Wednesday March 31 2010 – 10:06pm Eastern - Toronto, ON

Clippers @ Raptors

Final Score:
114-92, Raptors (Toronto now 37-37)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
CHRIS BOSH
34 points
11 rebounds
3 blocks
12/17 FG
10/13 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
ANDREA BARGNANI
21 points
8 rebounds
3 blocks
8/19 FG
3/4 FT

Shout-out to the Clippers:
CHRIS KAMAN
22 points
13 rebounds
3 assists
3 blocks
10/20 FG

Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint:  56-30, Toronto 
- 2nd Chance Points:  13-8, Clippers
- Fast Break Points:  21-16, Clippers
- Toronto’s lead (8th vs 9th) over Chicago is now two full games … and both teams now have 8 games remaining.
- This was the 24th home win of the season for Toronto
- The Raptors improved to 26-8 when leading after 3 quarters
- DeMar DeRozan is now 16/23 from the field since coming off the bench (4 games)
- The Raptors put up 66 points in the 2nd half and had 3 quarters of 30+ points
- Bosh had 15 of his 34 points in the 3rd quarter alone
- Sonny Weems was a perfect 8/8 from the floor … for 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists

Thumbs Up:
- Toronto shot 61% from the field for the GAME and outscored the Clippers in the 2nd half, 66-39

Thumbs Down:
- Toronto’s energy was a bit off in the first half … trailing by 5 at the break and getting hammered on the glass and in fast-break points and 2nd chance points.

Smith Says:
- “The Raptors may have been slow to rise but when they did, they completely dismantled the Clippers and got the win they had to have; a win they were supposed to have.”

Jones Says:
- “Solid offensive execution in the 2nd half for Toronto and just enough defence to get it done.”

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (933 games and counting):
- The Raptors were  7 of 15 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Raptors @ Sixers – Saturday April 3 2010 – 7:00pm Eastern
- Tune in at 12:30pm for the pre game show and just after 1:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

* Missed the post-game show?  You can check it out right here:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/TheRap-es-20100331.mp3]

Wednesday March 31 2010 – 3:53pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

As you get geared up for the Raptors and Clippers tonight at the ACC … here are a couple key stats and stories to keep an eye on:

KAMAN KARRYING THE LOAD

Chris Kaman has been a beast.  In spite of Marcus Camby being dealt to Portland and Blake Griffin missing his rookie season with a fractured patella, Kaman has helped the Clippers stay respectable against opposing front-courts around the league.

Career        This year

PPG            11.6                18.3
REB            8.4                  9.2
FG%           48.7                48.5

BIG BOSH MAN

Speaking of big men that are carrying their teams, while there’s no denying that Chris Bosh has not been as ‘spectacular’ for the Raptors since the All Star break as he was prior to the weekend in Dallas, he’s still having a monster year.  In fact, Bosh is the only player in the NBA to lead his team in scoring AND rebounding in 50 or more games this season.  Check out this impressive list of stars who are shouldering a ton of the load for their respective clubs:

Points          Rebounds

Chris Bosh (TOR)                     51                   50
Kevin Durant (OKC)                65                   30
LeBron James (CLE)               65                    24
Dwight Howard (ORL)             32                   62
Carlos Boozer (UTH)                32                   53

Enjoy the game tonight folks.

Paul Jones and I will be on with “The Rap” following the game … taking your calls ’til 11pm on the Fan 590.

E. Smith

Wednesday March 31 2010 – 11:29am Eastern – Toronto, ON

I will be submitting another blog later this afternoon – getting you geared up for the Clippers and Raptors at the ACC tonight … but in the meantime, if you missed it this morning … Bryan Colangelo was on the Fan 590 with Mike Hogan on “The Bullpen”. 

The Raptors President and General Manager took phone calls from the fans/listeners from 9am-10am and was very candid and outspoken with a number of topics — past, present, and future. 

Take some time, check out this link … and have a listen:

http://www.fan590.com/media.jsp?content=20100331_101112_696

Again, I’ll be back later on with more bloggin’.  Plus I’ll be back on “The Game Plan” as well (2pm-4pm)

Have a good one

E. Smith

Tuesday March 30 2010 – 3:22pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

Following the Raptors win over the Charlotte Bobcats last night, Toronto now holds a 1-game lead over the 9TH place Bulls in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  And both Chicago and Toronto now have 9 games remaining in their respective seasons.

But how do those schedules break down?  Does either team have an edge over the other – in terms of the quality of opponents, etc?

Well … check for yourself:

CHICAGO BULLS

Tuesday March 30 – vs Phoenix
Friday April 2 – @ Washington
Saturday April 3 – vs Charlotte
Tuesday April 6 – vs Milwaukee
Thursday April 8 – vs Cleveland
Friday April 9 – @ New Jersey
Sunday April 11 – @ Toronto
Tuesday April 13 – vs Boston
Wednesday April 14 – @Charlotte

TORONTO RAPTORS

Wednesday March 31 – vs LA Clippers
Saturday April 3 – @ Philadelphia
Sunday April 4 – vs Golden State
Tuesday April 6 – @ Cleveland
Wednesday April 7 – vs Boston
Friday April 9 – @ Atlanta
Sunday April 11 – vs Chicago
Monday April 12 – @ Detroit
Wednesday April 14 – vs New York

Based on those schedules, Toronto would seem to have the edge.  Not only are the Raptors walking into the final 9 games with a leg up already (that being their 1-game lead) but they have a lighter sked in terms of the quality of their opponents.  Yes, any team can win on any given night (just ask the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs – who were both beat by the New Jersey Nets over the past 7 days) but the Raps have 3 straight games against teams that currently have a winning percentage under .360  – Clippers, Sixers, and Warriors — and they end their season with the Pistons (.315) and Knicks (.356) as well.

Further to that … Toronto ALREADY has the tie-breaker over Chicago — having won the previous two meetings against the Bulls this season.

So the odds would appear to be stacked against Chicago.  This is Toronto’s race to lose.

E. Smith

Monday March 29 2010 – 10:00pm Eastern - Charlotte, NC

Raptors @ Bobcats

Final Score:
103-101, Raptors (Toronto now 36-37)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
CHRIS BOSH
22 points
11 rebounds
2 assists
2 blocks
10/19 FG
2/3 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
ANTOINE WRIGHT
15 points
6 rebounds
7/11 FG

Shout-out to the Bobcats:
RAYMOND FELTON
18 points
7 assists
5 rebounds
7/12 FG

Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint:  34-24, Toronto 
- 2nd Chance Points:  16-6, Toronto
- Fast Break Points:  7-4, Charlotte
- Toronto’s lead (8th vs 9th) over Chicago is now one full game … and both teams now have 9 games remaining.
- This was only the 9th loss of the season at home for Charlotte
- Toronto went to the FT line only 9 times through 3 quarters but got their 15 times in the 4th
- The Raptors put up 60 points in the 2nd half against a stingy Charlotte defence
- Further to the point above, Charlotte had held their opponents under 100 points for 13 straight games prior to tonight

Thumbs Up:
- Jarrett Jack led the Raptors 31-point 4th quarter with 12 of his own.  In fact, he finished the GAME with 12 points.

Thumbs Down:
- Toronto was jumpshot-heavy in the 1st half

Smith Says:
- “You’d hope this game does a ton for the confidence of the Raptors following 2 straight games where the ‘effort’ was there but the results weren’t.  Toronto goes home with momentum for their game against the Clippers.”

Jones Says:
- “Mental toughness finally prevails for Toronto.”

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (932 games and counting):
- The Raptors were  8 of 18 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Clippers @ Raptors – Wednesday March 31 2010 – 7:00pm Eastern
- Tune in just after 7:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

* Missed the post-game show?  You can check it out right here:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/March-29-The-Rap-20100329.mp3]

Monday March 29 2010 – 2:40pm Eastern – Charlotte, NC

The Raptors are only a half-game ahead of the Chicago Bulls for 8th in the East … and the Bobcats have lost only 8 games at home this season …

Toronto has lost 3 in a row and the Bobcats have held their opponents under 100 points in 13 straight games …

The Raptors are on a back-to-back and the Bobcats have been sitting at home, waiting …

Oh boy.

We’ll be on the air tonight at 7:00pm with all of the action.  I’d say this is a must-win for Toronto … but with 10 games left and only a half-game lead over Chicago … it’s safe to say that every game for the rest of the season is do-or-die.

Have a good one

E. Smith

Sunday March 28 2010 – 9:06pm Eastern - Miami, FL

Raptors @ Heat

Final Score:
97-96, Miami (Toronto now 35-37)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
DWYANE WADE
32 points
7 rebounds
6 assists
5 steals
3 blocks
11/18 FG
9/10 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
* We weren’t joined by a member of the Heat, but if we had been … we would have chosen to chat with:
UDONIS HASLEM
23 points
6 rebounds
10/11 FG
3/4 FT

Shout-out to the Raptors:
JARRETT JACK
18 points
3 rebounds
2 assists
5/8 FG
7/8 FT

Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint:  44-36, Heat
- 2nd Chance Points:  7-7
- Fast Break Points:  12-5, Raptors
- Toronto now 20-2 when holding their opponent under 100 points (they were 20-0 before Friday’s loss to Denver)
- Toronto 25-8 when leading after 3 quarters
- Joel Anthony set a new career with 13 points
- Michael Beasley was just 1 for 10 from the floor … finishing with 2 points and 3 rebounds for the game. 
- Hedo Turkoglu was supposedly healthy and available to play but he didn’t see 1 second of action.
- The Chicago Bulls won in Detroit so Toronto’s lead (8th vs 9th) in the East is now only a half-game over CHI

Thumbs Up:
- The effort and intensity for pretty-much 3 full quarters (leading by 17 points with 5:14 to go in the 3rd and leading by 10 points after 3 quarters were complete)

Thumbs Down:
- The effort and intensity in the final quarter.  Miami shot 10/13 FG in the 4th and Toronto’s defence – especially the interior D – was weak and suspect at best.

Smith Says:
- “I said it on the air … The Raptors have to step on the throat of an opponent and bury them when they have a chance.  Up 17 ‘late’ in the third is when you get that killer instinct.  It may be too late to find that trait now … with only 10 games to go in the season.”

Jones Says:
- “Toronto didn’t play that final quarter with that sense of urgency that is needed.”

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (931 games and counting):
- The Raptors were  7 of 15 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Raptors @ Bobcats – Monday March 29 2010 – 7:00pm Eastern
- Tune in just after 7:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

* Missed the post-game show?  You can check it out right here:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/March-28th-The-Rap-20100328.mp3]

Sunday March 28 2010 – 1:23pm Eastern – Miami, FL

The clouds are forming over the streets of Miami as I write this … and hopefully that doesn’t mean there’s a storm coming for the Raptors tonight!

Toronto needs to get back on track against the Heat … following their heartbreaking loss at home on Friday night.  I think I’m still feeling the effects of Carmelo Anthony’s buzzer-beating heroics.  You?

From the starting line to the status of Jermaine O’Neal … we break it all down in our latest world-famous Fan 590 Vlog.

Enjoy

Contrary to what was said at the end of the VLOG … I just found out that we do NOT have a pre-game show tonight.  The Toronto Marlies are on the Fan 590 from 3pm-6pm.  So Jonesy and I will be hitting the airwaves JUST before tip-off.

We’ll make sure both of those 1 on 1′s (with Jay Triano and with Jose Calderon) are available on this website at some point soon though.

Have a good one

E. Smith

Friday March 26 2010 – 10:26pm Eastern - Toronto, ON

Nuggets @ Raptors

Final Score:
97-96, Denver (Toronto now 35-36)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
CARMELO ANTHONY
25 points
8 rebounds
2 assists
10/22 FG
4/6 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
* We weren’t joined by a member of the Nuggets but if we had our choice we would have chatted with:
NENE
20 points
9 rebounds
6 assists
3 steals
8/12 FG
4/6 FT

Shout-out to the Raptors:
SONNY WEEMS
14 points
5 rebounds
2 assists
2 steals
5/8 FG
4/4 FT
* some SOLID defence on Chauncey Billups over the course of the night as well

Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint:  42-40, Nuggets
- 2nd Chance Points:  15-15
- Fast Break Points:  33-22, Raptors
- FTA in the 2nd half … 26-9 Denver
- Toronto now 20-1 when holding their opponent under 100 points
- Toronto now 4-1 when scoring 30+ fast break points
- Andrea Bargnani was 2 off his career high (17) with 15 rebounds (14 points and 2 blocks as well)

Thumbs Up:
- Big-time production from the bench tonight:  15 points from DeMar DeRozan, 11 points for Marco Belinelli, and 10 rebounds from Amir Johnson

Thumbs Down:
- In spite of a 58-38 advantage on the glass for Toronto, they couldn’t come up with the biggest board of all … allowing Denver to get another look at the hoop; Anthony burying the buzzer-beater from 18-feet to win it for the Nuggets

Smith Says:
- “The Raptors played with the kind of effort and intensity that they need to have in EVERY game down the stretch.  Was this a mirage, or can it be bottled for Sunday, Monday, and beyond?”

Jones Says:
- “A better effort tonight for Toronto but they needed to make more plays.”

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (930 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 4 of 15 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Raptors @ Heat – Sunday March 28 2010 – 6:00pm Eastern
- Tune in at 5:30pm for the pre-game show and just after 6:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

* Missed the post-game show?  You can check it out right here:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/rap-fan-20100327.mp3]

Friday March 26 2010 – 6:27pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

I’ll be honest … I thought one of my cohorts blogged today … but … obviously not.  Sorry about that.

Here’s a brief tidbit for ya …

Hedo Turkoglu is a no-go again tonight.  He’s still dealing with a stomach virus/flu which kept him out of the 2nd half against Utah on Wednesday.

There’s still no word on who will start in his place … or if Jay Triano plans on making any other changes to the starting line up.

As for Denver, they’re coming into this ball game having lost 3 straight and they are HUNGRY for a win as well … trying to hold off the Dallas Mavericks for that # 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Joey Graham of the Nuggets will join me on tonight’s halftime show — and you’ll hear him still showing a lot of love for the fans and the city of Toronto.

Enjoy the game folks … and remember … Jonesy and I will be on after the Nuggets and Raptors with “The Rap” on the FAN 590 until 11pm

Take care

E. Smith