I must say, I was actually hype to watch this game. Even though the win was pretty much guaranteed, given that Bosh called out his team and told them he doesn’t trust, and the Raptors had a couple good practices in a row…whatever that means. I imagine it means Joey Graham got a couple monstrous dunks, Baston broke a sweat and Bargnani hit 32 in a row because he was bending his knees.

IBM Winning Strategies:

1. Battle Inside
2. Redd Alert
3. Better 1st, easier 4th.

Yea…they did all of that. The third strategy not so much, but they only surrendered 46 in those frames, and didn’t hae to exert themselves very much (other than Bosh who logged 40 minutes).

The game started out pretty damn ugly. The Raptors and Bucks traded brick after brick, and built a new practice facility for Cabbie to practice his half-court hailmary’s. Then things started to pick up, incredibly actually.

Bosh’s rant wasn’t a hollow one this time (this game anyways). Bosh was a man possessed, running around like a mad man on offense and defense. He was contesting shots, rotating on defense, grabbing boards, taking it to the rack, hitting free throws, and lunging at loose balls on the floor. Wow, I must say he really impressed me tonight. Haven’t seen this from the man in a while.

Villanueva was the only Buck to show up in the 1st quarter, keeping them in the game with 14pts and 4 rebs (to put this in perspective, the Bucks had 18 points in the quarter). He stepped it up even more in the 2nd, , raining three after three after jumper after running floater down on the Raptors, the man was in the zone. Smitch called a timeout two possessions too late, but was able to cool CV off for the rest of the half.

It was a scrappy back and forth game in the 2nd, and he Raptors took a 2 point lead into the half. I was worried, I wont lie. The Raptors were showing grit, there is no questions, but how long was this going to last? It last, they won this game in the third with some great ball movement, some timely stops, and they hit their shots. Let’s be honest, the Raptors haven’t shot this well in a month. I Take it.

They matched the Bucks intensity in the 4th, and didn’t let the lead drop below 10 until running away with a couple minutes left. Primoz even put down a dunk. In fact, the only Raptor not to score was Joey Graham, but at least he contributed with an assist.

I really don’t have too much to say about this game. The Raptors shot the lights out, kept the battle of the boards even, shared the ball and only had 6 turnovers. Pretty much a perfect team. At this point though, against a lesser team (much less), it still holds some value for me. They have been playing like the special olympics team recently, and in all honesty, you can’t sleep on the Bucks. They have solid talent (and the best names in the NBA), and have already blow the Raptors out this season.

A couple final thoughts:

Bosh’s Half Time Chat with Leo:
And I quote Bosh: “you come in here and feel like it’s a funeral, the crowd needs to pick it up, we need to pick it up.” I have been thinking about this. The Raptors haven’t given any of us anything to cheer for in over a month, I thought it a bit too much to say that given the Raptors only had a 2 point lead over a garbage team at the half. Am I alone in this?

Leo Rautins:
I can’t stand him. Seriously, he shouldn’t be given a mic to speak into. The crap that comes out of his mouth….

So he went off on CV because CV was happy and laughing and prancing when he was hot in the 1st half, but didn’t have the same attitude when he wasn’t doing the same in the second half. Seriously Leo, you want the guy to smile and dance around when his team is down 12? What the f*ck kind of consistency is that? If the guy was prancing and smiling with his team town, he would have got tea bagged by Ruffin.

Also, as soon as Leo said that, CV started to go off, creating his own shots, and knocking him down. I just wish he would get a real coaching gig somewhere, and get off TV. That is the only Hope…

Anyways, down to business:

1st Quarter (Stats):

• Bosh loses the tip.
• Sessions jacks a bad jumper.
• Parker misses a good look off the curl out of the inbounds play.
• Some ugly ball is broken up with Parker penetrating and drawing the foul, hits both from the line.
• Moon misses another open jumper, everyone is missing their jumpers.
• Bogut grabs an offensive board, and kicks to a wide open Villanueva for a trey.
• Rasho sticks a jumper from the foul-line.
• Villanueva penetrates and hits a half hook in the paint.
• Bosh commits a charge on CV, throwing up his elbow on the penetration.
• Bosh curls off a highish screen, and lays up the ball on the inbounds pass.
• Smitch has a wicked tie on, he rarely disappoints with clothing.
• Parker penetrates from the wing, and draws the foul, hits both from the line.
• Bosh steals the ball and sends TJ in for a layup on the break.
• Bosh blocks CV’s shot attempt in the paint.
• Bosh steals the ball, and draws a foul in the paint, hits both from the line.
• Bosh lunges to the floor for a loose ball, man had his wheaties.
• Moon forces Mason to shoot a really bad spin hook.
• Calderon penetrates and kicks to Rasho who sticks a J from the elbow.
• Villanueva nails another trey.
• CV penetrates and hits a baseline jumper over Bargnani +1.
• Simmons fakes Moon out of the stadium, goes up and under, and hits the layup.
• Rasho fakes the dish to Moon on the baseline, turns into the key and hits a layup.
• Bargnani steals the ball, and Bosh hits a hook in the paint on the other end.
• JC and Bosh pick and roll, Bosh fakes the J and drives to the rack, laying it up.
• Bargnani penetrates and shovels the pass to an open Bosh for a dunk.
• Redd pulls up at the foul line and strokes a nice J.
• Bosh gets open under the rim, takes the pass from JC and lays it up.
• Villanueva nails a trey as the shot clock expires.
• 23-18 Raptor lead at the end of the 1st.

2nd Quarter (Stats):

• Kapono comes off the screen, takes a dribble and sticks a jumper in the paint.
• CV hits a deep jumper over Bosh.
• Bosh leaves CV open, and he nails a trey.
• CV comes off a screen, and nails another trey, timeout is needed.
• Delfino hits a deep jumper.
• CV hits another trey, and blows on his finger, please call a timeout.
• Calderon misses a jumper, out on Bucks, referee timeout…at least it’s a timeout.
• CV penetrates and hits a running hook in the paint.
• Bosh takes it to CV, draws the foul, and hits the fade, misses the free throw.
• Ivey penetrates easily and lays it up.
• JC answers with a layup of his own.
• Bosh gets the ball in the post, spins into the paint, pump fakes, gets CV off the ground, ducks under and sticks the layup.
• Redd kicks to an open Ivey for a trey.
• JC lobs an alley-oop to Bosh for a dunk.
• Delfino penetrates, kicks to Bargnani who takes a step in and hits his jumper.
• Delfino penetrates and kicks out to Bosh who forces a trey.
• Redd penetrates and kicks to Ivey in the corner for an open trey.
• Bargnani takes it baseline and draws a foul on CV, hits both from the line.
• Bosh forces Simmons to take a bad fade, Parker grabs the rebound.
• Bosh gets Simmons off the ground and draws the foul, hits both from the line.
• Redd penetrates and draws the foul in the paint, hits both from the line.
• TJ uses Rasho’s screen and nails a jumper.
• Redd answers.
• Bosh grabs an offensive board, and lays it back up.
• Redd takes it baseline and draws a foul on Parker.
• Parker attacks the zone and hits a left-handed layup over Bogut.
• Parker penetrates in transition and kicks to Moon for a trey in the corner, Bucks timeout.
• 50-48 Raptors lead at the half.

3rd Quarter:

• Parker strokes a J inside the arc.
• Redd gets the ball from the inbounds, wide open under the rim, and lays it up.
• TJ sinks a jumper in the paint in transition.
• Parker goes under the screen, Redd wide open = nailing the trey.
• Parker curls off Bosh’s high screen, and hits the jumper.
• CV penetrates, pulls up, and hits a jumper in the paint.
• Rasho posts up CV, and hits a hook in the paint.
• Redd hits a deep jumper with Parker in his grill.
• Ford answers with a J of his own.
• Ford uses Bosh’s screen and sticks another jumper from the elbow.
• Mason lobs the inbounds play over Rasho to Bogut for the layup.
• TJ takes it baseline and kicks it to Moon for the jumper.
• Parker blocks Redd under the basket, Raptors ball.
• TJ sticks another J.
• Parker forces Redd to take a bad three pointer.
• Parker draws a charge on Redd.
• Parker steals the ball, and puts down a leaner on the break.
• Bosh fronts CV and nails a jumper in his eye.
• Parker throws a skip pass to Bosh, who is trailing on the play, for the trey, Bucks timeout.
• Simmons hits a contested jumper.
• Ford finds Bosh in the paint, Bosh draws the foul, and hits both from the line.
• Ford takes Bogut off the dribble, steps back, and hits the jumper.
• TJ penetrates and hits kicks to Rasho for a foul-line jumper.
• Redd takes it to Rasho, hits the layup, and misses the FT.
• Rasho fakes the jumper, takes it baseline, and hits the reverse layup.

4th Quarter (Stats):

• CV blows by Bargnani and hits a running hook over Rasho in the paint.
• Bargnani pulls up at the top of the key, and answer with a J of his own.
• Simmons penetrates and kicks out to CV for a trey.
• CV penetrates and Draws a foul on Bosh, hits 1 of 2 from the line.
• Calderon swings to Kapono for an open jumper inside the arc.
• Sessions takes Kapono off the dribble and hits the floater.
• Bargnani gets the offensive board and dunks it baseline.
• CV gets out in transition and puts down a nasty dunk right back.
• Bargnani takes Ruffin baseline and hits a reverse layup.
• Simmons hits a jumper from the pocket.
• Calderon grabs the offensive board, and draws the foul.
• Bosh turns the ball over in the low post, then blocks Ruffin on the break on the other end.
• Delfino takes it baseline, and draws a foul on the layup attempt, hits both from the line.
• Sessions takes to JC, spins into the paint, and hits the layup.
• JC finds Kapono in the corner on the break for the jumper.
• Bogut puts back a layup off a couple offensive boards.
• Bargnani battles Bogut, and draws a foul on the defensive boards.
• Parker finds a cutting Bosh, who draws a foul and hits 1 of 2 from the line.
• Kapono steals the ball from Sessions, and Parker gets fouled taking it to the rack on the break, hits both from the line.
• Parker takes it to the rack, and finishes with his left.
• He follows it up with a trey…game over.
• Bosh draws a foul taking it to the rack, hits both from the line.
• Sessions blows by Calderon, and lays it up.
• Calderon uses Bosh’s screen and throws a skip pass to Kapono for the open J….and I’m done!

Technorati Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Andrw Bogut, Anthony Parker, Bobby Simmons, Carlos Delfino, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Bosh, Desmond Mason, Jamario Moon, Jason Kapono, Jose Calderon, Michael Redd, Michael Ruffin, Ramon Sessions, Rasho Nesterovic, Royal Ivey, Sam Mitchell, TJ Ford