The Raptors are 1-0 during this must win stretch, which goes till the last game of the season against the Knicks. When I said that every game is a must win from here on in, I meant that each game must be approached as if they are. With Toronto and Milwaukee currently tied for 5th,…
Dalembert vs. Bargnani - Maybe the defining matchup of the game. Sammy is going to have to really do a good job on the high pick and roll, making sure not to leave Bargnani open for threes. He also needs to dominate the glass in his limited minutes.
There's no better way to welcome back Chris Bosh, and break out from a 4 game losing funk than to play the Knicks.
The idea Bargnani has a lot more to bring to the table offensively or is somehow stifled playing second banana to Bosh didn't gain any momentum with Bosh hurt – which is perhaps why Bargnani is as happy to see him return as anyone.
“Right now our guys have all taken it upon themselves to go one-on-one. We had 22 possessions where there was either one pass or no passes. When you play like that, you’re either going to turn it over or you’re going to take bad shots and those are two things that lead to fast breaks…
“If we have a meeting now, it’ll be with Scott,” Triano joked, referring to trainer Scott McCullough. “When we were 7-13, we had no injuries. Now we have three-quarters of our top four who can’t play. I don’t see any reason to panic right now.”
Without Calderon's penetration and range, as well as Bosh's scoring and glass-cleaning, Toronto often settled for mid- or long-range jumpers. Once the Rockets picked up their defensive intensity, the Raptors' shots stopped falling and their point total stopped rising.
The Raptors head to Houston on the second night of a back-to-back. Bosh still out, but things don't look that bleak.
What’s clear, is that the Raptors are a really, really bad defensive team. They don’t communicate, they don’t rotate and in some circumstances, they don’t try.
“We ran it earlier in the game and it worked,” Triano said. “He has to drive to create the other options. Even if he drives on that play, we know where the help is coming from and that’s the pass. Jose (Calderon) was right there in the corner, wide open.”
Energetic, knocking down shots, getting production from various spots throughout their roster. This one had all the makings of a major upset.
"When you have Chris Bosh in the lineup, a lot of times you give it to him and he either creates or holds the ball and makes a play," Raptors head coach Jay Triano said. "Right now, we're having to make more passes each possession down the floor to find ways to score. When you…