After a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics in which the Raptors (4-3) lead by as much as 16, the Raptors came home to the Air Canada Center to play the underachieving Philadelphia 76’s (2-4). One night after losing to the Utah Jazz, Philly was hoping to jump on the Raptors, while the Raps were hoping for some revenge after their defeat from Boston. The way that Philly started the game, it looked like the Raps were still reeling from their Botown expedition.

Philly started the game on  12-7 run and kept up the pressure against the Raps, who started the quarter shooting 3-19 and finished the 1st quarter with only 13 points on 23% shooting. Philly was everywhere, scoring at will and led at the break, doubling the Raps 26-13. This looked like a game in which the Raps were ready to mail it in, but not this night. At the end of the quarter, Calderon went off with a pulled hamstring and things looked grim. But he came back in the second to a collective Raptorland sigh of relief.

The real (I hope) Raptors showed up in the second quarter, shooting the lights out and playing intense defense. The Raps were down by 15 with 8 minutes to play in the 2nd quarter but turned things around. The Raps went on a 29-9 run and came within 1 point but finished the half trailing 51-45. The Raps shot 38% for the Half while Philly shot 48%. The Raps were led by Bosh who had 14pts and 6 rebs and Bargnani with 11 pts 4rebs and 2 blks. The 76er’s were led by Elton Brand’s 13 pts and 6 rebs and 2 blks and Willie Green with 10 pts and 2 asts. Game note - Anthony Parker had 6 pts on 3-13 for the half.

The Raps came out slow again and Philly jumped out on a 6-2 run and kept their lead at 7 through 7 minutes. Game note: Moon gets blocked and then the next possession he jacks up a 3 that bricks front rim (short) and the fans at the ACC start to boo him. Bosh was having his way over the Philly bigs, Dalembert and Speights both had 4 fouls half way through the 3rd, but even with this, Philly was shooting over 52% with 5 minutes to play in the 3rd, but still only led by 6. It really didn’t matter what the Raps did on the offense, Philly was scoring shot for shot. Calderon left the 3rd with 3 minutes to go, heading back to the locker room and did not return. Philly shot the lights out for the quarter, finishing 3 quarters shooting over 54%, while the Raps shot less than 40%. Brand through 3 frames had 21 pts (10-17) and 7 rebs, while Andre Iguodala through 3 had 14 pts, 10 asts and 7 rebs. Bosh had 19 pts, 8 rebs and 2 asts. The Raps shooting 4-17 from 3 point land. Even with all this the Raps were only down 78-71 after 3 quarters of play.

The 4th started with some intensity from Bosh, who got them back within 4 pts, but the 76er’s went on a 5-0 run to bring it back to 9 point lead. Raps call TO and run off a 4-0 run highlighted by a Bargnani drive and dunk, dropping lead back to 5. That’s when the wheels fell off, with Phily going on a 8-0 run to bring the lead back to 13 with 6 to go and they never looked back. The Raps got it to 9 with 4 minutes to go, but Willie Green hits a wide open 3 pointer to bring it to 12, and then Green takes a charge from Bosh and that was it. The Raps were down by 11 with 2 minutes to go. Final score 106-96 Sixers. The 76er’s shot almost 54% for the game and had 30 assist and 40 rebs while the Raps shot 43% with 19 assists and 37 rebs.

POG:

Toronto: Chris Bosh was fantastic asfter taking flack for not taking a shot in the 4th againt Boston with a 30 pts (10-15), 12 rebs and 2 ast playing 41 minutes.

Philadelphia: Elton Brand was unstoppable. 25 pts (12-21), 8 rebs, 2 asts and 3 blocks.

Magician of the Night (Player that was so magic, he disappeared): Jamario Moon was terrible, so much so that I wish he had disappeared. 2pts (0-6) and 0-2 from 3 land going into the 4th and finished 1-8 for 5 pts (1-4 from 3) . He had 3 rebs and was completely useless from the floor. Two nights after his coach called him out for taking bad shots against and decided to make worse ones. Maybe this is the sign that he should not be starting. Period.

Surprise of the Night: Andrea Bargnani. I am delighted that he has been playing so well over the past week. Tonight he was playing tough D, shot 6-10 from the floor and scored 13 pts and had 4 rebs, 2 ast and 2 blocks. More impressive was his ability to drive to the basket ad he had 2 sick dunks. This is the Bargnani that we need this season

Need to Work On: Defense, Defense, Defense. They just couldn’t stop the Sixers. The Sixers shot 53% from the floor and 54% from 3 land. Also, a back up point guard that won’t turn the ball over and run the team. On this night the pg position was so bad that Anthony Parker was forced to play the point.

Coaches Corner: Sam Mitchell better find a way to motivate this team fast. They have looked lifeless and disinterested all too often this season. Bargnani lights it up in the first half shooting 5-8 and 11 pts and great D and sits on the bench to almost the end of the 3rd quarter.

Report Card:

Offense: B- (This team shot well and their bigs of Bosh, JO and Bargnani combined for 64 pts. They lose the possibility of an A because Anthony Parker shot terrible  and kept on shooting bad. He was 3-13 at the half and finished 4-16. Moon and Parker combined for 5-24.)

Defence: D (The bad kind of D. They just could not contain the 76er’s. Every time they made a run, the Sixers would answer in turn, halting any progress. They had way too many easy baskets against this Raps team.)

Coach: DNC (Did Not Coach) This Game was not iin his control all night. The players were beat all over the court and Philly shot a ridiculous percentage. I’m not sold on his player selection and times (I mean, tell Anthony Parker and Moon to stop shooting!).

Things That Make You Go Hmmm: I am still wondering why we have a player like Kapono, who takes only 3 shots for the game, while Moon and Parker can take 24 and make only 5. I don’t think we have our priorities right when it comes to shooters. The Raps bigs played outstanding on the offence. We need guys who can make shots. The Raps team, excluding Moon and Parker, shot 51%. HMMM.

The Raps lost bad tonight, lost bad in Boston, Atlanta and Detroit. Me thinks that this team is in bad shape right now. Let’s hope that Calderon’s injury to his hamstring is day-to-day or ths will be a long season.

Two questions come to mind: Can the Raps be contenders without Calderon? and Is Philly better than their record suggests (3-5)?

Reporting from my armchair at the end of the bench, I’m the Hollwood Gino, waitin’ for the coach to point my way.

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