"Brandon Bass, who stands at 6-foot-7, was matched up with 7-footer Andrea Bargnani Friday night in the Orlando Magic's game vs. the Toronto Raptors, a less-than-ideal matchup for the relatively undersized Bass.

"He's a big boy," Bass said after the game, exhaling shortly after.

Bass was ready for it, though — just like he is every matchup. That's because Bass prepares for every game like he never has before, studying film and working with Magic coach Stan Van Gundy on a detailed scouting report to stop the opponents' power forward.

"I'm starting at power forward now, so I can't just play," Bass said. "I'm playing against all-stars and really good players, so I'm trying to be one step ahead by watching extra film on them.

"I went to the video guys, and a lot of the teams the best players are the power forwards. So I study the things I have to do, and see if I can stop those things by being tougher on them."

The extra work paid off Friday night.

Bass held Bargnani to 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, contesting almost every shot and staying right in Bargnani's chest. Despite the massive size disadvantage, Bass was able to neutralize Toronto's best player. "