Friday December 28 2010 – 8:42pm Central – Houston, TX

Toronto improve to 11 and 21 on the season, losing to the Houston Rockets, 114-105.

THE START

Raptors – Jumped out to a 34-20 lead after 1 QRT thanks to 10 points off the bench from Leandro Barbosa;  Jose Calderon started at PG
Rockets – started the game 0/7 FG in the opening 4:30 minutes and shot just 31.6% in the opening 12:00;  Kevin Martin scored 13 of Houston’s 20 points

AT THE HALF

Raptors – were out-rebounded 15-5 … coughing up 22 points in the paint (in the QRT) and 15 2nd-chance points (in the QRT)!
Rockets – scored a season-high (for ANY quarter) 42 points in the QRT;  leading 62-55 at the half (their 15th 60+ point half of the season)

AFTER 3

Raptors - shot just 7/30 FG;  got 13 points in the QRT from DeMar DeRozan
Rockets – held the Raptors to 39% from the floor through 3 quarters

THE FINAL FRAME

Raptors – DeRozan scored 16 more points (29 in the 2nd half) to finish with a career-high 37 points;  TOR never got closer than 5 points
Rockets – had 39 points from their bench through 3 QRTs and got 26 more in the 4th (65 total for the game);  move back to .500 at 16-16

———-

ALSO OF NOTE

Andrea Bargnani (calf) missed his 3rd straight game

Sonny Weems (back) did not play again

Jerryd Bayless (ankle) made the late decision to PLAY but left early in the 1st half as the ankle flared-up

Chase Budinger (HOU) had a season-high 22 points (8/10 FG)

Patrick Patterson (HOU) had his first career double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds)

Linas Kleiza and Amir Johnson both had double-doubles (17 and 12 for LK … and … 14 and 11 for AJ)

Calderon finished 3 rebounds shy of the triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists (and only 1 turnover), and 7 rebounds

———-

Post-game interview with Houston Rockets guard Kevin Martin + some of the highlights from the game:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/kevinmartin-es-20101231.mp3]

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/highlights-es-20101231.mp3]

———-

The Raptors will hop on a flight — and be in the air when the ball drops on the new year — back to Toronto.  They’ll host the Boston Celtics at the ACC on Sunday evening at 6pm.

We will not have a pre-game show that night (due to World Junior Hockey commitments) and the tip-off on the Fan 590 MAY be delayed if the hockey game is not completed in time for the 6:07pm tip-off.  But we’ll be on the air with all of the action between the Raptors and Celtics as soon as humanly possible!

Have a good one

E. Smith

Friday December 31 2010 – 11:55am Central – Houston, Texas

We’re back.

The final VLOG of 2010 … but certainly not the last one for this season!

Injuries are the story … yet again.

Calderon?  Barbosa?  Bayless?  Bargnani?  Weems?  Johnson?  Stojakovic?

We’ve got ALL of the news for you in the latest edition of the world-famous Fan 590 VLOG.  Check it out:

——————–

Jonesy and I screwed up in the VLOG though folks …

We forgot to check the FAN 590 schedule … and thus … we did not realize that the Canada/Sweden world junior game was going to cut into our pre-game show.  Sooo … ignore any mentions (at the beginning of the VLOG) of the “pre-game show”.  We will NOT have a pre-game show this evening.  We are on the air right at 7pm Eastern … just before tip-off.

But we won’t leave you hanging RE: the interviews with Barbosa and Joey Dorsey that we spoke about.  Ditto for Jack Armstrong.  You can click on the links below and listen to those as well!

Leandro Barbosa with Eric Smith: 

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/LeandroBarbosa-ES-20101231.mp3]

 Joey Dorsey with Paul Jones:  [audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/JoeyDorsey-PJ-20101231.mp3]

Jack Armstrong with Eric Smith:  [audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/JackArmstrong-ES-20101231.mp3]

The interview with assistant coach Micah Nori will air during our HALFTIME SHOW instead.

Have a good one

Happy New Year!

E. Smith

——————–

** UPDATE (5:21pm Central – Dallas, TX) – The Rockets confirmed that Chuck Hayes will not play tonight.  Jordan Hill will start in his place.  Meanwhile, the Raptors confirmed that Jose Calderon WILL play (and start) tonight … but as this is being typed … there’s still no word on Jerryd Bayless

Friday December 31 2010 – 10:57am Central – Houston, Texas

Here’s the latest on the Raptors injury front … as they head into their final game of 2010 tonight, in Houston:

Jose Calderon (foot) – game time decision

Jerryd Bayless (ankle) – game time decision

Leandro Barbosa (knee) – expected to play

Amir Johnson (back) – expected to play

Sonny Weems (back) – OUT

Andrea Bargnani (calf) – OUT (not with team)

Peja Stojakovic (knee) – OUT (not with team)

If both Calderon and Bayless are unable to play, Barbosa will start at the point and Julian Wright could see some minutes at that spot as well (as a quasi back up). He played PG back in high school. Jay Triano said he’d get the ball in Linas Kleiza’s hands as well – as a point-forward.

The Raptors will fly home after tonight’s game (they’ll be in the air when the ball drops for 2011) … getting set to host the Boston Celtics on Jan 2 at the ACC (6pm tip off).

Have a good one folks. Happy New Year

E. Smith

Thursday December 30 2010 – 1:51pm Central – Dallas, TX

Off-topic from the RAPTORS … but on-topic with basketball in general …

I found this interesting …

According to CNBC’s Darren Rovell — with info coming via his Twitter account — Nielsen (the company that measures/calculates TV ratings) has revealed that the Median age of viewers of the major sports in the U.S. are:

NBA – 39.3
NHL – 43.4
NFL – 46
MLB – 51.4
NASCAR – 51.6

I wonder if that changes / should change anything (in Canada) RE: how we broadcast, advertise, sell, market the NBA and basketball in general for TV/Radio … especially when you factor-in those numbers above with the fact that basketball and soccer are the #1 and #2 growth and participation sports in our country.

Further to that — just my own personal theory — I’d guess that the average age of the basketball/NBA viewer in Canada is even lower given that this country has only had NBA ball since 1995 and we simply don’t have the population density that the U.S. does.  A Canadian may have invented the sport, but the country doesn’t have a tradition for the game – like our neighbor to the south.

Thus, it’s always been my theory that it’s our younger generations – folks that are 15, 20, 25, 30 — that have grown up with the NBA in their city or country (Toronto, Canada) that dominate the bulk of the viewership and listenership.

Rovell’s numbers from Nielsen only back-up my theory — in my mind at least :)

Just food for thought!

E. Smith

Wednesday December 29 2010 – 3:35pm Central – Dallas, Texas

Following a huge, upset win over the Dallas Mavericks last night … we’re back with an off-day VLOG.

From the gritty win in Big D to the tough battle that’s ahead in Houston two nights from now … we break it all down in the latest edition of the world-famous Fan 590 VLOG.  Check it out:

We’ll VLOG again tomorrow before flying to Houston.

Have a great day folks!

E. Smith

Tuesday December 28 2010 – 10:10pm Central – Dallas, TX

Toronto improve to 11 and 20 on the season, shocking the Dallas Mavericks, 84-76.

THE START

Raptors – got 7 points and 7 rebounds from rookie Ed Davis;  out-scored the Mavs 18-4 in the paint and 9-4 on the fast break
Mavericks – shot a Raptors’ opponent season-low 20% FG (4/20) … trailing by 10 (23-13) after 1 QRT

AT THE HALF

Raptors – had their lead up to 12 … then coughed up a 12-0 to the Mavs to see the game tied … to only come back again on a 14-2 run of their own and re-gain a 2nd 12-point lead;  Linas Kleiza with a game-high 14 points in the 1st half;  Davis with 12 points, 1o rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks at the break
Mavericks – got 10 points in the QRT from Caron Butler;  in fact … Butler, Jose Barea, and Jason Terry combined to score 24 of the Mavs 27 points in the QRT 

AFTER 3

Raptors - got their lead to the biggest it’s been all night, 13, early in the QRT;  Kleiza was ejected at 5:14
Mavericks – held TOR to 5/17 FG and shaved that 13-point deficit down to 5 at the end of the QRT (64-59) 

THE FINAL FRAME

Raptors – lost Jerryd Bayless to injury and played out the stretch, essentially, with 6 players; 
Mavericks – were held to only 17 points in the 4th quarter and just 36 total in the 2nd half;  lost only their 6th game of the season 

———-

ALSO OF NOTE

Andrea Bargnani (calf) missed his 2nd straight game the game and likely won’t join the team for the final game of the road trip in Houston

Sonny Weems did not play again with back spasms

Jose Calderon did not play (after suiting up against Memphis) with a sore left ankle.  No word on his status for the Houston game

Amir Johnson (back) was a game-time decision.  He played and started … finishing with 12 points and 6 rebounds in 42:28 min

Leandro Barbosa (bruised kneed) was a game time decision.  He played, and came off the bench for 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals

Bayless had x-rays taken on his ankle (results not known at the time this blog is/was being written)

Kleiza was ejected at the 5:14 mark of the 3rd QRT with 16 points

Davis led the Raptors in scoring with a career-high 17 points … adding a career-high 12 rebounds too.  He also had 3 steals and 3 blocks

Dirk Nowitzki (knee) did not play for the Mavericks

This was the first win IN Dallas for the Raptors since Dec. 30 1999

———-

Post-game interview with Toronto Raptors forward Ed Davis + some of the highlights from the game:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/eddavis-es-20101228.mp3]

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/highlights-es-20101228.mp3]

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The Raptors will stay in Dallas and enjoy an off-day tomorrow before they fly to Houston on Thursday … getting set to face the Rockets on Friday night.  Paul Jones and I will be on the air with the pre-game show at 630pm Eastern on Friday night and we’ll have the tip off just after 7pm

Have a good one

E. Smith

Tuesday December 28 2010 – 12:59pm Central – Dallas, TX

The Raptors had a late-night flight from Memphis to Dallas as they get set to tip it off against the Mavericks on the back-to-back tonight.

Toronto played a sloppy game in Tennessee last night … with a season-high 25 turnovers and an ugly performance at the free throw line.

The Raps will have zero room for ‘error’ tonight when they face the league’s 2nd-best team … the Mavs.

We break it all down – and much more – in the latest edition of our world-famous Fan 590 VLOG:

Again, we’ll be on the air with the pre-game show at 8pm Eastern and we’ll have the tip off of the Raptors and Mavericks just after 830pm.

Have a good one

E. Smith

———-

** UPDATE – We found out AFTER recording this latest VLOG that Dirk Nowitzki will NOT play tonight against the Raptors.  The MRI he had revealed a sprained right knee.  He is officially listed as day to day.

Monday December 27 2010 – 9:46pm Central – Memphis, TN

Toronto falls to 10 and 20 on the season, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, 96-85.

THE START

Raptors – led by as many as 12 points;  had great energy on both ends early on;  Linas Kleiza had 10 points in the 1st QRT
Grizzlies – came out flat;  6 sloppy turnovers by the Grizz;  MEM shot just 6/17 FG (35.3%)

AT THE HALF

Raptors – gave up 10 turnovers and 13 points off turnovers in the 2nd QRT alone;  shot just 3/8 from the FT line in the 1st half
Grizzlies – out-scored the Raptors 32-20 in the QRT on 11/19 FG turning around a 12-point deficit to lead by 4 at the break

AFTER 3

Raptors – gave up 23 points off turnovers through 3 and failed to get to the FT line once in the QRT
Grizzlies – followed up their hot 2nd with a better 3rd … shooting 12/17 FG and bumping their lead up to 14 at one point

THE FINAL FRAME

Raptors – fell down by 16;  came back to cut it to 6 but would never get closer than that;  7 more turnovers in the 4th
Grizzlies – Zach Randolph had 7 in the QRT to finish with 21 points & 8 rebounds (7/8 FG in the 2nd half)

———-

ALSO OF NOTE

Andrea Bargnani (calf) missed the game and likely won’t join the team for this road trip

Sonny Weems did not play again with back spasms

Amir Johnson (back) was a game-time decision.  He played and started but finished 0/4 FG … for 0 points and 4 rebounds in 29:01 min

The Raptors had a season-high 25 turnovers — leading to 28 points for the Grizzlies

Toronto’s next opponent, Dallas, had won 16 of their last 17 games heading into action on Monday night

Gay tied a career-high with 5 steals

Joey Dorsey had his 2nd career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds

Dorsey’s 13 rebounds tied a career-high

———-

Post-game interview with Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph + some of the highlights from the game:

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/Eric-Smith-Zach-Randolph-20101227.mp3]

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand/Paul-Jones-Highlights-20101227.mp3]

———-

The Raptors now head to Dallas to play the Mavericks on the back to back on Tuesday night.  Paul Jones and I will be on the air with the pre-game show at 8pm Eastern and we’ll have the tip off just after 830pm

Have a good one

E. Smith

Monday December 27 2010 – 12:59pm Central – Memphis, TN

We’re back!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.  The holiday season continues for many of you … but we’re on the road … getting set for Memphis, Dallas, and Houston before the calendar flips to 2011.

Toronto walks WOUNDED into the Fed Ex Forum tonight … and that could spell trouble for T.O. against a solid Grizzlies team.

Jonesy and I break it all down in the latest world-famous Fan 590 VLOG:

Don’t forget to tune into the pre-game show at 7:30pm Est tonight.  We’ve got interviews with Ronald Dupree, Jose Calderon, and Jack Armstrong.

Jonesy and I will have the tip off of the Grizzlies and Raptors just after 8pm

Have a good one

E. Smith

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Hey, Christmas is over but it’s still the “holiday season” … so if you still haven’t purchased “From Brooklyn to Toronto” … you should do so NOW (all proceeds to charity):

http://www.fastwagon.com/cart/2665

Monday December 27 2010 – 11:59am Central – Memphis, TN

Paul Jones and I will have more on all of this in our latest VLOG (coming up in about an hour) but for now, here’s a list of the Raptors banged up bodies for tonight’s game in Memphis:

Johnson (back) – game time decision

Andrea Bargnani (calf) – not with the team

Sonny Weems (back) – with the team in Memphis but he will not play tonight

Peja Stojakovic (knee) – still not with the team after seeking out a 2nd opinion

Jerryd Bayless is back and ready to go after missing the last game (vs Detroit) with food poisoning.

Again, we’ll talk more about it in the upcoming VLOG

Have a good one

E. Smith