's in danger of getting out of hand.
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Lakers 49, Raps 47 with six minutes 'til half.
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Wow. Trevor Ariza just tried to throw a lob pass from the corner that hit the shot clock. It might be the worst lob I've ever seen.
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Luke Walton gets some rare minutes. He's been one of the Lost Boys Of The Lakers this year.
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Raptors are playing a lot of zone late in the quarter, which leaves them open to offensive rebounds, which they give up anyway.
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Of the good signs for Toronto, Jose's looking a bit quicker.
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Jose's now 41-for-41 from the free throw line this season.
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Moon's at the line for three free throws after Kobe whacked him taking a jumper and you know the coaches are dreading that that is something Moon will get used to.
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Somehow, the Raptors just let Kobe Bryant leak out for not one, but two straight fast break layups. Memo to Raps: Guard him.
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Lakers 61, Toronto 51 at halftime.
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A media room celebrity spotter suggests David Beckham is somewhere in the arena watching. No one has seen Mats Sundin yet.
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After a 5-0 Laker run in 90 seconds or so, Sam calls a timeout to settle the lads down. Sort of worked 'cause they got two stops.
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Chris Bosh just made his third three-pointer of the season. It comes in a flurry where Moon, he and Parker made threes on successive possessions. Trouble was, Lakers got one in there, too.
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Jose's getting a little fiesty with Derek Fisher. Nice to see someone take exception to something.
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Fisher and Calderon get matching technicals a minute or so later, they are jawing at each other pretty well.
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Bosh has had better nights. He's 4-for-12 from the field.
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Vlad Radmanovic just made a wonderful little pass in the lane. Directly to a Raptor.
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Now, they know how to do things here. If the Lakers hold Toronto under 100 points, every fan gets a couple of tacos.
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Lakers 73, Raptors 65 with 5:57 left.
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Far as we can tell, there are no Leaves here, despite the fact they play in the same building tomorrow.
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Andrew Bynum is too strong for Bosh to handle on the post. They could use JO. Or switch Bargnani onto Bynum and let Bosh guard Gasol.
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Here's a very cool thing they do in the player introductions. When they were going through the Raptor assistants, they made sure to make it "Hall of Famer Alex English." Respect.
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Another steal leads to a leak-oout basket for the Lakers, a game-high 15-point lead and I'm thinking this one is almost over.
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This just in: Apparently Denver's Carmelo Anthony left their game with Houston tonight with a bruised right elbow and is day-to-day.
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Joey's back and here comes Roko in a minute, too.
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Wow. You know, for a team that's 13-1 and stacked, the Lakers really give up a lot of open shots.
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L. Hornby, comic, just suggests that the way the PA announcer pronounces Bargnani's name makes it sound like the 7-footer's from Sweden. Like Mats Sundin.
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L.A. 90, Raps 81 at three.
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Had a nice chat with old friend Rick Fox before the game. He's doing about 20 games a year for the Laker television broadcasts, pre- and post-game and halftime, and doing a little bit of TV acting, too. Good guy, Rick. Played in one of the darkest television shows ever, Oz.
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Unreal. Lakers show some pressure on the inbounds play to start the fourth quarter and the Raptors have to call timeout because they can't get the ball inbounds.
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The Kiss Cam's a personal timeout fave and here they play it with the old Sonny and Cher song I Got You Babe playing over the PA and there's not a better timeout gig in the league.
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Joey's defending Lamar Odom as the Raps go small and he's battling him for every inch. Gotta give Graham credit.
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Twice now, Roko's dribbled himself into trouble along the baseline and committed turnovers. Some day, he'll learn not to go there.
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Jason Kapono's a lot of things, a ball-handler isn't one of them.
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Two straight post-ups for Joey? That's rather odd play calling.
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Lakers 103, Raptors 88
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Here's one for you: We can stick around and see the Los Angeles D-Fenders play a D League game later on if we like. We don't like.
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Bosh is out with 5:41 to go, Raps down 19 and his night is over. So is Toronto's.
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More white-towel waving. Jose's night is done, too.
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We're watching a Raptor lineup of Roko, Will Solomon, Joey Graham, Hassan Adams and Kris Humphries and we're not sure that group beats the D Fenders. It's not pretty.
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Wow. This is garbage time like we haven't seen this year.
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Lakers 112, Raptors 99

Comments

[papa]

most points in a quarter? not bad. I don't think the raps have played that poorly in this game so far.

also, seems like calderon is suddenly the quickest guard in the league. playing against a 13 year veteran.

go bargs.

[John]

It was a one-point game, but Hump is really ruining the game. Right?

[al]

david beckham is at the game ;)

Blogger's note: I heard that at halftime. Cool

[Nick]

Doug, what gives with these fast break points? Are the raps just out of gas or what? There should be no excuse for Kobe, of all people, outrunning the entire raps team, not once, but twice.

[GM]

I think your Good/Bad designation should apply to Hump, too. Bad Hump handed out that hard foul after selfishly putting up (or trying to) a jumper when he had his blinders on and was determined to shoot no matter what the defense was.

[M Goodman]

Doug, I had the same issue with the halftime score. I think Bynum got credited with a basket that he actually missed. Is there anyway you can check on that before the end of halftime?

Blogger's note: They've got it right, I'm told.

[GM]

While Moon often takes bad shots, I think the one aspect of his game that he worked on over the summer was his outside shot. And that makes a bit of sense. He's shooting it not bad. Maybe his thinking is that if he's left alone and hits a few, they're going to have to come out and guard him, allowing him to drive. Either way, he's clearly a better shooter than he was last year so maybe we should cut him a bit of slack.

[GM]

Why can't Matt Devlin pronounce Radmanovic? He keeps putting an extra syllable in it: It's not Radomanovic.

[Dan W]

I don't expect the Raptors to beat the Lakers. I expext alot more from a self proclaimed mvp in Bosh. He really comes up short against the top teams.

[GM]

So much for Bosh as MVP. Does he shrink in big games or what?

[UK]

Is it me or has Bargnani gone from what seemed like a major defensive liability to a positive contributor on D?

[Kevin Allison]

Hey Doug,

Whats with the knee brace Joey's wearing? I saw both him and Andrea wearing them in the last game... to prevent tendinitis or something?

Blogger's note: Yeah, that and just preventative medicine

[Edward]

So Bosh cant get going against the Celtics ... He cant seem to do anything today against the Lakers ... I don't think he should be considered a legit MVP candidate till he can actually produce against good teams consistently

[papa]

this game has been a bit odd in that if it weren't for all the 3's the raps have hit at key times, this game would have been done a while ago. though I will say, the raps haven't played terribly; the lakers are just ridiculously good. championship ridiculously good.

[Shawn]

They're actually chanting "We want Tacos"....do you think Jack participated?

[Andrew Noble]

Unlike all other raptor fans, I will not cry and sulk after this game. Or when they lose to cleveland, and portand. Let's be real, they won't win those games.
Raptors will still make playoffs. That's all that matters.

And our bench sucks...

[Rahulan]

Doug,

In person how was the flow of the game. On TV I got the feel the Raps were getting the plays and matchups they wanted but just weren't knocking down shots.

Blogger's note: Everytime they got close, L.A. turned it on, at no time did you think the Raptors had a legitimate chance to win.

[Doug]

if BOIsh wants to be considered a MVP, he has to start showing up when he plays Garnett and Bryant, he always not only has his worse games his effort level is just not there either...

[GM]

There were shots of Bosh laughing on the bench near the end of the game, and I'm sure you'll get your share of outraged comments. But I don't see it as a big deal. It doesn't mean he doesn't care. It doesn't mean he's not mad. It means the game was over and there's nothing more that could be done. So I won't criticise him for that at all -- just his play. I don't know the context when Vince was reviled for laughing in a loss, but I bet it was the same sort of thing.

[Mike U]

Bad Coaching throughout in my opinion. Bosh and Jose rested too long. I'm still waiting for my mail response Doug! The one about the Raptors not ending up in the same position as the 05-07 Phoenix Suns. The one about changing coaches?! Come on dude, what's holding you back?

Blogger's note: You're kidding, right? Bosh sat out the last 5 1-2 minutes but had played 37 of the first 42; Jose sat out the final 5 1-2 and played 31 of the first 42, getting his normal rest at the end of the first and start of the fourth. The coach rested them too much? Sorry. Dead wrong on that one.

[Tyler L]

Doug I'm glad too see that you noticed the same thing I did that Mitchell should've switched Bosh to Gasol and Bargnani to Bynum on D. It makes no sense why he wouldn't at least Bosh wouldn't get pounded by Gasol the way he does by Bynum.

[Archie Gillespie]

Doug, did you find an unusual (unlucky) number of Raps's shots that were half way in the basket then rimmed out? Can't say if that's just shooting that was slightly off or misfortune but they certainly had their share of those. I think they hung in pretty good without JO.

[Mike U]

"Blogger's note: You're kidding, right? Bosh sat out the last 5 1-2 minutes but had played 37 of the first 42; Jose sat out the final 5 1-2 and played 31 of the first 42, getting his normal rest at the end of the first and start of the fourth. The coach rested them too much? Sorry. Dead wrong on that one."

Well obviously we both watched the game and what I saw was that the Raps had a good chance at winning the game coming into the fourth quarter. Isn't letting your star players play a mere 4-7 more minutes ideal to win a ball game? Come on you can't argue that. Especially when the Kobe and Gasol were sitting. I think you're wrong too because the Raps simply don't have the luxury of sitting the 2 best players at the moment. Again, in my opinion, at the very least, he could have gave Calderon more minutes at the start of the 4th.

Blogger's note: Bosh played the first 6 1-2 minutes of the fourth quarter and came out when the game was far out of hand; Jose came back after 4 1-2 minutes rest after playing the first 11:05 of the third. I have no problem with that rotation.

[aditya]

ok jose did rest too long in the fourth....he came back like at the 6 or 7 minute mark in the fourth and came out at like the fifth of fourth minute mark when it was over...

CB just had a bad game

[googler]

Hey Doug,

Just read the Marbury story where do think he'll end up OKC? or Memphis?

Blogger's note: Not sure, just got off a plane and haven't had a chance to talk to anyone.