Steve Nash Carries The Phoenix Suns Past The Flimsy Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors decline is getting worse. Clueless on offense and weak on defense, the Raptors are spiraling out of control.

Sunday afternoon's 117-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns was yet another flimsy performance from a team that lacks direction and leadership.

A quick scan of the box score suggests that the Raptors had kept up with one of the leagues top contenders from the Western Conference. Toronto shot 54-percent from the field and all five starters scored in double figures, three of them had 20 points or more.

Also, considering the Raptors were without starting point guard Jose Calderon, the 21 assists Toronto had sounds like a reasonable return.

Injuries to center Jermaine O'Neal and Jason Kapono didn't help matters, but in reality, it is unlikely that either would have prevented Sunday's loss, another at home, another when the Raptors simply couldn't execute when they needed to.

Steve Nash scored nine points but dished out a season-high 18 assists to pace the Suns and Amare Stoudemire thrashed his way to 31 points. Shaquille O'Neal chipped in 16 points including connecting on all four free-throw attempts but he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix has now won nine consecutive games against Toronto.

Toronto's ineptness on offense was glaring in the fourth quarter. Having rallied back from a 97-87 deficit after an Amare Stoudemire dunk, the Raptors had tied the game at 102 on a dunk from Joey Graham with 7:03 remaining.

Phoenix called a timeout and went to a high percentage play on the reset. While Shaq doesn't impact games in the same way that he once did, he remains a handful to guard in the low post and his ability to hit the baby hook shot is still tough to defend and that's what the Suns went to. This old dog doesn't need new tricks.

The Raptors response was painful. Anthony Parker, the Raptors makeshift point guard in Calderon's absence, pulled up for a 15-foot jump shot. It was hard to say if it was the play Raptors coach Jay Triano had wanted or if it was just a broken play because Toronto didn't appear to have any idea what they wanted to do themselves.

Parker's shot missed and Nash grabbed the rebound. On the ensuing play, Nash sucked Raptors rookie Roko Ukic into fouling him while trying for a three pointer. Nash calmly drained all three free throws and pushed Phoenix's lead out to five.

Two more free throws from Nash after Ukic again fouled the Suns leader on the next play, this time after a miss from Andrea Bargnani. In a flash, Phoenix were quickly back out to a seven-point lead and out of reach.

The Raptors did manage to close the gap to within one point at 110-109 but once again, when Toronto needed calm leadership, nobody stepped up.

Chris Bosh, who had just moments earlier scored a basket and was fouled by O'Neal missed a crucial free throw, went missing. Whenever the Raptors look to their franchise man for a big play, Bosh seems to look elsewhere.

If Bosh does have the ball in his hands, his "move" consists of nothing more than a stutter step followed by a jump shot. Rarely does he attack the hoop and when he does, it's without conviction.

Far too often, the Raptors gamble on offense and hope that it pays off, especially when the game is close. Just like it was against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

After doing all the hard work coming back from a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter to get within one point, Toronto hoped and prayed that someone - anyone - could just hit a huge jump shot and save the day.

Unorganized and chaotic, the Raptors don't seem to have any "go-to" move. Every play on offense differs from the last.  

Not surprisingly, Parker's three-point shot which would have given the Raptors the lead, missed. At the other end, Nash who had taken just five shots all day spun his way into the paint and scored a lay up. It wouldn't be fair to say that Nash pierced Toronto's defense, because it was hardly airtight. It never is.

The Raptors, needing a three-pointer to tie the game with less than 13 seconds remaining in the game, managed to get three shots off - all misses. Bosh, twice fumbled Parker's botched lay up attempt.

Another groan from the crowd, another opportunity missed by the Raptors to show that they are making progress.