Raptors at Lakers, game-day Dino-bytes

March 08, 2013

Our usual morning update for tonight’s Raptors-Lakers game.

TORONTO (24-38) at L.A. LAKERS (31-31)

Staples Center

TIPOFF: 10:30 p.m.

TV: TSN2; RADIO: FAN590

WEB: For the late-night crowd (at least it the East) we’ll be here just before 10:30 p.m. to get things going.

Probable starters

Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani, Jonas Valanciunas; Los Angeles: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Dwight Howard.

Key backups tonight

Toronto: Amir Johnson (he’s been on an incredible role), Landry Fields (back home in the L.A. area again); Los Angeles: Antawn Jamison (he’s been on a resurgence), Jodie Meeks (adds some offence off the bench.

Season series

Toronto leads, 1-0.

It was an eventful affair, Dwight Howard was tossed in the first half after getting two technical fouls and the Raptors came away with an entertaining 108-103 victory.

What happened this morning

Not much

Given that it’s about 9:15 a.m. L.A. time when I’m doing this and the shootaround is to heck and back out at UCLA, it’s going to be a slow morning.

Chatting with Dwane Casey last night there seems to be very little in the way of news but they are preparing for a Lakers team that’s playing far better than the group Toronto saw at the Air Canada Centre earlier this year.

That’s especially true of Dwight Howard, who lasted less than half of that game and is at least a force defensively now.

A stat to remember

The last time the Raptors won at the Staples Centre was Nov. 13, 2009. And that was against the Clippers.

Last win in L.A. over the Lakers? Dec. 28, 2001.

What’s up in L.A.?

A bit more angst and a goal to chase as the Los Angeles Times told us this morning.

Forgot one

A mention yesterday that this was a homecoming for DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson forgot to mention Landry Fields, who hails from Los Alamitos.

The men in charge

Just because we do, the officials for tonight are Bennett Salvatore, Bennie Adams and James Williams; the last one is an unfamiliar name.

If you care …

It’s the penultimate road game against a Western Conference foe; Toronto has a stop left in Minnesota in early April. I’ve got them at 2-11 vs. the West on the road with wins at New Orleans and Phoenix.

Posted by at 12:34:11 PM in Sports, The Goods On The Game

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Kobe sinks 81 tonight - you got the over or under?

Posted by: primo | March 08, 2013 at 01:42 PM

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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 08, 2013