A bunch of Bargnani and some other stuff

Great game, no?

Best of the year by far and it has to be in the top 10 all-time, I imagine.

Well played, close all the way, dramatic win over a very, very, very good team.

If Jay had channeled his inner Brendan Malone and looked up at the fans on the far side pumping his fist at the buzzer, it would have been perfect.

Anyway on to the usual fare.

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THREE POINTERS

Talking it through

As they walked out of the final Toronto timeout, just before the game-winning drive and free throws, Hedo and Bosh were having a rather animated discussion about 15 feet in front of me.

It began right after the huddle broke and continued as they sauntered past halfcourt and it was calm and cool rather than heated.

At first I figured Hedo was saying “man, if I take this shot and miss it, these people are going to kill me like they kill Vince Carter” and then we had a chance to ask Jay for an explanation.

“He knew they were going to switch and that’s why he and Chris had that little talk on the way out. He said ‘if there’s a switch, let me have the middle of the floor’ and he came back to the middle and had a quicker step on a bigger guy.”

And watch Bosh if you get a chance to see the play again. He does set a first screen and the Lakers defend it perfectly. He does come back to set a second but as soon as he does, he moves a couple of steps to the far side of the court, giving Turk room to get around the corner.

It was just a heads-up play by a couple of vets who knew what they wanted to, what the Lakers would do and how they would counter that.

Impressive.

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An unstoppable shot

Raps down two, about 8 1-2 minutes to go and there’s a timeout.

What’s Jay call?

A post-up for Bargnani, who gets one-on-one coverage on the left side, takes a couple of dribbles to the paint, no other defender comes and he drops in a delightful jump hook over an over-matched Lamar Odom.

The ball’s not even through the net yet when Phil Jackson has Bynum up off the bench to go in for Odom because he realizes Bargnani will get – and likely make – that shot any time he wants.

We’ve seen incredible maturation in Bargnani’s game this year, especially near the basket, and that was a perfect example of the kid realizing what he could and doing it; and of the coach realizing what the kid can do and letting him do it.

The thing about that move is that he’s so long and shoots it so far over his head that it’s virtually unblockable, if that’s a word. And when teams figure out what he can do down there and start sending a second defender to help, I think Bargnani’s shown already that he’s a good enough passer that he’s going to be effective against double-teams.

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Oh, and one more

The final Lakers possession, fraught with peril that it was (and I know there were people in the arena dead sure that Kobe was going to make some heroic shot because I was one of them) was partially disrupted by a late change of mind by Jay Triano.

It wasn’t until the last second that he decided to put Bargnani on Luke Walton throwing the ball in and Jay would have used Bargnani regardless of which Laker was making that pass.

Bargnani was active and disruptive and made it hard for Walton to even see where he was passing, let alone make a great one. And the pass was just a tad off, about a foot this way when Bryant was going that way and threw him off just enough.

Watching Bagnani on that play kind of reminded me of one other great defence of an inbounds play in Raptors lore.

It wasn’t exactly the same but I remember one night in Detroit, way, way back in the day when Butch Carter put two long, active guys on an inbounder in the dying seconds of a close game, got a turnover and a Raptors win.

That took guts.

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Snippets and comments and stuff:

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How in the world did that conspiring David Stern let that foul be called? Didn’t he have his mind-meld going with the refs at that moment?

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Those three jump shots that Kobe Bryant made on consecutive possessions at the end of the first half, little fadeaways on the right side, were three of the most picture-perfect shots in rapid succession I’ve seen in a long, long time.

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Saw an interesting visitor at the game Sunday.

As I was walking the bowels of the joint at half time, saw Richard Peddie wandering around with none other than Adam Silver, who is only David Stern’s top henchman.

Haven’t had a chance yet to ask just what he was doing here (that pesky in-game blog and story to write kind of occupied my time) and it was probably just a routine visit to check out the new digs on the west side of the concourse.

Or maybe Silver wants to buy a condo.

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In Los Angeles, one of the eight writers following the Lakers filed this about that.

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Mavericks 128, Knicks 78.

Not sure what’s more surprising: That the Jason Kidd-less Mavs put such a beat-down on Knicks or that a 50-point drubbing wasn’t the most lopsided defeat in New York history.

The Syracuse Nationals once edged the Knickerbockers 162-100. That would have been a doozy.

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Not sure how many of you raced to rewind the last-second attempt by Kobe to see if he got it off in time but it was one of the first things the coaching staff looked at when they got back to the office after the game.

And I sure made sure to take a quick glance.

Yes, it would have counted had it gone in and that would have been one of the most incredible shots I’ve ever seen.

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So, what’s this week got?

Miami here Wednesday, at the Knicks Thursday and Indy here on Sunday, right?

I imagine 2-1 is probably how it ends up – and I can’t guess which will be the two and which will be the one, I just have sneaking suspicion that’s how it turns out.

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Comments

[Tomasin]

Jose gets cut by Fisher's elbow intentionally or not, and nothings happens; No repercussions; No reactions from anyone; If I was Jose I would not be miffed but really pissed off. Not Doug cares to mention the incident.

[Tomasin]

Jose gets cut by Fisher's elbow intentionally or not, and nothings happens; No repercussions; No reactions from anyone; If I was Jose I would not be miffed but really pissed off. Not even Doug cares to mention the incident.

[Dan Fernandez]

Hey Doug,

Regarding your comment about the inbounds play back in the day, I remember that game distinctly: it was a game in Detroit against Grant Hill, Stackhouse and co. Raps were down one with 7 seconds left. We put I believe it was either Eric Montross or Sean Marks (I think the latter) and Vince forced the turnover, drove past Hill, elevated in the middle of the lane for the runner. That turned out to be the winner.

I have always maintained that, that game elevated Vince to another level. Many consider his sublime week against Boston and the Clips with respective buzzer beaters as the "coming out" of Vince, but that game against Detroit really turned the non-believers into believers - myself included.

Great Reference!

Keep it up.

[Zombywoof]

Hedo's acting skills have been maligned (yes coach) but he sure sold that foul, didn't he?

[Mike kovacs]

TV coverage still lacked at times missing important plays. It's also disappointing that apart from here AB is not getting any props for the all-star game. I'm not saying he should be there but he should be at least mentioned. There is too much knee-jerk recognition and mention of the over-rated Noah ( it's amazing how much attention an awkward running style, often misplaced energy and floppy hair will get you!).

[RC]

I've noticed over the past few weeks that Alvin Williams has not been sitting in his usual spot behind the Raptor bench. Has his role changed with the team?

Blogger's note: He's away on a personal matter and will be back soon

[esajr]

i thought i am the only one who have observed about how HT drives to the basket and the result is always a miss. as you pointed out, you think that Hedo is trying to avoid contacts when driving. what then is his primary purpose in driving to the basket if he is trying to avoid contacts which i think is a very legitimate observation. all i know is, if the player drives to basket the intention is to finish and or create contacts neither of which is present in Hedo's drive. i think they were just lucky that a foul was called on that last seconds penetration which are seldom called. when can you remember a game decided by a free throw in the last seconds of the game?

Blogger's note: I believe there was one last week involving, if I'm correct, Charlotte. And I know for sure there was one involving Denver and Golden State earlier. It happens.

[doug]

great game...thats why i love b-ball they are few and far between but there is nothing like a well played game, with the crowd, atmosphere, intensity..just a classic....just mentioning to the poster that stated we were "lucky" because Phil sat Kobe, Kobe and Gasol played the most minutes of any of the starters for either team...and he did have what 27 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists and in your eyes he was coasting??.....also to me this is why the Lakers are the best team in the NBA and will be tough to de-throne, it's because of depth, imagine playing those guys again in a couple nights, then again after that.....in a 7 game series, there is no way a team can play that many perfect games, whereas the Lakers just keep coming, with Gasol,Kobe,Odom,Artest,Bynum,Farmar,Walton Brown,Fisher etc...there depth is unmatched, there's 9 guys I listed, who can play defense, offense and have b-ball smarts all of them...maybe a argument is warranted about regular season in who is in fact the best (but not by me I think Lakers are)....but in the playoffs, money time the Lakers are head and shoulders above the rest, just to the depth of talent.....and Kobe's shot is just a thing of beauty, effortless, and undefenseable as he stops and jumps on a dime, with vertical lift, shoulders square, and high release point...time after time..its the best jumper ever in the league and i've watched thousands of jumpers, that guys is pure

[Chuck]

Doug, was Turkoglu trying to pass on that last second drive? Seems to me he threw the ball to a Raptor in the corner as he went down. Could this have been his strategy all along?

[Sean]

Re: premier games on Sundays

Sunday is by far the busiest day for Raps games attendance wise...I am sure if they had their choice they would rather have the Lakers or Cavs on a Wednesday when they have more trouble moving tickets. All things equal, a Nets game on Sunday will draw more fans than a Nets game on Wednesday.

[Ted S]

Doug,

I need to come clean. I was so wrong about Bargnani. His growth has been impressive this year. You (and BC) were right. He just needed some time to develop his skills and approach to the game. You picked up on his defensive growth before most. His offense is speaking volumes. The fans are appreciating his improved focus and emotion. Anyway, I apologize for the last two years of ripping him and the management (sorry Maurizio - I'm the moron, not you) for picking and re-signing him. This team looks like they will go as far as the big guns will take them. The potential is there.

Yesterday's game was impressive for the whole team. November's frustrations are distant memories and I feel the expectation level beginning to climb again. When this team plays like that, we can compete with the best. Raptor Nation can only hope for more of the same.

Blogger's note: There's no need to apologize for an opinion.

[John]

Doug, I heard that CB made some comments after the game about the number of Lakers fans in the stands. Good for him!! Is there anywhere on the net that you can hear or watch the post game interviews? Especially interested in what CB actually said. Thanks!

Blogger's note: Probably but I don't know for sure

[kelsie]

Doug, on your honest opinion, do you believe that there was a foul committed to Hedo's shot last night?

Blogger's note: Yes
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Have you seen the replay?

Blogger's note: Yes, there's a hand clearly on his shoulder and one on the small of his back; a no-brainer call

[GM]

I love it when superstars or superteams complain about fouls. They get the benefit of so many bogus calls they really are in no position to complain ever. How many phantom calls in the dying moments have the Lakers been the recipient of? Too many to count. And even if the one against them last night was bogus (and I don't believe it was), the Raps had to put themselves in that position in order to win. Had they been down 3 or even 2, they probably would have lost.

[Richie C]

Doug
Was wondering where is Alvin Williams. He was behind the bench in early home games but has not been there lately?

Blogger's note: Personal situation, all's well; he'll be back soon

[Michel G]

Pipit wrote: "I was disappointed to see him (i.e. Calderon) destroy a fixture in the arena as he went to the locker room. That is not how he wants to set his image. Do you think losing his minutes more on more to Jarrett is ticking him off more and more? It's quite evident the past few games that he's forcing more his shot eventually losing his playmaking ability which is his strength."

1. Why would Jose kicking something on his way to getting stitched up be disappointing? This is the NBA, not finishing school. I love that kind of fire.
2. I hope that losing his starting job to Jack (for now) would annoy Jose? He wouldn't be much of a competitor if it didn't. The best point guard on the Raptors is Calderon, but is he the one who should start, I don't know anymore?
3. And finally, I doubt Jose is losing his playmaking ability. The Hedo signing has changed his role on this team. Right now he's coming off the bench and I presume the coaches are asking him to be more aggressive and take more shots.

[joe]

Doug,
Did Jay pull a double switch when the Lakers were trying to get Kobe on a pick and roll down the stretch. One play saw one of LA's bigs (can't remember who) come down to screen for Kobe. Bargnani switched off on the right and another Raptor switched off on the other side. Kobe had no place to go and couldn't see over Bargnani so the offence stalled. I thought that was a great tactic.

Blogger's note: I honestly don't remember the play so I can't say. I do know they planned to throw a lot of different looks at him and did that.

[kelsie]

'I thought i am the only one who have observed about how HT drives to the basket and the result is always a miss. as you pointed out, you think that Hedo is trying to avoid contacts when driving.'

You're not. He's been doing it all year. Seesm like he's unwilling to sacrifice his body and go to the rim strong. Instead, choosing to scream loudly and flail his arms about which is unfortunate cause he should be trying to finish strong.

[kelsie]

Blogger's note: Nothing specific but I'll see a few or a call a few this week and see what the word is

Thank you sir. Much appreciated.

[doug]

it should ne noted that Artest has plantar whatever, a foot problem so his minutes are affected..it was funny what phil had to say about it, he said he is wearing these chinese sneakers, there like concrete shoes someone wears if there going into the Hudson river....I've been on him about it for a month, ...he needs to change, then phil went on to disparge Puma's as well, saying these guys need to realize shoes are there major piece of equipment....a good point we look at sneakers as being sneakers, these guys are running on hardcourts endlessly the pounding and toll on the feet would and in icredible...just ask Bill Walton,Yao, etc...

[Derek W.]

You can find post game interviews at raptors.com, try clicking on the Game in Six video link and you should see them

[Lavi]

John, try Raptors.com for post-game interviews. They sometimes have them. Good luck.

[The J]

"How in the world did that conspiring David Stern let that foul be called? Didn’t he have his mind-meld going with the refs at that moment?"

It's funny I was reading comments from some Lakers fans (and are they the best kind of fans) who were saying that foul was called against them because the NBA is conspiring against them. Apparently the NBA doesn't want to see the Lakers pull too far away from the Cavs, Celtics, Magic, Hawks, etc.

[Chi of Steel]

About the incident with Jose getting cut above the eye. I noticed blood starting to stream right after it happened, but play continued the other way and for a good while. I thought the game is immediately whistled whenever someone is bloodied? And when it happens, doesn't the victimized player get time to get patched up and return to the game?

It wasn't apparent from TV, but I'm sure Jose would've been hollering at the refs, if not for the foul, then the blood at least. I think the Raps had to call a timeout to make the substitution, which struck me as being very strange.

Blogger's note: It's a 30-second timeout for a bloodied player, not charged to a team; and they generally wait until a play ends, as they did.

[Jamie]

For the person who was asking about Bosh's interview slating the Lakers' fans;
http://www.nba.com/raptors/video/2010/01/24/RWEB100124TRIANOPOST16x9-1209711/index.html