The Lakers started the day by sending their kibbles and bits to Memphis for Gasol, catapulting themselves into title contention. Fortunately for them, they didn’t need him tonight to dispatch the Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back. They lost a heart breaker to the Pistons last night. You would figure they would be a bit tired, and the Raptors could use their supposed depth and attack these guys.

Didn’t work out like that. Kobe played about 90 minutes the last two days, and had a monstrous game. Bosh, a day removed from being named an all-star reserve, quietly put up 22pts and 15rebs in 43 minutes. He looked tired, but had two days off, so unless he was celebrating being selected to the all-star game with shooters at Zanzibar, he should have been well rested. His conditioning is really a point of concern for me. He has been starting the last few seasons injured, and labours when his minutes climb past 37 a game. Not quite what you expect out of a all-star making max money who is only 23 years old. I know he works on the boards, and people say that tires his shit out, but he isn’t the only plaer in the league who works hard, and plays big minutes.

Anyways, remember after the Wizards game, I said the only way the Raptors seem to be able to win is to shoot the lights out (3rd paragraph)? Well, tonight was living proof of that. The big games that they have won, they have shot a high percentage from the floor, and out-gunned the other team. The defense wont win any games. Tonight was no different. The Lakers out Raptor-ed the Raptors. They shot the shit out of the ball, layed the shit up out of the ball, dunked the shit out the ball, did everything they wanted with the ball.

The lone bright light was Bargnani, who put up a career high in points (28) while shooting a very high percentage and even grabbing 4 rebounds. He kept the Raptors in the game in the firs half, and continued his strong play in the second.

Smitch had another brain fart, sitting Bosh and Calderon to start the 4th down 6. I thought he realized a couple weeks ago he can’t do that. That you have to make the push right at the start of the quarter, and not go down 10 before you decide to bring the best players you have back into the game. Anyways, it didn’t cost us the game, but worth noting.

Oh yea, the Lakers bench….way better than the Raptors. These guys are missing Bynum and Mihm, Walton didn’t play, and they still dropped 121 points; on the road, and on the second night of a back-to-back.

Now down to business:

1st Quarter:

• How do you contain Kobe? How can that seriously be a winning strategy?
• Watching the intros, I got a sick feeling in my stomach, hopefully it is the weather.
• Bosh starts off with a turn around jumper over Turiaf.
• Follows it up with a forced brick; take it to the rack man!
• Parker drops a trey from the corner.
• Kobe walks into the lane and hits an easy layup.
• Bosh - 3 shot attempts, 3 jumpers.
• Fisher steals the ball from Parker but misses the layup in transition.
• Bargnani misses a three, Bosh grabs the board passes to Bargnani who gets stripped in the paint, Lakers possession.
• Moon bricks a jumper from the elbow extended.
• Bargnani hits a three from Bosh kick out.
• Bargnani is gonna have his hands full with Odom tonight, not a good match-up for the dumb rookie.
• Raptors run an ass play out of the timeout.
• Bargnani takes it to the rack and puts down a dunk.
• Turiaf looks rough with his hair all grown out of those corn rows.
• The Lakers own the Raptors paint.
• Moon airball’s a fade-away jumper off of one foot in the paint.
• Bargnani puts down a sweet alleyoop off of a pass from Moon on the break.
• Bargnani doesn’t swing the ball well enough, he always misses that extra pass.
• Bosh finally puts the ball on the floor, and picks up a foul on Odom.
• Bosh airballs a post up, I’m actually embarrassed.
• Offensive rebounding continuing to hurt the Raptors.
• Calderon turns the corner and nails a jumper from the elbow.
• Turiaf drops a sweet backdoor dime for Kobe for a dunk.
• Calderon answers with a dime to Rasho for a dunk.

2nd Quarter:

• I really don’t care what Sherman has to say about anything, show the freakin game!
• Raptors are totally flat, guys called Vujacic and Mbenga are running wild on the court.
• Dixon finds Rasho for a dunk.
• Delfino finds Rasho for a dunk.
• Bargnani hits an open three off of Delfino’s penetration.
• Vujacic answers when Dixon forgets to cover him in the corner.
• Vujacic strips Dixon and finishes on the break, maybe 5 minutes on the bench is enough for Jose?
• Delfino jacking a bit too much for my liking.
• Bargnani crowns Mbenga with a two hander.
• Kapono fouls Vujacic on a three point attempt.
• Delfino nails a deep trey.
• Bargnani plays good defense on Odom in the corner, forcing a tough three point attempt.
• Bosh gets fouled going to the rack, converts 1 of 2.
• Calderon steals the ball from Fisher, Bosh misses in transition.
• Kobe doesn’t miss in transition though, he dunks it. Did you expect anything less, dude is a perennial all-star.
• Kobe gets all the calls too, especially the late ones, being perennial does that.
• Odom finishes a weak layup over Bosh.
• Bosh answers by building the foundation of the new practice facility with another fade-away brick.
• Kobe puts down another dunk in transition, splitting the weak Raptors defense on the perimeter. Bosh answers with a two hander from a lob pass from Calderon.
• Bargnani keeping the Raptors in the game with another trey.
• Delfino jacks another trey from the corner, then fouls Kobe senselessly.
• Bosh finally gets a foul call on a sweet post move on Turiaf, hits both.
• Parker curls off a screen, and picks up a foul, hits both FT’s.
• Kobe hits an off balance jumper off glass +1.
• Contrary to what Chuck and Jack claim, Jamario isn’t playing because of getting poked in the eye. He isn’t playing because he was damn near invisible.
• Bosh hits a nice baby hook over Turiaf.
• Calderon comes down the court, stops-and-pops.
• This guy Vujacic hits an open trey off of Kobes penetration.
• Bosh misses a freaking wide open jumper as time expires.

3rd Quarter:

• Chuck would trade Odom for Artest.
• Bargnani continues to attack, picking up a foul on Odom, hitting both shots from the line.
• Bosh misses another deep jumper, Bryant hits a three - Raptors need a timeout.
• Parker misses a jumper at the top of the key.
• Calderon hits a layup in traffic.
• Kobe has vicious pump fakes.
• Moon misses another jumper, but Bosh taps the offensive rebound.
• Parker hits a fade-away hook shot over Turiaf +1 - misses the freethrow.
• Odom out-hustles the entire Raptor team for an offensive rebound + the put back.
• Lakers are up 10, I thought it was more.
• Bosh steals the ball from Odom and hits a layup in transition, Lakers TO - Phil is pissed!
• Kobe hits a three out of the timeout.
• Bosh jacks another turn around-fade-away jumper.
• Bargnani hits a step back jumper over Odom.
• Bosh is a black hole in the post tonight.
• Parker drains a three out of the inbounds.
• Calderon misses a layup attempt in traffic, should have been a foul.
• Raptors need a timeout after a Kobe dunk in transition.
• Delfino misses a forced layup in traffic out of the timeout.
• Calderon hits a layup over Turiaf, should have been +1.
• Calderon answers a Fisher trey with one of his own.
• Delfino nails a trey off of a Bargnani offensive board.
• Delfino needs to stop flopping and play some defense.
• Turiaf strolls into the paint and layups over Bosh, Bosh answers with a layup of his own.
• Kobe hits a ridiculous trey in the corner - an off balance one legger.

4th Quarter:

• Down 6, Smitch sits Bosh and Calderon to start the 4th.
• Kobe, hits another off balance jumper +1, Kapono can’t cover him if his wife depended on it.
• Why is Bosh exhausted? I need to know.
• Raptors are trading baskets, can’t keep this pace up, have to make a stop.
• Kobe breaks down the Raptor defense for an open dunk, timeout Raptors.
• Moon hits a layup off of Dixons penetration.
• The Raptors should just forget about help defense, they suck at it.
• Moon takes it to Odom, getting a late whistle, hitting both shots from the line.
• Kobe nails a 3 point dagger with the shot clock winding down.
• Moon jacks another jumper, then misses an open layup.
• Vujacic nails a 3, 102-89 Lakers with 7 minutes to play.
• Raptors timeout - Smitch needs to do something.
• Bosh draws a foul attacking the rim.
• Bargnani hits a three after getting blocked by Mbenga.
• I GOT IT!!! Mbenga looks like a younger, blacker Sid Haig! Sorry for the tangent, it was really bugging me.
• Parker puts up a wild shot.
• Kobe puts down a sick dunk off the 1-2 step, game over.
• Vujacic follows up with a jumper, a wide open one I may add.
• Again we miss part of the game because we’re forced to listen/watch what Sherman has to say…it isn’t even remotely interesting.
• Gonna wrap this up, and head out to watch Cloverfield. At least there are still some dinosaurs left who can cause some damage.
• Odom steals the ball, dribbles around Calderon (makes Caleron look stupid) and drops a dime to Kobe.
• He follows that up with another dime to Vujacic on the break.
• At least Bargnani came to play tonight, he dunks on Turiaf.
• At least the fans got pizza out of the game.

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