Didn’t watch
I really believe all the injuries and line-up shake-ups have hurt the Raptors team chemistry and morale. How can they build on anything when they don’t know who will be available on any given night, and therefore how can they be consistent? We could use Rip Hamilton… who sat out for no good reason for the Pistons. DeMar got up early, and Bargnani finished with 31 and 9 but it was once again a vintage T-Mac that powered the Pistons with 22 points and the win in the ACC. Barbosa injured his hamstring and was literally carried from the floor by two men in suits. Even Charlie V and Ben Gordon were playing well and all seemed good for the Pistons, yet they appeared to be a team in turmoil. Lots of different players, with different talents, at different points in their playing careers, and not a lot of direction. At least the rumor mill doesn’t swirl this hard in Raptorland, and hey, we have young players and optimism! Next game tomorrow against a younger team with even more optimism, Washington.
Game 40 - @Washington (L 98-95/ +- 13-27) Saturday January 15, 2011
Watched second half
For some odd reason, the Raptors waited this long to bust out their Black alternate jerseys this season and wore them proudly this night on the road in Washington. The shorts look different to me, but that could be just me? Lots of end-to-end action by quick young legs on both teams. The Raptors having trouble rebounding and protecting against second-chance opportunities in the painted area. They fail to contain “known offensive threat” Nick Young who scored 43 the other night, knocks down 18 in the third quarter and 27 in the game. Sundiata Gaines almost had another “moment” with a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third quarter, but it was disallowed upon review. The defense was just horrid for stretches that I watched including an atrocious example of why Bargnani is not an NBA-level defender, as Yi Jianlian outpaces him the entire length of the court (link below). In the closing seconds, Blatch hits two free throws to round out his double-double, and the Raps miss a flailing desperation 3 and the end buzzer and fall short. Next game is Monday at New Orleans for MLK day.
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