The Goods On The Game, Vol. 27, The Revenge of Bonner?

Hello, kiddies. Everyone here? Doubt it, actually. Surely on the Saturday before Christmas some of you have lives. Hope you at least get this in the morning, I'd hate to think I'm doing it for nothing.
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One thing that's going to take some getting used to: Matt Bonner, Starting NBA Centre.
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They're getting a lot of use out of those "alternate" black jerseys, aren't they?
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If Matt Bonner's guarding Chris Bosh, as he is now, there's no reason in the world that every play -- at least every other play -- should be for Bosh in the post.
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Kapono makes a three and I don't hear J Killa from the broadcast crew.
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Roger Mason Jr. is a good guy and I'm very glad he's getting a good run with a good team. It was just a matter of him maturing and finding the right fit. Toronto, sadly, didn't have time to wait for him to develop.
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Did you see how far off Moon they just played to give him that three-pointer? It was about 15 feet. He waited, faked, waited, fired and missed. And I bet the Spurs play even further off him the next time.
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Matt Bonner commits a foul. Raises his arms in bewilderment. Only saw that about a billion times when he was here. It was his second personal and his night's going to be limited, I fear.
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The Raptors do seem to have more energy tonight. But we've seen energetic first quarters disappear quickly, haven't we?
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Raptors 15, Spurs 11 with six minutes left.
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Another good defensive possession leads to a rushed Duncan shot with about two seconds left on the clock and, as you'd expect, the Spurs get an offensive rebound. Argh.
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I remember the day Tony Parker came to Toronto for his pre-draft workout. He was with Jamaal Tinsley and someone I can't remember and Parker couldn't work out because he had a bad ankle. Too bad. Who knows what might have happened.
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Anyone else notice the Raptors are getting hammered on the boards again? I think the Spurs have four offensive rebounds already. Oh oh. Disaster lurks.
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Did you see Manu on that drive by Bosh a few minute ago? Didn't try to flop. Shocking.
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Roko Ukic doesn't have a problem trying to get to the rim, does he? Trouble is, he usually goes only when the shot clock's under six.
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Andrea just absolutely lost Kurt Thomas on a Spurs miss. Didn't turn around to find him, didn't jump to get the rebound.
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Raptors 25, Spurs 20 after one.
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Hmm, Raptors play well for a first quarter and lead. Wonder how this one turns out?
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Jake  Voskuhl? And I missed the debut? Darn it. A moment in history I have to witness on TV. Interesting that he's in and Hump can't get any burn? Know what they tell me about Voskuhl? He's not afraid to hit somebody in the head. Which makes him stand out on this team, doesn't it?
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The Voskuhl basket? Another moment in history.
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Parker comes back and I can't believe Jose didn't follow him right to the table.
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Joey, two shots, two airballs. There've been better nights.
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You can put Kurt Thomas on the list of good, under-rated veterans who'd help any team they're on.
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Extended rest for Bosh and Calderon. It's a gamble but  the game isn't getting out of control. Most 'caus the Spurs are shooting about 30 per cent.
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Gamble's over, at least for Calderon.
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That's an awful lot of shots, three, for Voskuhl. Not sure if that's the greatest of things.
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Matt Bonner with an offensive rebound. Wonder if that's his career high. (I kid)
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Go figure, Raptors trail 'cause they can't get an offensive board.
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Spurs 38, Raptors 33 with 6 1-2 until halftime.
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Bonner has his second offensive rebound, pure hustle. Finds Mason, he hits a three. This is really getting tiring, isn't it?
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Will Solomon at this point (five left in the second quarter and the game getting out of hand) for Jose makes me wonder what's wrong with Jose. I'll see if I can find out.
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And I can guarantee you Solomon taking a three that early in his stint will not endear him to his coaches, or his teammates.
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Jose's got an upset stomach, I'm told. Unsure about a return.
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Moon with the headband? Not sure about that look, to tell you the truth.
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Of the 21 Spurs three-pointers already tonight, how many do you think could be considered uncontested? I'd say half just off the top of my head. The rotations are slow, and in the odd case non-existent.
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Ooops.Will just sort of lost track of Tony Parker, who made 'em look foolish with a backdoor cut. I think the scouting report probably said something like, "watch out for back door cuts from Parker, we'd rather he shoot jumpers than get layups."
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See that Ginobili three with a minute to go? That's what I'm talking about with horrible rotation. Moon was about two seconds too late, which is an eternity.
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Toronto only had an eight-point lead in that half, it's not like they're blowing a double-digit lead or anything.
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Spurs 56, Raptors 48 at the half.
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You know, the world was a much worse place before they invented two-bite brownies, wasn't it?
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How many of you out there with RaptorsTV switched over to watch some of the Jazz-Bulls and were late getting back to this gem of a game.
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Tim Duncan's probably made a billion 15- or 20-foot jump shots in his career. I'm pretty sure the Raptors know this. Why they don't get up on him is a mystery. The one he hit early in the third as his third of the game.
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Moon, a three. Virtually unguarded. Think the Spurs are happy he's taking them?
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Know what the best thing about tomorrow is? No game. Monday at 10:30 on TSN2, though? Bet that's a rating giant. And I i'm still trying to figure out what I'll do. Cooper's? I can see that happening.
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If the Raptors were playing even passable defence for the last quarter and a half, this might be an entertianing game. They aren't, it isn't.
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Jermaine O'Neal's been working ref Derrick Stafford for about four minutes and just got a call on an Ducan hook for an offensive foul. Coincidence? Probably.
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San Antonio 68, Toronto 60 with about six minutes to go in the quarter.
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I'm a little bit surprised it's taken this long to get Joey in the game this half.
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Oh yeah, the San Antonio Chicken is a Coyote and it's the sickest looking thing you can imagine. Looks emaciated.
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Hmm, there was just a play where the Raptors had numbers on a break, Kapono was trailing, Jose went away from him and got the ball to Joey who dribbled right at Tim Duncan and his jumper blocked. That's just bad decision making all over the place.
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Jose looks sick, doesn't he. Better get some Maalox or Pepto Bismol or something. Or some time off.
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I've got to think O'Neal's done for the night with that shoulder. The grimace when he's on the bench being treated sort of gave that away.
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You've got to give them a little credit, they are hanging around.
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Spurs have made 12 threes at this point, the most a team has ever made in a game against Toronto is 17. You have to think that record's in jeopardy.
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Spurs 84, Raptors 73 at three.
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I take it back about O'Neal, he's back in the game and I'm wondering if that's wise.
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Sick or not, Jose's still in there and with a day off tomorrow, I'd leave him until the one's either won or lost.
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Manu doesn't look all that much like Manu, does he? Not as frenetic as usual, not handling the ball as much. Guess it's taking him longer than anyone thought to get over that ankle issue.
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I believe this one is over, folks. A 14-point Spurs lead with about 10 left? No way they come back from this one.
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Manu's got the same hair thing going on that Sam had, the little bald patch on the top. But I'm thinkng maybe Sam's is growing back now that he's living the life of leisure.
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I'm not sure if Pop looks like a thin Santa Claus or a healthy homeless guy.
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I don't know how many times Bosh has been in the post on Bonner but it hasn't been enough.
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San Antonio 96, Raptors 85 with 6 minutes to go.
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They are still playing hard, aren't they? I guess if you're looking for good signs, that's about all you get out of tonight at this moment.
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Bosh just passed up a jumper to feed Joey in the post. That might have been one of his better offensive decisions in a while.
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Kurt Thomas just whacked Bosh on the left hand and I can't imagine anyone not feeling pain when Thomas hits you.
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Six point game with just over two minutes left? Didn't see this coming, did you?
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Tim Duncan shoots banked jump shots better than anyone I've seen in 15 years watching NBA games on the beat. It is a lost art. And one that's really, really cool to watch.
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Down eight, two minutes to go, a timeout. A Kapono hook shot? Surely that's not what they came up with, was it? Maybe that's exactly the time JK's gotta take a pull up jumper.
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Bosh takes his obligatory three-pointer, which was a desperation shot, pure and simple. It's over.
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Short story: They played well and hard but not well enough and not hard enough. Do you want to hear "We saw some good signs tonight" or do you want to hear "I don't give a hoot about good signs, we lost and that sucks and Monday is an absolute must-win?" Me? The latter.
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See ya Monday from somewhere I presume.
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San Antonio 107, Toronto 97.

Comments

[LS]

Matt Bonner looked like a combination of Jason Kapono and Andrea Bargnani tonight. Good thing for the Spurs they didn't have to spend a full MLE or a 1st overall pick on him.

[Pat]

Greg Po Po looks like Donald Sutherland. He also looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi.

[Wilson Chung]

Its sad the Leafs are a funner team to watch than the Raps this year...

[Mike]

Pretty hilarious how you always bag on Moon for shooting open 3's this season, while he's a .375% 3pt shooter (slightly above league average) but you won't make the same statement about Bargnani (.345%, below league average + a 7 footer with an opportunity cost of not being in position to get offensive rebounds)

I guess we need to keep the "big lie" going perpetuated by Colangelo that Bargnani is a "shooter" when every year his %'s are terrible.

The guy is not a shooter. All he is someone that can throw a ball 23 feet.

But I guess if you were coaching a team, you would want a guy shooting .375 from 3 to turn down open looks. I take it you're not a fan of math.

Blogger's note: I hated math with a passion.

[Mark]

This season might cost CB4 a lot of money in 2010, when teams are looking back on what he's done & where he's been heading with his career...
Matt Bonner 1-1 with him all night & doing a decent job is not good for Chris.
Having watched a bunch of games with good teams lately, I really think the Raptors need to blow it up & draft/trade for a mid-top tier swing man, who can drain anything from anywhere.