Bobcats at Raptors, game-day Dino-bytes

March 15, 2013

The usual game-day update for this evening’s Bobcat-Raptors game.

CHARLOTTE (14-50) at TORONTO (25-40)

Air Canada Centre

TIPOFF: 7 p.m.

TV: TSN; RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN

WEB: The usual fun of an in-game blog should commence right before 7 p.m.

Probable starters

Charlotte: Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Josh McRoberts, Bismack Biyombo; Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas.

Key backups tonight

Charlotte: Ben Gordon (top scorer off the bench), Brendan Haywood (capable veteran big man); Toronto: Terrence Ross (gets to play against other young players), Landry Fields (can disrupt a game with his defence).

Season series

Split, 1-1

The first of two league-issued mea culpas came when the Raptors lost in Charlotte and refs admitted blowing late call on non-foul; Toronto then won easily at home.

All-time the Raptors are 9-6 at home and have won two straight.

When happened this morning?

Not an awful lot

One of us had to take shootaround off to deal with some stuff but the reports from people that were there suggests there was little or no news.

On the injury front, as we’ve said, Rudy Gay went through practice yesterday with no issues for his bad back and should be ready to go.

Because it’s that time of year around here …

Chatter comes to playing rookies and developing players and teaching instead of preparing for the playoffs.

It is forever thus, and Dwane Casey isn’t going to let his young players hang out there making repeated mistakes, he said.

“They’re going to play but it’s going to be teaching, coaching instead of just giving playing time because at the end of the day, we do them a disservice to leave them out there to make m mistakes and get away with it.”

Stat pack, 1

DeMar DeRozan shoots a career-best 84 per cent from the free throw line and is seventh in the league in makes (293) and 10th in attempts (350).

What’s up with Charlotte?

Well, a 26-point blowout win over Boston on Tuesday was pretty cool.

Not an awful lot but as Rick Bonnell tells us here, they do have a new body around.

Because you care

Jason Phillips, Kevin Fehr and Josh Tivens are in charge of calls and non-calls tonight. Yes, they will be ridiculed at times.

Stat pack, 2

A bit hot. Just a bit.

In his last four games, Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and is shooting almost 60 per cent from the field.

Posted by at 11:59:08 AM in Raptors, Sports

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Doug Smith's Sports Blog

Doug Smith has been a sportswriter for more than 30 years, a journey that's included seven Olympic Games, numerous and varied championships and more dreary regular season games than he'd care to remember. Here, he'll talk about them all, as well as current events and pop culture. (Just don’t ask him about music nowadays — it's not his cup of tea).

March 15, 2013