Sunday November 29 2009 - 4:47pm Eastern - TORONTO, ON
Suns @ Raptors
Final Score:
113 - 94, Suns (Toronto now 7-11)
“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
STEVE NASH
20 points
16 assists
3 rebounds
8/15 FG
“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
- JASON RICHARDSON
22 points (*team high)
9 rebounds
7/13 FG
Shout-out to the Raptors:
CHRIS BOSH
30 points
17 rebounds
13/26 FG
Stats that stood out:
- Toronto led by 2 early on … but trailed for most of the game … in spite of the 1-point deficit at the half (50-49)
- Raps cough up 63 second half points to the Suns
- Fast break points: 16-6 Suns
- 6 players in double-figures for PHX
- Toronto has lost 3 in a row
- Nash with 10+ assists for the 7th time this year
- Raptors nearly see there 3PT record busted … hitting only ONE 3-pointer all game
- Jose Calderon (1 for 7) and Hedo Turkoglu (4 of 14 (started 1 of 8)) combined to shoot 5/21 FG
Thumbs Up:
- Chris Bosh. 30 points and 17 rebounds is nothing to sneeze at. If I’m him, I’m frustrated as heck right now.
Thumbs Down:
- Down 1 at the half, Toronto fell down by 19 early in the 3RD QRT … Fought back to pull within 5 … only to lose by 19
Smith Says:
“The same blue print as Friday night in Boston: tight in the first half, blown out in the second. I’m convinced it’s mental with this team. The effort and intensity just isn’t there … and the team has to find ‘it’ ASAP.”
Jones Says:
“Unlike the last game against Phoenix, Steve Nash got his teammates involved. The strategy of switching on screen-rolls was not nearly as effective.”
Keep the 3-ball Steak Alive (878 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 1 of 20 from 3PT range
Next game:
- Wizards @ Raptors – Tuesday December 1 2009 - 1:00pm Eastern
- Tune in at 7:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups
* Missed the post-game show? You can catch it right here:
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AI still looking for a home? Maybe we bring him in. Look at what Steven Jackson has done to the Bobcats. Just sayin.
- NickWhat is this 3rd quarter curse?
- AndreaHOW LONG DEFORE JOSE GETS BENCHED.
HE WAS AWFUL AGAIN.
Bosh played his tail off. Hedo looked slow. Andrea was solid offisively. A few stupid shots, but just looks lost on the D end. As soon as he swithes he gets lost. Its like he never played before.
Jack is the only other raptors to attack the basket
- jose haterI’m listening to the Rap right now and I hope that Jay doesn’t panic the way you guys are. This is our team. There’s no minor league to bring guys up. Jack is a backup and not a starter. Johnson can’t start, he’d foul out by the end of the first quarter. This is our team, for better or for worse, and they’re the ones who need to fix this.
- Michel GI watched most of the game on TV, and listened to part of your Rap show following yesterday’s game. In my opinion, the Raps problem was NOT defense (at least yesterday), but offense, and specifically 3-point shooting.
The fact that they took 8 more shots than the Suns, had 5 fewer turnovers, and twice as many blocks & steals shows their defense was “not that bad”. That they outscored the Suns by 16 in the paint, shows that side of the game was OK. It was “outside” they got beat.
They came into the game as the third-best team in the NBA beyond the arc, and go 1 for 20. Had they made 6 more of those 20 shots, for an average of 35% (highly “doable”), they would have been “right there” at the final buzzer.
Similarly, the two previous games (Boston and Charlotte) were each remarkable for a prolonged “cold spell” in their shooting. You can’t go scoreless for 7 or 8 minutes and expect to win very often!!!
- NormYou can buy instant “offense”, but “defense” requires a long term commitment from a “team”. Team defense requires a high b-ball IQ because you must anticipate the ball handler plus the other 4 players … not an easy state of mind … but fans can’t understand that because they only watch the ball.
I enjoyed the game … watching the Suns discombobulate the developing Raptor team … particularly watching Nash do his surgery while taking lil’ fade-away pot shots which fyi were wow amazing and … really amusing …LOL
The Suns showed how a “team” plays bball against an inferior opponent still trying to gel as a team. What it also demonstrates is that playing 3 tall players all 6′10″(Bosh, Bargs, Hedo) and over, are just not fast enough to stop a high scoring running team like the Suns.
It was noted that the Suns only play defense at crucial times .. while pressing their run’n gun offense … a joy to watch ..!!!!
- Monzy