Doesn't that prove that sports really is a wonderful thing?

Okay, all together now:

That’s why they play the games.

-

THREE POINTERS

Rebounding well

No, not grabbing missed shots, mentally rebounding.

The thing that might have been most impressive about the win was how they handled the inevitable Mavs run and there was an early one that stood out.

Toronto goes up 25-15 early but here come the Mavs, rattling off 10 straight points to tie it with about nine minutes left in the first half.

That’s about the time you kind of expected the beaten up, tired Raptors to fold up, kind of like they did in Memphis the night before.

But noooooo. They go on an 18-6 run, lead by a dozen with three minutes left in the half and it was as bold a statement as they made.

-

Where was Ed?

The first half was as good a stretch as Ed Davis has played all year and I know Jay was getting killed by some Irregulars in the third quarter when he left the kid on the bench for almost 10 minutes.

Why’d he do it?

“It was just a matter of when we were going to get him in in the second half because (Monday) night, Memphis scored four straight times on us to start the second half.

 

“We talked in the locker room that we need to get stops, we played well in the first half but we have to get stops right away here. And Joey did a great job and it was like, ‘I have to run with these guys even though Ed’s having a great game.’”

And it turned out all right, didn’t it?

-

Making his case, again

Once again, Julian Wright didn’t put up the greatest of numbers – scoreless with only four rebounds in 25 minutes – but once again, he had a big impact on the game.

He defender, he ran the floor, he moved the ball on offence and he was quite good.

Which leads me to this question:

Is he rendering Sonny Weems moot?

Seriously, since I’m still unconvinced that Weems and DeMar DeRozan can both function effectively when they’re on the court together, I wonder if Jay shouldn’t just give some Weems minutes to Wright on a regular basis even when Sonny’s ready?

It seems to free up DeRozan to have the ball on offence more, which can only help him and it puts Toronto’s best perimeter defender on the court more often.

Make sense? Does from this angle.

That’s not a knock against Sonny, who has some skills that Julian doesn’t but, on this team at this moment, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.

-

Anyway, a little more:

-

All kinds of questions post-game on where that game might rank all-time and I have to admit, given the circumstances, it’s got to be pretty high on the list.

Now, I don’t like to compare eras and the win in Washington back in ’03 when an eight-man team with three guys on 10-day deals beat the Jordan Wizards was good, as was the first-year win over the 72-10 Bulls at the Dome.

But when it comes to dissect the great gritty performances by an over-matched or under-manned team all-time, that one really has to be in the conversation.

Now all I have to do is remember it when it comes time to compile that list.

-

You know it’s been a good night for someone when you wander outside for fresh air with a coffee at 6:15 a.m. and there’s a half-empty glass of red wine on a little table in the tiny courtyard by the hotel front door.

And New Year’s isn’t until Friday!

-

Hey, people.

Remember the mail?

The place where you send me little notes and say hi and ask questions?

Um, could you get to it, please.

Pretty much empty over there, which means it’s time to click, write and send. Really: Ask, say, tell anything you like.

Thank you.

-

Mr. Sefko, a fine post-game host and a heckuva fella, reports things thusly in the pages of the Dallas Morning News.

-

Right, I owe a guy an explanation.

Some Irregulars might recall the really good line someone dropped on me about mid-way through the fourth quarter last night:

Leandro plays point guard like Curly Neal.

Anyway, someone asked me to explain and here it is: When Curly was doing his magic with the Globetrotters, he was a dribbling maniac, skittering hither and yon, and just killing the Washington Generals.

Well, didn’t you see a bit of that in Leandro down the stretch, in a good way?

Wasn’t this the best play the Raptors had in the last five minutes:

Let Leandro dribble out 18 seconds off the 24-second clock and then see what happens?

Not a bad play, given the circumstances.

-

Hmm.

It’s 6:45 a.m. here and I’m clicking around the dial and there’s not a single bowl game on TV.

Someone’s dropped the ball on that one.

-

Hey!

I just found two files stored on this machine that’ll give me a couple of days of work. It’s more lists, and here’s one:

Q: This one might require some serious thinking, but it gets discussed often in forums and I'd like your thoughts:

What's your top five rules in the NBA that you believe deserve some tweaking for the betterment of the game?

Thanks for your time!

 

Alex K, London

A: In no particular order, let me give you these:

Timeouts: I give each team two per half that can’t be carried over. I guess TV needs one per quarter but that’s it.

Kicked ball: Leave the shotclock where it is, don’t re-set it to 14 if it’s below that when a ball is kicked.

Timeouts II: Know what I’d like to see back? If a player has possession of the ball and is falling out of bounds, I’d let him call a timeout. It usually happens at the end of some hustle play when it happens and I think a guy should be rewarded. Or at least have the chance to be.

Goaltending: The more I think back to the worlds and Olympics, I’ve seen, why not let defensive players knock the ball off the rim if it’s bouncing around.

The charge circle: I’d shrink the semi-circle under the basket a little bit, give the defenders a better chance to contest shots at the rim.

-

I need some help.

Because of this zany schedule, we’ll be in Houston long enough to get citizenship, I think. Arrive Wednesday afternoon and don’t leave until Saturday morning and that’s an awful lot of time in a city I don’t particularly like because it’s so spread out.

So what I need is a couple of dinner spots that should be somewhere close to the Galleria mall (locals or those with Houston knowledge will know what I mean) because there a couple of nights to kill. I’m sure I’ll find a local to sit and sip and work on mail and year-end stuff but a good, relatively inexpensive joint or two would be nice.

Thanks.

-

Comments

[J. Millett, Halifax]

"I’m sure I’ll find a local to sit and sip and work on mail and year-end stuff but a good, relatively inexpensive joint or two would be nice."

Doug, love your blog, but you will probably do a better job if you avoid smoking weed while your write!

[Derek S]

Morning Doug,
What an incredible game last night. To be honest, I kept waiting for the Raps to fold and collapse in spite of how valiantly they'd been playing, but it never happened. If anything, the more adversity they faced, the more they seemed to dig in their heels and find a way to win. The only "negative" I could draw from last night's game was that I found it incredibly selfish and "dumb" on the part of Kleiza to get ejected for mouthing off to an official. Especially given how short-handed the Raps were already, and still in a position to "possibly" win at that point. How would he have felt today if the Raps had ended up losing by 2 or 3 after his ejection, in spite of how hard his teammates had played?
Another question for you? If the Raps had Bargnani, Calderon, etc. playing and healthy last night, do you think the Raps end up winning that game? Pure speculation, but I'm guessing they probably don't. That's not meant as a knock against the guys who weren't playing. Just saying that for some inexplicable reason, sometimes when teams lose the guys they typically rely on, and seem to face what seems like an "insurmountable challenge", sometimes a "team" really epitomizes that word, and finds a way to be more than the sum of their parts. I can't give guys like Davis, Johnson, Bayless, Barbosa, Dorsey, etc. enough credit for the way they played last night - it was truly a pleasure to watch. I can honestly say that's the most "heart" I've ever seen displayed by a Raptors team in the last 5 years.
Last question - near the end of the game, when DeRozan nailed that last 3-pointer deep in the shot clock to ice the game, the commentator said "you should have seen the reaction by Triano after that shot!" Surprisingly, the camera's never showed his reaction, even in the replays that followed. Did you happen to catch it, and if so, what was his reaction? Obviously it was a positive one, but was just curious. Imagine Jay has to be incredibly proud of his squad this morning (and rightfully so). Hopefully this whole team can draw on what they did last night, and collectively find ways to play with that intensity more frequently throughout the season.

[Ken]

Good Morning Doug,

Great win last night - I was completely satisfied by the effort and really happy for the depleted Raptors - they deserved that victory!

You probably already know this, but the best steak in Houston is at Pappas Bros Steakhouse, not too far from the Galleria on Westheimer... great atmosphere, better food.

Have fun in Houston...

[Joe]

Wonderful game by the Raptors last night. You can't definitely say that last year's more talented team would have never come back. Watching them play brings several conclusions.
1. Right now, the Raptors have a lot of good 2nd tier players with the potential for some of them (DeRozan, Davis) to develop into top tier players.
2. If the Raptors could find 1-2 stud players, they're going to be real good.
3. Take a star (ie. Notwizski) off any NBA team, and all of sudden, most of them become average.
4. Barbosa is an absolute joy to watch play. I hope he sticks around T.O. for a while.
I had thought that the game of the year for the Raptors was last January's home win over the Lakers but this one ranks right up there too.

[Brenden]

If you're looking for tasty and inexpensive Mexican, you can head west on Westheimer and find Chacho's just past Fountain View Dr (6006 Westheimer).

[sam]

Great Effort last night - and a solid win. the previous few games were a bit of a mess with far too many turnovers and suspect shot selection. Gold Stars to Amir who continues to shine with a wonkey back - Julian Wright does a lot of things right, and hopefully will see more time on the court -
It seems the Raptors MASH unit is ever expanding - hopefully they can get back to full strength sooner rather than later. Jose, Andrea, Sonny, Barbosa, Amir, and Jarred - Get better -

Happy New Years Folks!!!!!!

[Lorie]

Good Morning, Doug!
Well, I lost track of all my "wow" moments somewhere in the 3rd quarter, but at last count it was upwards of 50! Hope they've got some left in them, but really, who cares? Their performance last night was so wonderful that I'm sure I speak for all Raptor fans when I say we'll be able to drift happily along on the memory of that fine performance for weeks and weeks and weeks! (Yeah, right.) So, you're in Houston and lookin' for fun? House of Blues is usually reliable, and there is a lovely fine photography gallery - the John Cleary Gallery - that's really worth a visit. And did you know there's a Bowl Game there today!!! The Texas Bowl!!! At Reliant Stadium!!! (Ever been to a college bowl game? Wouldn't it be a hoot?) And really, Doug, stay away from the inexpensive stuff....especially when travelling. :) Cheers and say hi to your friend Shiners.

[chris]

Love Timeouts 2. Would add some hustle and electricity to the game.

Hate Kicked ball -- you'd be incenting teams to defend ball movement late in the shot clock by kicking it. You'd be surprised how many passes CAN be kicked if players are actually trying.

[mark]

Doug, Is there a trade market for Sonny at this point? If so what would the Raps expect in return (if anything)?

Blogger's note: No and no clue

[Al]

I'd like to see them raise the net about 4-5 inches. Watching a 7-footer barely leave his tippy-toes to put the ball in the basket while the announcer screams about the "slam dunk" is pretty lame when you think about it.

[painsev]

The Raps won the game Doug. What a relief? I mean it's good to see Davis play well. Hope for the future. Toronto is without players but, to be honest there are so many pluses and minuses with this team that it would have mattered much who plays. No one is consistent and every game it's a new player stepping up. Ed Davis stepping up is great news. Kleiza and Derozan have good games and have been doing so for the last few games. Balanced scoring from the starters and a few bench players. No Dirk of course, just like Durant and Rondo the list goes on. Doug any word on Sonny's return and what is going on with all the injuries. Andrea and Jose out aswell. Haven't kept up on the Raps news of late. Sorry if you answered these questions already.

Blogger's note: No word on anything, I'll let you know when I find something out. Promise

[graham]

one of the best performances ever by the Raptors: most significantly, they withstood not one but two concerted Dallas runs and then re-established their 8 or 9 point margin -- something good teams do and this team hasn't this season. Lots of gutsy efforts by guys who might not have played it everyone was available -- has to build team belief. Also shows this team wants to play hard for Triano and that coaching is good on this team.
Good season to lay the foundations for a winning team.

[doug]

it was quite a game...you know Reggie -mania was sort of prevalent before he went down with his injury, but to me Amir is the real deal...he plays hard, plays the game right, I never see him pumping his chest or looking for a crowd reaction...how Dumars let him go is beyond me, what a quality kid and that type of thing rubs off on the Ed Davis you can see it he is trying to play tougher , and be more aggressive he needs to gain more wight but he has a good teacher in Amir......I have lost a lot of respect for barg's, a lot, first it was a tweaked knee, then a sore ankle now a "strained calf" all coincidentally happening when his mom is over visiting for the holidays....come on Barg's suck it up every player in the NBA has minor injuries you play thru them or at least try...it shows his heart or lack thereof...he needs to be brought done a notch as he isn't the leader of this team nor will he ever be as his fellow players must be wondering as well...

[Derek Hayes]

I recall a game against San Antonio a few years back that stands out. I can't remember which year. A depleted, injured Raptor squad against a formidable opponent.

[Pipit]

The best Raptor game that I've watched in terms of hard effort. It's like watching a feel good sports movie. An underdog winning against all odds. I now had huge respect on Amir and especially Bayless when he still decides to play after tweaking his ankle in the 1st half (Calderon should see this over and over again). You can see his emotions on wanting to win one out of the 82 games. Bob Delaney should be ashamed of himself. I can't see him doing that to Kobe or LeBron considering how Kleiza acted going in the bench. No obscene gesture, must have said something but not enough to penalize a depleted, undermatch team.

[james]

The line of the year: "Bayless, the x-rays were negative. Kleiza...(pause)...the x-rays were negative."
You'd almost think the guy had done some stand-up, or broadcasting, or some such in a past life.

[Rob.V]

You know, I had originally typed in my post yesterday that the kids who play pro line (or whatever they do) should go out and book it.. Raptors lose by 15-20+ last night (but removed it before I clicked send). Glad I eliminated that sage advice I had for everyone... man, I don't think any of us saw that one coming.

Indeed you are correct Mr. Smith... it's why they play the games.

Personal flashback:

Back when I was 21 (young and foolish) I seemed to have been on quite a tear with respect to picking NFL winners (a stretch that ran about 5 or 6 weeks as I recall)... usual $50-$100 bets. Anyway, believing I was the second coming of Jimmy (The Greek) or something I had upped my bets and lost close to $5000 on two football games in 6 days. A Monday night game followed by a Bills Sunday contest at home Vs, The Saints (which I will never forget). Mother nature decided to drop about 3 feet of snow game day. Jim Kelly's K-Gun offence was more um like... the turtle express in that weather and not only did my beloved Bills not cover against a weak N.O team... they lost the game outright. I believe it was only the Bills 2nd loss at home in 2 complete seasons... or something ridiculously close to that.

Anyway, I did not have a surplus of $5000 lying around to pay the bookie at 21 years old. Yikes! Kids... don't do that.

Last nights Raptors game was a reminder of why I've never again gambled on pro sports.

Anyway, all heart... great win!

Personally, what I'd like to see is another 5 games with the exact same line-up (if possible). Lets see what Joey, Ed, Julian, and Jerryd can do over an extended period together. I would think its more important to see what these cats can bring night in night out (with DeRozan as an offensive focal point), and lets not worry about the W & L's for the moment.

Rule Changes: I agree with all of yours other than the kicked ball clock. If they completely removed this players may try to use their feet more to disrupt an offensive possession. Watching 5 kicked balls on a very important possession at a critical point in the game would be shameful however I do agree with length of the clock. 14 seconds in the NBA is enough time to run 48 plays... maybe they only reset to 8 seconds or something.

[Barry Ward]

For some reason, when you wrote "Leandro plays point guard like Curly Neal" last night, I read it as "Curly Howard." It was a great visual image but, as the evening went on, I was trying to figure out how Leandro drew comparisons to my favourite of the Three Stooges out on the court. Wasn't until I read the blog this morning that I realized my mistake! Oops. There probably have been some Raptors who played point guard like Moe's brother but I guess Leandro isn't one of them. While I'm here, all the best in the New Year!

[Jon K.]

I lived in Austin, and if you have some cash I'd suggest you take the two hour trip and go there - great city to walk around - 6th St. establisments with great beer, several really good restaurants, etc etc.

If you want to be stuck in Houston, Chuy's is a restaurant that folks seemed to like when we took them, and Taco Cabana is a cheap chain that will fill you full of tex-mex (and serve beer almost anytime).

If you want to wander, you'll have to have a car - the neighborhoods are too stretched out from one another. Montrose was a blast to go up and down - lots of interesting shops.

[Boko]

Twelve timeouts per game in total is too many, in my opinion.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the charge circle was created to prevent those plays under the basket where the offensive player ends up flipping over.

Think about it ... right now we're watching the Raptors of 3 to 4 years from now, when they peak ...

[capt kirk]

Eh Doug, incredible effort and heart was shown by the Raps last night. For sure one of the most surprising wins of all time. Accolades go out to Barbosa and Amir, heck even E Davis. Those players show what it is to play with pain which makes fans respect them even more. Doug what is up with the Wince Carter and J O'Nill culture taking over this team? Yeah if you are injured the doctors make the last call who plays. Some players though seem to be abusing their club med time. Let's bring back the good old AD pain threshold.

[Kent]

-trade market for sonny weems? you might get a couple of basketballs back. He is 10-12th man on most teams.

-raise the net up 4-5 inches? just watch the wnba.

[Lawrence]

Now that Ed Davis is getting more exposed and we see start to see his game take into shape, I think it's time for the inevitable comparison. What player do you see closely resembles Ed Davis' game or whom we can eventually see Ed playing like. I see a close resemblance to Jermaine O'neal, what do you think? Descent post up game, ability to pass inside, good inside defence with the ability to block/change shots etc. I think we can see him reaching to avg. 20/10 within the coming years. Should be exciting to see him develop.

Blogger's note: I see a closer resemblance to Ed Davis

[LakeSimcoe]

Prof. Doug from (Mathematics dept. of) U of NBA invented two formulas last night:

1 Mavs + Cuban = Contender
2 Mavs - Dirk = NBDL (we all know what the depleted Raps belong to)

So summing up, Mavs = Contender in NBDL!

(If you cannot equate Cuban to Dirk, ask Super Dog).

[mark]

nice to see two bigs on the floor who are willing to rebound, hit the floor chasing loose balls and fighting for every inch. no lazy transition d either. they didn't hit any threes, though, it's true, and that must've murdered them- they had no one to "stretch the floor!" you clearly need a 3 pt bomber to plug into the 5 and force everyone else to compensate for him/her over and again.

i don't think julian wright did anything of note on offense. i think it was his defense that earned some cred last night bc he was simply outstanding. his motor really helps- and i think he can get a lot better still. length, quickness, brains and balls is a deadly combination on d.

given what barbosa's playing thru and the surgeries waiting for him at the end of 82, i really hope someone can find calderon a good spa in houston to take care of his little sore foot.

last point: i'm most proud today because i felt the raptors bullied the mavs off the court last night. dallas couldn't hack 48 mins of hustle and looked like they couldn't wait for the final bell. they had had enough. they gave up. it was "TOO HARD" (- lieutenant colonel frank slade). watch the last two mins again- cleveland boston anyone? there's something to be said for that and we oughta wonder why we don't see it more often from this team. maybe it has less to do with the players who were there than the players who weren't... or maybe a bit of both since johnson, dorsey and davis have definitely won themselves a fan here. :)