Raptors News: Toronto Falls to Lakers, Looks Ahead to Warriors

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

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