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Raptors in the playoffs: An oral history

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  • Raptors in the playoffs: An oral history

    Doug Smith at The Star wrote a piece covering the Raptors playoff history. Pretty fun read if you have a chance.
    http://www.thestar.com/projects/raptors_playoffs.html

    Some highlights:

    VINCE CARTER: I remember the practices being so much different than the regular season, what (coach Butch Carter) was putting us through. I remember Butch lining us up, he takes all the big men and I’m talking about Oak, AD, Kevin Willis, Yogi Stewart, all of our bigs, lining us up and telling us to drive to the basket, try to finish, get ready for the hard fouls. It was something.
    VINCE CARTER: I remember in the huddle, coach is getting ready to draw up a play, and I said, “coach, give me the ball. I want the ball.” I was supposed to get the ball up top so I could have more space but someone, I don’t remember the player, jumped up top so it brought me to the open side. I got the ball, I turned, I saw Tyrone Hill so I pump faked.
    I got it around to my shooting pocket and just shot a regular shot, comfortable. I didn’t feel rushed at all.
    I let it go and it felt good until it got half way. I’m like, ‘oh, that looks good’ and then halfway, I’m like, ‘that’s too far.’ It just kept going and it hit the back rim.
    It was just one of those things, I wanted that more than any shot I had taken prior to that. It would have been a great cap on a long series and an exciting day.
    That night when we got back, I went to the gym and knocked that shot down 10 times in a row.
    JOSE CALDERON: It was great but bad at the same time because everybody was wearing red and New Jersey came out in red. That was the funny part of it but what I remember, too, was the city was amazing. The whole arena, the atmosphere was unbelievable. It was the best, cheering from the anthems to the end of the game. It was really, really good.
    VINCE CARTER: It was extremely weird. I remember hearing about them going red and I was like, okay. And then we get there that day and we have on red uniforms . . . I’m assuming someone lost their job that day.
    SAM MITCHELL: It was odd. But it was fun, man. A great atmosphere and I can see my guys and their eyes were wide open, shocked. It’s just a different feeling, a different kind of atmosphere.

    RASHO NESTEROVIC: “Game 1 against Orlando was really a strange game. We came out with different lineup than what we played whole season. Most of the guys didn’t know that Andrea is gonna start. That confused us probably more than Orlando.

  • #2
    Wow, Andrea being shunted to the starting line up against orlando...
    The Baltic Beast is unstoppable!

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    • #3
      I thought Lisa Ann was reporting... er something like that.

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      • #4
        Mack North wrote: View Post
        I thought Lisa Ann was reporting... er something like that.
        Who's Lisa Ann

        Could you explain her position in society to me
        I'm back. I no longer worship joe johnson

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        • #5
          Damn. I remember all of that like it was yesterday. I remember Vince's first playoff game against NY where he struggled mightily. I remember the series against the Sixers in 01. Still to this day the best 7 game series i've ever watched. Vince attending his graduation ceremony the same day as Game 7 was not a good decision IMO. I remember it was the topic of the day on all sports channels in the US.

          I remember when they made their miraculous run to make the playoffs in 03. Antonio Davis pretty much carried them singlehandedly. I think they won their last 12 games or something to make it. It was crazy. And they did it without Vince.

          And who can forget Chris Childs dumbass shot in Game 5 against Detroit??? still have no idea what he was thinking.

          The Nets wearing their red jerseys on the road in an arena that is full of red was hilarious lol.

          Bosh getting owned defensively by Moore and Collins in that Nets series was tough to watch.

          Sam Mitchell all of a sudden inserting Bargnani in the starting lineup alongside Rasho and Bosh in the series against the Magic was just a comically bad idea.

          So many not so good playoff memories lol. Hopefully this team can change it.
          Last edited by The Great One; Sat Apr 19, 2014, 01:28 AM.
          Mamba Mentality

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