Raptors News

Evans could provide answer to Raptors' defensive problems
Comment
November 20
Toronto Star
 columnist Dave Feschuk
"Reggie Evans, the Raptors power forward, has made a career of sneaking up on people. Barely recruited out of high school in football-first Florida, he went undrafted from the University of Iowa. But when he makes his regular-season debut for Toronto, it's safe to say he'll get his share of pre-performance fanfare. Twelve games into the season, after all, the Raptors are a study in extremes."
The new Bosh out to change opinions
Comment
November 20
Toronto Star
 
"It was as though the basketball world was taunting Chris Bosh, holding up others as shining examples of what he wanted to be. Finally, he snapped. And as he sat on a training table in Utah's Energy Solutions Arena on Wednesday night, both knees encased in ice, weary from the road and the losses and the nightly pounding he takes, he explained exactly what drove him to stop that perceived taunting and begin a season better than he ever has."
Chris Bosh to possibly consider Heat?
Comment
November 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"The next stop on the Miami Heat's 2010 free-agency tour might just have an interested applicant, after all. In advance of the Heat's Friday's game in Toronto, Raptors power forward Chris Bosh, an impending free agent, was ask by AOL's Fanhouse about the possibilities of playing alongside Dwyane Wade next season in South Florida. "Anything is possible, I guess," Bosh said. "I guess that seems to be an attractive place, you know, playing with Dwyane and playing in Miami and everything. I guess if they had the right chemistry, the right guys, that they could persuade guys to get there. But we'll see.""
Wade confident he can bounce back from recent shooting woes
Comment
November 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"The defensive approaches have varied; the results have been the same. Dwyane Wade is in a slump. A team that only goes as far as its leader can take it, the Miami Heat has seen its star shooting guard stymied by a variety of tactics over the past three games. Saturday against the New Jersey Nets, it was a zone defense that helped hold Wade without a basket for more than 25 minutes. Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was the grit of defensive nemesis Thabo Sefolosha that helped limit Wade to 6-of-19 shooting. Wednesday, in Atlanta, the Hawks packed the paint and watched Wade mostly miss from the perimeter in a 6-of-18 performance, with his 15 points marking the first time in 24 ..."
Utah recovers against Toronto
Comment
November 19
Salt Lake Tribune
 
"As Kyrylo Fesenko stole the ball from Chris Bosh at halfcourt in the first quarter, turned into a one-man, 7-foot-1, 300-pound fast break and danced around Jose Calderon for a layup, the Jazz couldn't have appeared in for an easier night against the Toronto Raptors. The opposite, however, proved to be true Wednesday, even after the Jazz built an 18-point first-half lead. They held on for a 104-91 victory before 17,879 at EnergySolutions Arena, though not before Toronto closed within a point early in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Jazz improved to 5-6, beating the Raptors for a ninth consecutive time. The Jazz were left with only nine players again, as Mehmet Okur stayed home with ..."
Raptors running on empty
Comment
November 19
Toronto Sun
 
"For the Raptors, the end of the road came with a thud. Perhaps the comfort of home is the tonic Toronto's beleaguered ballers need to regain the swagger they developed after beginning their four-game trip out west by erasing a 22-point deficit to beat the L.A. Clippers. They ended their journey much like they began it, trailing big, but this time coming up small in dropping a 104-91 decision to the Utah Jazz last night. The Raptors trailed by as many as 18 points, cut the deficit to one in the final quarter and then had no answer for a Jazz team that took over with a decisive 14-0 run. Toronto couldn't match Utah's energy at EnergySolutions Arena when the game began and had no solution ..."
Terrible start stymies Raptors rally
Comment
November 19
Toronto Star
 
"When the Raptors needed their legs and their energy the most, they were gone; lost trying to overcome another dreadful start that put them in another hole too deep to climb out of. They had somehow managed to turn a rout into a nailbiter, carving an 18-point deficit to one early in the fourth quarter when just one shot or two may have turned the game completely. But that's when the tank hit empty, the shots went awry and the problems caused by a terrible start ended in a 104-91 loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. "I had to probably play the starters a lot more early in the game to get back into the game," said coach Jay Triano, whose team trailed by 16 at the end of one quarter and ..."
Too much Carmelo
Comment
November 18
Toronto Sun
 
"One night it's Steve Nash producing game-changing plays and a game-winning shot, the next it's Carmelo Anthony imposing his will. The NBA is as much a game of individualism than team play, a reality that hit the Raptors on consecutive evenings. Not surprisingly, the Raptors lost both times. The latest unfolded last night in the Mile High City, where Anthony was at his best in leading the Nuggets to a 130-112 win. Anthony and Chris Bosh were Olympic teammates and came into the NBA together, but their games are altogether different. Melo's ability to handle the ball, play with his face to the basket or post-up make him one of the game's elite. Bosh was a non-factor for the first time ..."
Bosh held to 13 points as Raptors run out of gas
Comment
November 18
Toronto Star
 columnist Doug Smith
"It was as if an invisible wall was put up and the Raptors ran smack dab into it at halftime here Tuesday night. After matching the Denver Nuggets basket for basket and shot for shot through the first two quarters, the Raptors simply ran out of gas and dropped an 130-112 decision at the Pepsi Center. A delightful first half ended 64-64 thanks to some great offence on both sides but the toll of a road trip and the thin air, coupled with facing a Denver team that hadn't played since Saturday night, did in Toronto."
Raptors choke in Denver's thin air
Comment
November 18
Toronto Star
 
"They were beaten and battered and beaten some more, bullied at times, acquiescing at others, and it doesn't take the greatest of minds to see why the Raptors were drilled Tuesday night. The most important numbers, of course, were in the score: Denver 130, Toronto 112. But a further examination of the boxscore tells the story just as well. Points in the paint: Denver 68, Toronto 36. "We had no answer for them," said Raptors coach Jay Triano. "Their bigs dominated us. It was a game of points in the paint and they destroyed us.""
Nuggets rout Raptors with Melo's help
Comment
November 18
Denver Post
 
"With his retired number in the Pepsi Center rafters, Nuggets legend Alex English watched Tuesday night as Carmelo Anthony played like, well, Alex English. "The fact that he can score reminds me of me," said English, a Toronto Raptors assistant coach. "Just watching him, he looks stronger than ever. He looks confident." The Nuggets (8-3) routed the Raptors 130-112 in a shootout reminiscent of English's games during the 1980s. Anthony scored a game-high 32 points while shooting a remarkably efficient 12-for-15 from the field. Did we mention he did so in less than 31 minutes of playing time? And did so after missing the shootaround because of a migraine headache? Yes, Melo was unreal."
Anthony's big night lifts Nuggets past Raptors
Comment
November 18
Denver Post
 
"Alex English. He raised the bar as high as his retired number hangs in the Pepsi Center rafters. The Nuggets' all-time leading scorer - by 5,000-plus points. He scored bunches in bunches. Now an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, English was at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night. What he saw was himself. "The fact that he can score reminds me of me," English said of Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony. "Just watching him, he looks stronger than ever. He looks confident." The Nuggets (8-3) torched Toronto 130-112 in a shootout reminiscent of English's glory days in the 1980s - "One of those Doug Moe games, huh," suggested Anthony, who scored a game-high 32 points. Back in the 1985-86 season, ..."
Raptors claim Pops off waivers
Comment
November 18
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Toronto Raptors defended the Suns' prolific pick-and-roll by switching on screens, having relatively good success with the strategy. With small point guards, that was not an option for the Rockets, who would not want to force Aaron Brooks or Kyle Lowry to have to match up against Amar'e Stoudemire. The Rockets, however, have allowed center Chuck Hayes to switch defensively, including in games last season against the Suns. "We feel comfortable with Chuck on anybody," Shane Battier said. "Three-fourths of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Chuck Hayes." The Rockets don't switch on pick-and-rolls and usually "show" on screens, but don't trap. "Assistant coaches always ..."
Raptors gasping for air in Mile High City
Comment
November 17
Toronto Star
 
"This is where dinosaurs go to die. More specifically, this is where Raptors go to die. It may be some cosmic force at work or perhaps the rarefied Colorado air, or maybe it's just the fact the Denver Nuggets are an extremely good basketball team, but there is no disputing this has been an unkind place for the Raptors."
Raptors lose 101-100 to Suns despite solid play
Comment
November 16
Toronto Star
 
"The Raptors may never play better and get less than they got here Sunday night. Fighting the Phoenix Suns with solid defence and efficient offence, they came away with nothing to show for it, dropping a 101-100 decision in the most entertaining game of the season so far."
Raptors let one slip away
Comment
November 16
Toronto Star
 
"The old Turkish philosopher sat there, pondering the moment and what might have been, shaking his head in bewilderment "It was just one of those nights," said Hedo Turkoglu. "Where you just have to say, 'Screw it' and move on.""
Turkoglu almost joined Suns in 2004
Comment
November 16
Arizona Republic
 
"Steve Nash and Joe Johnson in the backcourt and Amaré Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Hedo Turkoglu up front. It sounds like an NBA "Where Amazing Happens" commercial cast from four teams, or maybe even an All-Star collection if Turkoglu ever gets his credit. It nearly was the Suns' 2004-05 starting lineup. Things still turned out well in that 62-20 season, with the Suns signing Quentin Richardson instead of Turkoglu, who was an Italian dinner away from securing a future with the Suns and then-General Manager Bryan Colangelo in 2004. Turkoglu and Colangelo now are with the Toronto Raptors. In July 2004, Turkoglu was a 25-year-old free agent who had been a part-time starter in San Antonio. ..."
Suns escape with win vs. Raptors
Comment
November 16
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns were more sloppy than slick. They missed more shots than they made. And in the end, they had to count on one of the game's clutch shooters to miss two shots in the final seconds. But as it always goes with Steve Nash and the Suns against Toronto, they prevailed again. Phoenix's 11th consecutive victory over the Raptors came with some new features, such as pulling out tight games and second-half defense. With Toronto shooting 41.3 percent in the second half, the Suns won 101-100 on Sunday night at US Airways Center when Nash foiled the Raptors with a go-ahead, driving 3-point play with 38.9 seconds to go. Nash's drive to the left against Jose Calderon gave Phoenix its 14th ..."
Hedo Turkoglu not likely to play on Sunday
Comment
November 15
Toronto Star
 
"Looks like Hedo Turkoglu's going to get tonight off to rest his sore hip. While Jay Triano told us before Raptors shootaround that it might be a game-time decision, he followed it up with this: "I'm not real optimistic right now." If Turkoglu can't go, and I'd put it at 10-90 that he plays, the start goes to Antoine Wright and the trickle-down effect might mean more minutes for Marco Belinelli and, perhaps, some time for Sonny Weems."
Raptors offensive run helps kick start their defence
Comment
November 15
Toronto Sun
 
"How fitting the Raptors find themselves in Phoenix after rising from the ashes late Friday night. Had the opponent not been the Clippers, Toronto's fate may have been different. As it was, the Raptors came back from a 22-point deficit to clip the Clippers 104-89, tying the mark for the largest comeback in club history. During one timeout, assistant coach Alex English looked at his beleaguered team and said it would somehow prevail. During another, head coach Jay Triano reinforced English's words, which bordered on fantasy given how poorly the Raptors were performing. "There was just a huge amount of confidence,'' Triano said with a straight face. "Alex told them we were going to win. I ..."
Raptors turn crises into comebacks
Comment
November 15
Toronto Star
 
"It's obvious the Raptors coaching staff is far more prescient than many. It may give them all ulcers by the end of the season but they seem to find brightness in the gloom the club seems to always put itself in. The latest example came in Los Angeles on Friday night, when the Raptors managed to play themselves into a 22-point first-half deficit against the Clippers."
Raptors rookie awaits his time
Comment
November 14
Toronto Sun
 
"The day will arrive when Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan will be on the floor in crunch time, basketball's make-it or break-it moment when games are won and lost, when reputations are made. Chances are pretty good that moment won't arrive during the team's four-game trip, which began with last night's late-night tip in Los Angeles against the Clippers. It probably won't arrive anytime soon, but it awaits, either this season or next. As DeRozan returned to his native L.A. for the first time as a pro, he couldn't help but reflect on his one and only season in college, a time when DeRozan was the man. As a freshman at USC, a program that has turned to former Raptors head coach Kevin O'Neill, ..."
Raptors claw back against Clippers
Comment
November 14
Toronto Sun
 
"The Raptors were down, but far from out for most of the night. When the opposition is the downtrodden L.A. Clippers, the improbable becomes probable, the unlikely seems more likely. And such was the case Friday night, when the Raptors rallied from a 22-point hole to escape L.A. with a 104-89 win, giving the 5-4 Raptors their first back-to-back wins of the young season. For the record, Toronto's comeback tied for the largest in franchise history. "I don't know why we fall behind," Raptors head coach Jay Triano said. "But I like our fight. It shows we can do it and it shows we've got character." The Clippers began the game by making every shot from virtually every conceivable spot on the ..."
Raptors erase 22-point deficit to beat Clippers
Comment
November 14
Toronto Star
 
"If there was an easy answer, Jay Triano would tell everyone. But there isn't, so all he can really do is sit back and marvel at the kind of rollercoaster night his Raptors can put people through. For the second successive game, they had moments in the first half where they were atrocious but they came storming back to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 104-89 at the Staples Center here last night. The coach was happy, but not amused."
Another sore spot for the Clippers
Comment
November 14
Los Angeles Times
 
"How do you blow a 22-point lead? Watch. The Clippers are proving capable of blowing all varieties of leads -- big, medium and small -- in excruciating and creative ways. This time, the meltdown came early, not late. The Clippers had a 22-point lead dwindle to nine by the end of the first half, and vanish by the start of the fourth quarter. Which turned the final 12 minutes into a genuine cliff-hanger. Not quite all of it. The Clippers didn't score in the final 6:58, as the Raptors won, 104-89, Friday night at Staples Center. Incredibly, the Clippers missed their final 11 shots. Chris Bosh led the Raptors with yet another double-double, scoring 21 points and adding 14 rebounds. The ..."
No rest for Raps
Comment
November 13
Toronto Sun
 
"You might have thought a plane full of injured, wealthy individuals leaving Canada for the U.S. was some kind of commentary against socialized medicine. It wasn't. The Raptors practised at the Air Canada Centre yesterday -- sort of -- and then departed on a four-game road trip that begins tonight in Los Angeles against that city's uglier, less talented basketball team, the Clippers. But if head coach Jay Triano had his way, his players would not have boarded the five-to-six hour flight. Instead, he would have locked them up in the trainer's room. The Raptors departed for Los Angeles with a worrisome number of "banged up" players -- mainly the result of the team's hard-fought 99-89 ..."
Raptors release Douby
Comment
November 13
Toronto Sun
 
"The Raptors released guard Quincy Douby yesterday, opening a roster spot for a possible future acquisition. The fourth-year NBA veteran had been on the inactive list since October 28 and did not appear in any regular-season games. He averaged 3.0 points, 1.7 assists and 10.5 minutes in six pre-season outings. Douby joined the Raptors on March 24, 2009 when he signed a 10-day contract. He appeared in seven games with the Raptors in the 2008-09 season, averaging 4.4 points, 1.0 assists and 10.4 minutes. Nash for MVP Raptors coach Jay Triano believes that Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash deserves some early consideration for NBA MVP, an award he has won twice before. Nash, 35, is ..."
Raptors line up to get aches, pains treated
Comment
November 13
Toronto Star
 columnist Dave Perkins
"It wasn't the lights finally going on defensively in the second half against the Chicago Bulls that earned the Raptors a break from practice Thursday. It was all those ice packs going on. Coach Jay Triano shortened the Raptors' scheduled practice dramatically, in advance of the long flight to Los Angeles for Friday's game against the Clippers, because the wear and tear of an NBA season was leaving its mark(s)."
Raptors need Evans on the court
Comment
November 13
Toronto Star
 columnist Dave Perkins
"The Raptors got on the plane to Los Angeles, apparently walking behind a fife and a drum. They're so banged up, they're even short one coach on the four-game trip that begins Friday against the Clippers. They're missing assistant coach Reggie Evans, basically the sartorially challenged member of the staff. While Jay Triano's entire staff looks sharp right down to the necktie, there's Evans, by comparison, looking something like an unmade bed. He's not a coach, of course."
Raps `all on the same page'
Comment
November 12
Toronto Star
 
"Finally, they got it. Finally, the embarrassment got to be too much. Finally, there was concerted effort. Deciding after a horrible first half that they were fed up with themselves, the Raptors put together two solid quarters of offence, defence and intensity Wednesday night, leaving all to wonder why they can't do it all the time."
Raptors feed off DeRozan's high energy
Comment
November 12
Toronto Star
 columnist Dave Feschuk
"Excuse Toronto's basketball fans for their rare moment of raise-the-rafters ecstasy Wednesday night. No league championship was won. No division-winning banner was raised. But DeMar DeRozan, Toronto's rookie swingman, did jump and hang and throw down an actual, highlight-reel-worthy slam dunk at a key moment in a 99-89 win over the Chicago Bulls. And given how long it's been since the Air Canada Centre witnessed that kind of baseline-commanding statement from a high-flyer on the rise – given the Raptors' recent employment of rosters favouring jump shooters to the exclusion of high jumpers – DeRozan might as well have brought home a world freaking title."
Big when it counts
Comment
November 12
Toronto Sun
 
"His numbers weren't really anything to write home (to Italy) about. In fact, his teammate Chris Bosh had a much bigger game in that department, as did his counterpart with the Chicago Bulls, centre Joakim Noah. But Toronto big man Andrea Bargnani was big when his team needed him, helping the Raptors defeat the Chicago Bulls 99-89 last night at the Air Canada Centre. Bargnani made a number of key plays late in the contest, including one early in the fourth quarter when he blocked a Brad Miller shot, deflecting the ball to Marco Belinelli, who took it down-court for a layup, bringing the Raps to within one (80-79). And then with just over five minutes left, Bargnani stole the ball from ..."
If LeBron James, Dwyane Wade stay put, New York Knicks may target Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson
Comment
November 12
New York Daily News
 
"If the Knicks find themselves struggling to woo LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who can become free agents next summer, they'll likely turn their attention to the players such as Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson, who are expected to headline the next tier of potential free agents at season's end. Regardless of how much money the Knicks will have to spend, there's no guarantee of landing a superstar given the state of the franchise, and because James grew up in Ohio and Wade appears to be staying put in Miami - on Tuesday Heat owner Micky Arison said he had "every indication" that Wade wants to finish his career where it started. And while Bosh isn't the same caliber of player, he has already and ..."
End game's plain offensive
Comment
November 12
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"This time, there was no need for a video review at the end of the game to determine a winner. In fact, the Bulls probably would prefer if the final six minutes of the 99-89 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre were never viewed again. To say it was an ugly finish is an insult to ugly. Leading 88-85 with six minutes remaining, the Bulls suffered an offensive meltdown of epic proportions. They managed just one point the rest of the way -- a meaningless free throw with 10 seconds left -- and went scoreless on a mind-boggling 12 straight possessions down the stretch. They were 3-for-21 (14.3 percent) from the field with five turnovers in the fourth quarter. ..."
Chicago Bulls go frigid in 99-89 loss
Comment
November 12
Chicago Tribune
 
"The only instant replay needed for the Bulls on Wednesday night might have been to see if that atrocious fourth quarter actually happened. Then again, watching it once proved difficult enough. To say the Bulls went cold down the stretch of a 99-89 loss to the Raptors at Air Canada Centre is like saying Canada likes its hockey. Save yourself from watching the lowlights and chew on these numbers and details: --The Bulls shot 3-for-21 in the fourth quarter and 25 percent in the second half. --They failed to score a field goal for the final 9 minutes, 20 seconds and failed to score any points at all after two Taj Gibson free throws with 6:24 remaining until Kirk Hinrich hit a meaningless free ..."
Bosh puts blame on players
Comment
November 11
Toronto Sun
 
"As desperate as the Raptors appear from a defensive standpoint based on back-to-back humblings in the fine state of Texas, Chris Bosh isn't about to point the finger at the Raptors defensive scheme. "Protecting the house," an area extending just beyond the paint, is the core principle of the Raptors defence and while it remains very much a work in progress, Bosh says the onus is on the players to make the system work, not the coaches to change the system to fit the players. Head coach Jay Triano has made it clear that the scheme is here to stay. He says too often in the past the organization has had poor stretches such as the past two games in which it has given up 131 and 129 points ..."
Defensive breakdowns need to stop, says Triano
Comment
November 11
Toronto Star
 
"The Raptors came trundling home for about 48 hours and a game, a change of scenery and suitcases, still searching for that one facet of the game that's eluded them all season: consistency. With a 3-4 record and a journey west looming on the horizon, the coaching staff and players had a little while to regroup before facing the Chicago Bulls at the Air Canada Centre Wednesday night. They probably spent the time at home wondering why lax effort pops up every now and then, taking the shine off anything good they've done so far in this still-young season."
Raptors take one on the chin
Comment
November 10
Toronto Star
 
"It's simple, really. See the ball, go get the ball. Basic basketball learned in grade school. But it was a practice that eluded the Raptors here Monday night like it's eluded them so many times in the past, and it cost them another game."
Mitchell's reversal of fortune
Comment
November 10
Toronto Sun
 
"John Mitchell wants every one to remember he's no Doug Gilmour. Yet he realizes that centring the first line of the Maple Leafs with a No. 9 and 3 on your back will evoke certain fond memories in older fans, while scoring in consecutive games for the current team as Phil Kessel's new best friend/linemate will make him quite popular. So perhaps it was kismet when trainer Brian Papineau handed Mitchell a 39 jersey a couple of years ago at his first Leafs camp. "It was just coincidence he gave me that number, but I thought: 'I can do something with this', " Mitchell was saying yesterday at the MasterCard Centre. "I had an option of taking another number, but this was the reverse of 93." ..."
Star-less Spurs sink Raps
Comment
November 10
Toronto Sun
 
"No Tony Parker. No Tim Duncan. No chance, right? Wrong. Even with two thirds of the Spurs big three in street clothes, San Antonio was able to prevail in one of those golden opportunities the Raptors let slip away. Sure Manu Ginobili, the lone healthy body of that trio, amped up his game in the absence of Parker and Duncan coming off the bench for a stunning 36 points to lead the Spurs to a 131-124 win. However, it wasn't Ginobili they were talking about in the Raptors room. The Raptors were correctly pointing the finger of blame at themselves for allowing 16 offensive rebounds as the Spurs overcame some early shooting woes by making good on second-chance attempts to keep it close. A ..."
Ginobili powers Spurs past Raptors
Comment
November 10
San Antonio Express-News
 
"In the hours before his team walked into the AT"
Raps must learn from dismantling
Comment
November 9
Toronto Sun
 
"It's hard to imagine who had a tougher night Saturday in Dallas. Chris Bosh's mom preparing a post-game buffet for her son, his teammates and the entire Raptors travelling contingent, or head coach Jay Triano. Sure Mama Bosh had her hands full with an extensive menu, not to mention a guest list as diverse as she probably has ever served. But it was Triano who had to come to grips with a team that looked so good one night in New Orleans and so lifeless the next in Dallas. Six games into the season, these Raptors continue to confound. At 3-3, they are no closer to determining an identity than when the season began 12 days ago. Friday's third quarter in New Orleans, when the Raps dismantled a ..."
Raps have to step up their intensity
Comment
November 9
Toronto Star
 
"The start of the NBA season was always going to be about learning for the newly-constructed Raptors. Some lessons are harder to take than others. Like figuring out how to get intensity from everyone every night. The most disturbing aspect of the drubbing they suffered in Dallas on Saturday night was a lack of intensity at key moments in the game."
Parker ruled out vs. Raps
Comment
November 8
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Spurs point guard Tony Parker is not expected to play in Monday night's home game against Toronto while nursing a sprained left ankle. The injury is considered mild, with Parker's potential return to be measured in days and not weeks. The three-time All-Star was not expected to participate in Sunday's practice. George Hill, a second-year guard, will draw the start in Parker's place."
Howard's return helps Dallas
Comment
November 8
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Mavericks' inconsistent offense received a much-needed shot of energy Saturday night with the return of swingman Josh Howard. Howard made his season debut and helped spark a 129-101 rout over the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center in the Mavericks' most complete game of the season. Howard missed the Mavericks' first five games while recovering from off-season left ankle surgery. He started and scored 16 points in 24 minutes, fitting right in at shooting guard and into a lineup that's still adjusting to the addition of six new players. "I was nervous as hell out there," Howard said. "But after I made my first couple of free throws, I was able to tough it out." The ..."
Raptors fire away in third quarter to defeat Hornets
Comment
November 7
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 
"With early signs of momentum carrying over from Wednesday night's overtime victory against Dallas, Hornets point guard Chris Paul appeared pleased as he headed to the locker room with his team holding a two-point halftime lead against the Toronto Raptors. However, four minutes into the third quarter, Paul had the same frustrating glare as he did during Monday night's loss to the New York Knicks when the Hornets were thoroughly dominated in the fourth quarter, surrendering 40 points at Madison Square Garden. On Friday night, not even the home-court advantage could save the Hornets as they were undone by the Raptors' franchise-record eight 3-pointers in the third quarter that led to a ..."
Calderon leads the charge
Comment
November 7
Toronto Sun
 
"In the midst of Jose Calderon's slow start to the season, Jay Triano had heard enough of the second guessing. Following an up-tempo Saturday afternoon practice recently, question No. 2,000 about Calderon's laboured start left Triano shaking his head. With a pained expression Triano pointed out: "It's not as if he woke up this morning and became a bad player." Last night in the Big Easy, in Game 5 of an 82-game season, Calderon didn't need anyone to defend his abilities. They were in full view on the court. With even the most faithful of Raptor followers predicting a long night with a red-hot Chris Paul lying in wait for Calderon and the Raptors' much-maligned defence, the wee Spaniard ..."
Raps defence puts brakes on Paul
Comment
November 7
Toronto Sun
 
"A team-high 21 points and 18 assists is a good night at any level, but last night those numbers belonging to New Orleans' Chris Paul were actually good for the visiting Raptors. Paul, who came in averaging 30 points and just over eight assists a game, came out firing last night and appeared to be on his way to another top effort when he took a 17-point, 10-assist line to the locker room at halftime. But some key adjustments by the Raptors saw the visitors hold Paul scoreless for the third quarter and limit him to just three assists as they took over the game. Ask Raptors head coach Jay Triano and it took a consummate team effort to pull it off."
Sharp-shooting Raptors fly past Hornets
Comment
November 7
Toronto Star
 
"For 12 minutes they were as good as they can be right now, efficient on offence, solid on defence, and if there's a sign the Raptors are on the right course, it came in the third quarter Friday night. Blistering the New Orleans Hornets with an awesome shooting display and holding Chris Paul in check in the second half, Toronto put on a 34-14 blitz in the third frame that led them to a 107-90 victory in front of 15,010 fans. The Raptors made eight three-pointers in the decisive third - a single-quarter franchise record - and held New Orleans to 5-for-17 shooting from the field. In all, the Raptors shot a remarkable 14-for-29 from three-point range."
Raptors' fiery Jose Calderon silences critics
Comment
November 7
Toronto Star
 
"Jose Calderon knows what was being written and what was being said and what was being suggested. And as the Raptors' point guard pumped his fists and let out a primal scream and showed more outward emotion than he usually does, he was striking out not just at the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night but at the circumstances over the past week and a half that had led to so many questions. He was angry, at himself and the spot he found himself in, and he took it out on the Hornets."