As the Toronto Raptors head into the Bay Area for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors, they should still be looking back to last night and the game that got away.
The Raptors, playing without All Star power forward Chris Bosh, were able to stick with the juggernaut of the NBA, also known as the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the 117-108 game, the Lakers, possibly having one of the better 1-2-3 punches in the NBA, were given quite the test from the shorthanded Raptors squad.
The Raptors, led by Anthony Parker, got out to an early first-quarter lead. Kobe Bryant kept the Lakers within striking distance with 11 first-quarter points.
As the game went on, the superior talent and depth of the Lakers squad shone through. Outscoring the Raptors 36-27 in the second quarter, the Lakers took a 58-52 lead into halftime.
Led by Kobe Bryant's 19 points, the Lakers looked to take control of the game.
The second half was closely contested, with the Raptors and Lakers both scoring 25 points in the third quarter.
Anthony Parker nailed three three-point field goals and hit two free throws to tally 11 points in that quarter. The Lakers were led by Lamar Odom, who scored 13 points in the third and finished with 20 points total.
The fourth quarter was the TJ Ford and Kobe Bryant Show. Both players carried their respective clubs, Ford scoring 14 points and Bryant scoring 10 points.
The turning point of the game came when Bryant looked to drive from the elbow but instead passed out of the double team and found a wide open Derek Fisher for an uncontested three point shot.
Fisher made the shot and the Lakers took a three-possession lead over the Raptors with roughly 1:30 left on the clock.
The Lakers shot 15-32 (46.9 percent) from three-point range and finished the game beating the Raptors 117-108.
For you fantasy buffs, here are some stats...
Fantasy Top Guns
Raptors
PG TJ Ford 28 pts, 4 ast, 5 reb on 11-23 FGM/A, 1-1 3PM/A
C Rasho Nesterovic 18 pts, 8 reb on 9-15 FGM/A, 1 blk and 1 stl
SG Anthony Parker 21 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl on 7-11 FGM/A and 4-5 3PM/A
Lakers
SG Kobe Bryant 34 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast, 4 stl and 1 blk on 12-20 FGM/A, 4-8 3PM/A
SF/PF Lamar Odom 20 pts, 9 reb, 2 stl on 9-12 FGM/A, 2-2 3PM/A
PG Derek Fisher 18 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl, 7-14 FGM/A and 4-9 3PM/A
Fantasy Disasters
Raptors
PG Jose Calderon 2 pts, 6 ast, 3 reb 1-6 FGM/A
SG/SF Carlos Delfino 0 pts, 2 reb on 0-6 FGM/A in only 12 mins of action
Lakers
PF Vladimir Radmanovic 0 pts, 1 blk on 0-5 FGM/A, 0-3 3PM/A
The Raptors now move on to the Bay Area for a battle with the NBA's most elite offensive club, the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State, which averages nearly 107 ppg, can bank on another high-scoring game with the Raptors. The Raptors, playing without Chris Bosh, have seen their defensive numbers tumble into oblivion. Without Bosh, they give up nearly eight more ppg.
Projected Starters
Raptors
PG Jose Calderon, SG Anthony Parker, SF Jamario Moon, PF Andrea Bargnani, C Rasho Nesterovic
Warriors
PG Baron Davis, SG Monta Ellis, SF Mickeal Pietrus, PF Stephen Jackson, C Andris Biedrins
Local TV
Raptors: The Score
Warriors: FSBayHD
Tip: 10:30 pm EDT
1 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
moe litman about 1 year ago
With or without Bosh, the Raptors' defence is far from great. They constantly give other teams wide open threes. The better teams, like the Lakers last night, generally hit the threes. Doubling up creates those opportunities for other teams. And though that is often essential, I think the Raptors do that a wee bit too much. Its all a matter of degree of course but I don't think that the right balance has been found. I also don't thin that enough effort is expended on defence by several Raptors.
One more thing. What's with TJ? Is he feeling insecure? I really like his talent and his ability to contribute to Raptors success. But I felt like I was back in high school watching a hog. Much of the team was irrelevant at the offensive end during that last quarter. He is tremendously capable and I have seen him play potent team ball in the past. I hope thatwhat ever it is that has pushed him into playing one man ball passes quickly. With him and our Jose C., the Raptors have as good a one two punch in the back court as their is in the league. In fact the Raptors are pretty deep. I'd like to see them coming in waves, with full force, and substitute constantly (though of course, appropriately).
My .02c worth.
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