# Portland (22-13) at Toronto (19-17) Sunday January 13, 2008. 12:30 EST



## NCR (Nov 28, 2007)

May as well get an early game thread out there for this one. Tough matchup against the red-hot Blazers. Early start-time for Portland. Should be a good game. Lets get a winning streak going again.


----------



## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

good job, i've been lack of late, certainly wasn't gonna make a GT for NYK. earlier this season i was making GT's left & right, and i don't mean grand thefts.. better you then me, i wasn't going to make one.

i went 3/3 in game threads for Toronto win's in preseason, T.O. is currently like (6-7) on nights i made a game thread (not .500 i should quit).. keep up the good work

i think after those 2 straight W we'll have confidence.. i believe we have the Blazers this time around @ Home, early start.. we gotta get rolling for the 20.


----------



## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

The key would be to contain Roy. Roy hasn't been playing well the last couple of games (Injury I think). We cannot let him get into the paint at will like last time. Chances are he won't be light out from 3pt like last game, so I like our chances this time.

Bosh needs to keep up his aggressiveness. It would be a bonus if he can get Aldridge in foul trouble early. Bargnani on the other hand need to stay aggressive. He was playing okay last game but got into foul trouble.


----------



## bigbabyjesus (Mar 1, 2003)

yeee goin to this ****, only 2nd game of the year, im loaaaftin.. not bad since i was on tv the first one 

raptors taking it. bosh is gonna go off. bargs is gonna have a good one.


----------



## andalusian (Jun 29, 2006)

Good luck to you guys. I usually cheer for the Raptors - but I do not twice a year and this is a game where I will not. It was a good game here in Portland, I hope it will be the same today. You are at the start of our big road trip and LaMarcus was only coming back from injury in the last game against you. I feel this is the one where he really goes off.

Since the Blazers need that 2nd double digits win streak and we are already 4 games into it, I hope you are ready to lose


----------



## MrkLrn13 (Mar 1, 2006)

LOL @ people booing Martin. 2 straight missed 3-point shot.


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

holy crap is brandon roy good or what.

AP with the dunk on big joel!


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

need to pick it up here and exert our will on this game. this team is way too complacent without TJ.

Bargnani not comfortable yet after the early fouls. Wish he had made that driving layup. 

Moon not playing well, yet.


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

webster is going to be a great player in the near future.

blazers are built to last. success built to last. 

outlaw's jumper has to be one of the most difficult to defend.

down 3.


----------



## c_dog (Sep 15, 2002)

brandom roy has had a really great game. someone make sure he doesn't go off in OT.


----------



## chocolove (Apr 4, 2006)

oh my, Roy with the huge 3 after Jose's huge 3


----------



## HB (May 1, 2004)

Wow I thought Calderon had sealed it with that 3, but that was just an incredible shot by Roy


----------



## NeoSamurai (Jan 16, 2003)

Brandon Roy is the truth...holy smokes...


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

holy ****


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

what a game.

here comes double OT.


----------



## 4BiddenKnight (Jun 23, 2005)

Wow.... Brandon Roy.... Wow....


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

CB4 playing like a superstar.


----------



## HB (May 1, 2004)

Huge shots by Bosh


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

AP with a beautiful baseline dunk. he's been fantastic.


----------



## 4BiddenKnight (Jun 23, 2005)

Huge game by Bosh. 

Dam, what a call by Bosh to get Parker to use his screen & take it to the rack.


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

jose with the steal. what a stud.


----------



## 4BiddenKnight (Jun 23, 2005)

Jamario Moon man

the dude's awesome. Great pick up Colangelo.


----------



## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

game of the year and our boys pull it out. that was great.


----------



## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

two of the most exciting teams in the league, lived up to that.

bosh, parker, moon, delfino, calderon... DAMN! this game was amazing.

good to see moon not get down on himself... clutch defensive plays with those multiple blocks in both overtimes/


----------



## MrkLrn13 (Mar 1, 2006)

Damn, I didn't see the OT/2OT. I had a feeling Raps would lose so I turned off TV and took a shower instead. Urgh...


----------



## Driew (Oct 20, 2007)

Good game you guys. Thought the Blazers would pull it out, but it didn't happen.  B Roy had a good game so that's a positive--although Aldridge was pretty much a no show and McMillan figured that our best interior defender (Joel Pryzbilla) wasn't needed...not sure if he was hurt haha. But considering we're the third youngest team in NBA history we're playing pretty well 

Good game Toronto.


----------



## HOWIE (Dec 30, 2002)

MrkLrn13 said:


> Damn, I didn't see the OT/2OT. I had a feeling Raps would lose so I turned off TV and took a shower instead. Urgh...


So did the Blazers! :biggrin:

That was a real fun game to watch.....yes even for a Blazer fan. Personally I didn't think that Portland was going to show up due to the tipoff time. Double OT loss is going to make Portland even more hungry tomorrow in New Jersey.......I sure hope that there isn't a hangover from this game.

Good win Raptor fans. :cheers:


----------



## MrkLrn13 (Mar 1, 2006)

Driew said:


> Good game you guys. Thought the Blazers would pull it out, but it didn't happen.  B Roy had a good game so that's a positive--although Aldridge was pretty much a no show and McMillan figured that our best interior defender (Joel Pryzbilla) wasn't needed...not sure if he was hurt haha. But considering we're the third youngest team in NBA history we're playing pretty well
> 
> Good game Toronto.


I love the Blazers.. still can't believe how well this team is doing with all these young guys. Then next year they get Oden, damn...


----------



## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

Damn, I missed the game because it was too early for me. I'm not used to this Bosh being aggressive thing. Interesting to see how long he can keep this up.


----------



## undefined_playa (Oct 23, 2005)

Wow definitely best Raptor game of the year so far...the players were tired as hell you could see. It definitely had a playoff atmosphere to it. HIGHLY recommend that if you missed the game, download & watch at least the 2nd half, it was awesome. The only negative I can say is that Bargnani has been a massive disappointment so far this year. IMO we should think of trading him...we could get a good center and backup pg in return. I know it sounds crazy but when I look at this team and how they play best, Bargs is just slowing down our development. We don't need any soft, shooting centers or pfs on our team...it'll just hurt our structure more.


----------



## bigbabyjesus (Mar 1, 2003)

what a gaaamee!!!!

bosh and roy, two of the best players in the league put on a hell of a show.

parker was GREAT. jose has balls.

i only remember the two OT's really haha.. thats what a 12 pack on an empty stomach 11 in the morning will do to ya..


----------



## Knick Killer (Jul 16, 2006)

I just watched Raptors Game in an Hour on Raptors TV and this was on of the craziest games ive ever seen! Wow...thank goodness they won this game.

Travis Outlaw really impressed me. He was amazing. I'm just speechless.
Jose once again played great. Chuck really thinks he should be going to New Orleans. If he doesnt make the team I wouldnt be surprised to see him in the Skills Challenge or whatever its called.
Chris Bosh played great but was disappointed me on his two opporunities to win the game. The first attempt was alright but the second one he had a perfect chance to shoot the damn ball but he hesitated.
But hey...a win is a win and this was one of those games that I wont forget anytime soon.


----------



## Baracuda (Jan 10, 2007)

I had a feeling this would be a great game and the Raptors would win a close one. 
The best game of the year so far even though my team lost. :sad:














Portland Timbers 4 Toronto FC 1 :biggrin:


----------



## NCR (Nov 28, 2007)

Great game all around. A loss would have been very demoralizing. The lack of becnh production, outside of Delfino today is still a bit of a concern. Another classic between the Blazers and Raptors.


----------



## trick (Aug 23, 2002)

wow...with the way our team rebounded terribly without bargnani on the floor, how would it be like with him on it? at least in this case andrea would get some more burn to develop.

btw i love that loose ball foul andrea had on przybilla, showing signs how much he want it.


----------



## lucky777s (Nov 13, 2003)

It was a great game. And it was a big win against a club that is playing well.

But its still hard to get too excited about the Raps. Games like this highlight our need for another creator on O. Bosh is an excellent player and a guy you can build around but he still doesn't have a passing game at all. He can only make the most basic of passes, and because he is a mid-range post player (needs the ball in that 12-18 foot range) you can't run slashers around him because he needs space to do his thing. So its always a clearout for CB to operate and once he drives its always to shoot and never a pass. That's a big limitation.

Watching BRoy, and even Delfino, today it shows what penetration off the dribble can do when you have passing skills as well. Delfino may never be a high FG% player but we need that element that he brings offensively. The fact that he is one of our better rebounders is huge too, although at times he just follows the ball instead of boxing out.

Joey Graham is obviously being showcased for a trade. He is getting minutes every game but not a lot. I just wish Sam had let Joey play through more mistakes as a rookie when the team wasn't going anywhere. If Joey did what Moon did tonight he would be benched for a month.

The double OT hid the fact that this was another low scoring game for the Raps. And why we haven't brought in a PG on a 10 day is beyond me. Sam has lost all faith in Martin, and doesn't like what Dixon did at point. Sam obviously told Martin not to chuck up so many quick shots and benched him a few games to get the message across. Martin tried to change it up a bit this game and last game but isn't looking good at all.

Parker is playing better at both ends as the season goes on but when he is forced to attack off the dribble it seems like a major labour. Nothing is easy.


----------



## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

two things;

*Regarding Bargnani:*
i know as someone (as we all do) with the teams best interests in mind, andrea is frusterating.. he's had flashes, too inconsistent in between is the problem, so we forget the good he can do when his head is in the game... which isnt very often it seems... However, we don't want to see another dirk for tractor traylor trade go down.. especially if the outcome favors us similar it did milwaukee.

*Regarding Moon & the "Play":*
say what you want about Moon fouling a 3 point shooter.. mistakes happen, rookies mistakes happen more often.. the way he came back from a terrible mistake & being ripped apart by Sam Mitchell to get two very key blocks, a key steal, a key rebound & a key jumper for the go ahead all in double OT was simply Impressive.

right after Mitchell ripped Moon (and i mean he just tore him up.. i haven't seen Smitch treat a player like that since Rafer Alston) AP went over to talk to him. i love the cohesiveness of our team & the maturity of Jamario.. walking off the court to the cameras before the lockerrooms @ the ACC after the win (you know how they do after each game & halftime).. anybody else catch jamario laughing and saying WOW to the camera after the 2 OT's?

dude has a good sense of humor you don't find in many NBA players.


----------



## bigbabyjesus (Mar 1, 2003)

southeasy said:


> two things;
> 
> *Regarding Bargnani:*
> i know as someone (as we all do) with the teams best interests in mind, andrea is frusterating.. he's had flashes, too inconsistent in between is the problem, so we forget the good he can do when his head is in the game... which isnt very often it seems... However, we don't want to see another dirk for tractor traylor trade go down.. especially if the outcome favors us similar it did milwaukee.


i can tell you this much.

if we decide to trade andrea now, we will regret it BIG TIME.. not only because we wouldnt get full value, but because he will become a star once he adapts his game to the nba game.

luckily colangelo has more patience than our skitzo fans.


----------



## Driew (Oct 20, 2007)

undefined_playa said:


> HIGHLY recommend that if you missed the game, download & watch at least the 2nd half, it was awesome.


Where can you download it?


----------



## A_wildstabatanything (Jun 18, 2003)

bigbabyjesus said:


> i can tell you this much.
> 
> if we decide to trade andrea now, we will regret it BIG TIME.. not only because we wouldnt get full value, but because he will become a star once he adapts his game to the nba game.
> 
> luckily colangelo has more patience than our skitzo fans.



I've been a big time defender of Bargnani in the past, but at this point I just don't think he's going to fit in here. 

I hate to be a downer but looking back at those rebuilding years is pretty depressing when you look at the drafts.

'03: Bosh was a great pick... can't complain but Wade is better.

'04: Hoffa is no longer in the league... Iggy, Biedrins, J.Smith, & Al Jefferson were all available.

'05: Bynum at #7 & Granger at #16 would have been the perfect draft.

'06: Getting the 1st overall pick was the worst thing that could have happened. There were no true Cs on the board, we desperately needed a swing, but there was pressure to go with upside at #1. Had we taken Andrea at #5-7 he probably wouldn't be getting as much heat right now.


* We had 5 first round picks and not once did we select the best player available.


----------



## Mr_B (Mar 6, 2004)

undefined_playa said:


> Wow definitely best Raptor game of the year so far...the players were tired as hell you could see. It definitely had a playoff atmosphere to it. HIGHLY recommend that if you missed the game, download & watch at least the 2nd half, it was awesome..


Do you know where I can download it I missed the game due to work


----------



## firstrounder (Oct 31, 2004)

Bargs is the next Darko


----------



## billfindlay10 (Jan 24, 2003)

firstrounder said:


> Bargs is the next Darko


Although I still expect more from Bargs I can live with that. Darko has slowly gotten better as he has gotten minutes.....I would be happy with 6 boards 2 blocks per from Andrea....he would score more then Darko as well.


----------



## andalusian (Jun 29, 2006)

Well, what can I say. My 2 favorite teams in the league going head to head and had another fantastic game, despite the fact that "my" team lost. Bosh played like a man and deserved the win. I hope LaMarcus got some pointers from Bosh in this game - because he was just dominant. On the other hand, Roy is, as usual, for us Portland fans, great. I can't believe this kid is just starting his 2nd year...

Bargs showed some signs of life there, but I am starting to think that when all is said and done, this draft should have gone 

1. Roy 
2 a/b. Aldridge / Gay
...
6. Bargs.

He is gong to be productive in the league - but I am just losing the faith in him being a star... Hope I am wrong.


----------



## firstrounder (Oct 31, 2004)

actually Bargs is worse than Darko at this point b/c Darko was never given 1/4 the chance that Bargs has been given thus far.


----------



## Foulzilla (Jan 11, 2005)

Just wanted to say, excellent win by the Raptors. Chris Bosh really showed why he deserves to be an all star, and Calderon was very impressive as well. Even in a loss, this was one of the more entertaining games I've seen this season. Shame we only get to play each other twice a year.

I will however say I'm disappointed in Moon. I've heard great things about him and was looking forward to seeing him play, but in both Blazer/Raptor games he's been mostly unimpressive. Is he really erratic in general (most rookies are, so this wouldn't surprise me)? Or did he just happen to have 2 really unusual games against Portland?


----------



## ballocks (May 15, 2003)

i was very encouraged by this game. it was very fun to watch but there were a lot of other good signs imo. 

1) i think the team has finally forgotten tj ford, or at least is not waiting for him anymore. we're learning to play with our (far) more reliable floor general leading the way and that's important. you can't grow as long as you're waiting to first plug a hole.

2) i thought chris did a half-decent job of going to the basket throughout the game, despite just two first half ft's for the team. the blazers were playing matador defense down low early on, and it would've probably been harder to get fouled than simply go inside and finish. that said, he did settle several times but that's what he does- he settles. but he's getting better. he looked like a superstar in this game.

3) the team looks healthy. finally. it took only two and a half months. leo hit the nail on the head: bosh looks much better. why it takes his legs this long to get in gear is beyond me. something we need to prevent in the future. i think the sheer talk of injuries was hurting the team early in the season, they were looking for them (= self-fulfilling prophecies)- it really is contagious- and now they look solid, ready to go. they're not waiting for them anymore. if they're waiting for anything, it's for bargnani to contribute. but even that's clearing up a little bit. they're forgetting about him like they have tj. so important.

4) moon gives this team another layer, which is key given how predictable the rest of the team is. i thought the putback dunk that he missed terrified the blazers- i think those sorts of attempts themselves have value, "geez, look what this guy can do"- and the foul on outlaw was not as criminal as some make it out to be. i thought he could've blocked the shot, actually, if he weren't thinking about _not_ fouling the shooter, and if i were him i would've just let my instinct take over- block the shot. you've already left your feet, j. if you foul, foul, but don't let the ball go. i don't know what this team would do without his ability to help defend (and delfino's to swipe the ball in the lane). 

5) chris was given two good looks to win the game. that's fantastic. he missed on both, but there was no doubting that he was going to get the ball. that's important. portland, meanwhile, weren't as sure about themselves. ok, roy hit the deep three to tie- but a lot of people are forgetting that that was off a long rebound, it was a second chance basket, a heave from 23 feet away. mcmillan did not draw that play up in the huddle. bosh is our go-to guy, that much is clear, and despite the misses i thought he learned from this game (as did our team). his reactions were generally positive, imo. his numbers might've been misleading- the guy played five quarters, really, with every single play going through him for the last 'quarter'- but that's ok. he deserves some good press. 

---

portland did not give us this game. we won it. that alone is enough to encourage me. and when bargnani becomes comfortable enough to leave his stamp on the floor, we'll be far more dangerous. he's not there yet.

peace


----------



## trick (Aug 23, 2002)

firstrounder said:


> actually Bargs is worse than Darko at this point b/c Darko was never given 1/4 the chance that Bargs has been given thus far.


:sour:


----------



## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

Foulzilla said:


> I will however say I'm disappointed in Moon. I've heard great things about him and was looking forward to seeing him play, but in both Blazer/Raptor games he's been mostly unimpressive. Is he really erratic in general (most rookies are, so this wouldn't surprise me)? Or did he just happen to have 2 really unusual games against Portland?


i'd actually go as far to say he is one of the most consistant rookies ive ever seen in toronto.. if you check the 1st page of the jamario thread on this toronto forum, each game of 20+ minutes, i put the stat sheets up./. very impressive & key word *"consistent".*

he is not a polished offensive player by any means but he is learning to play offence, so i'm not surprised you aren't impressed looking from the outside in & only witnessing 2 games, but i know you saw him foul outlaw (that would be devastating to most rookies) yet he came back big in two OT's with two big key blocks, steals & rebounds.. he finished the game with 8 rebounds from the wing.

actually if you want to think about it, he is pretty much exactly similar to Travis Outlaw .. (outlaw is more offensive minded) & jamario rebounds (slightly) better & is the superior shot blocker w/ goes with him being stuck on a defensive mindset.. tho he is learning quickly about the other end of the court.. 

our whole team grew up lastnight thanks to the Blazers.


----------



## MrkLrn13 (Mar 1, 2006)

People are so impatient.. it's not like Bargnani was this bad last year.


----------



## bigbabyjesus (Mar 1, 2003)

^thats why im glad we dont have some of these boneheaded fans as our gm..

one who would just panic because hes in a sophmore slump, and trade him off for nothing while his value is so low.. 

how many young europeans come in and contribute right away? not many. how many have as good a rookie season as bargnani? even less. 

now, we ask him to play a position he has never played before. right now he's adjusting. we ask him to guard the opposing teams best post player every night, and he's proven he can handle that.. his rebounding is bad but thats because hes so focused on boxing out his man, that moon and bosh usually come in and take it.. i could go on and on about his game..

like i said, its an adjustment period. give the guy time for christ sakes.


----------



## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

yeah i dont know why people is so down on the guy..
the guy has so much potential.. comparing him to like wang zhi zhi?! calling him a bust this early in his career?
i mean cmon.. does his performace warrant us to make such assumptions on a kid this special..?


----------



## lucky777s (Nov 13, 2003)

I am the biggest Bargnani supporter here but even I am disappointed and discouraged right now. I really don't know what has changed so drastically from just the first 2 games of the season when he started the year on quite a high.

This just isn't the same guy we saw last year, and it certainly isn't the same kid who came into the ACC 3 or 4 years ago and owned the Raps with dribble drives and jumpers. 

I think the Raps may be ruining this kid by forcing him into the C role exclusively. I wonder if he has been packing on some extra muscle/weight to survive down low against the monsters and its hurting his overall game?

Is the mental toughness and desire not there for him? Or is the coaching staff just not using his abilities the right way? Either way his confidence is gone right now and we need to shake him out of this.

He and Bosh just need to play physical one on one ball together from the top of the key all summer long until both guys have mastered that mid range dribble drive and pull up J game. Bosh needs to be more of a mentor and teach him how to play tougher.


----------

