Toronto Raptors-Philadelphia 76ers Box Score Boxing: November 24th 2010
Four wins in a row!
I am not ashamed to say that I did not see this one coming.
The Raptors have reeled off a highly impressive four-game win streak and are turning a lot of heads in the process.
The Raptors beat the 76ers Wednesday night 106-90 on the strength of Reggie Evans' monster double-double of 22 rebounds and 12 points.
Evans has emerged as a leader on and off the court and his presence is doing wonders for the Raptors.
Box Score Boxing
Evans exploded for 12 points, 22 rebounds, two steals and one block against his former team in the 76ers. Reggie Evans recorded his first double-double of the season and helped key the Raptors to victory.
Jose Calderon looked solid in 32 minutes of play and finished the night with 16 points, nine assists and two steals. Calderon is a great mentor for young point guard Jerryd Bayless.
DeMar DeRozan had another quiet night and finished five points and two steals on five shots. He will continue to be inconsistent all season and with the new additions to the backcourt.
He stands to see his minutes decrease until he can put it all together.
Sonny Weems had a quiet night and finished with only eight points in 35 minutes. He is still logging heavy minutes, but will have to continue to produce at a high level to warrant getting 30-plus minutes a game.
Andrea Bargnani had 24 points, five rebounds, three blocks and two assists on .500 percent shooting from the field. Bargnani seems to have turned a corner on the offensive end and he is now handling his No. 1 duties better.
Leandro Barbosa took 14 shots and finished the night with 11 points, two assists, one three-pointer and one steal for the Raptors.
Jerryd Bayless looked good for the Raptors and pitched in with 13 points and two assists.
Peja Stojakovic was highly impressive with seven points in six minutes, only missing one shot from the field.
Amir Johnson had six points, five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal. The four assists tied a career high.
Linas Kleiza had four points in 13 minutes of play and looks to suffering from a rotation squeeze that promises to get tighter once Ed Davis returns from his rehab stint in the D-League.
What Should Jay Triano Do?
Evans is an invaluable player and deserves to be starting even if a lot of fans would rather see Amir Johnson start. The current arrangement also allows Jay Triano to more effectively play the foul management game.
Linas Kleiza looks like he may be a rotation squeeze casualty.
Jerryd Bayless impressed with both his three-point shooting and has a good teacher in one of most mistake-free point guards in the NBA.
Even when Ed Davis returns, Triano is going to need to trim his rotation to about nine players, any more and it will become increasingly difficult for players to get their "legs" and find a groove.
