Above is Paul Pierce’s poster of Chris Bosh from last night, knee to the groin included. After the game and with his nuts the size of grapefruits, CB called out his teammates for not standing up for him as lay on the ground wondering if he’ll ever have kids again (and perhaps regretting letting the last one get away?):

“Yeah, I’d like to see the team more passionate. I look at their bench and they’re all up standing at half-court, and nobody from their team was down on the floor. I think we would react better to just be out there for one another and just stay together.”

Also of note, Raptor tough guy Antoine Wright had some harsh words for his teammates, saying they got “punked” and that “we’re going to have to come together or teams are just going to continue to run us over like this”. Wright also said the following before the game in reference to Wednesday’s embarrassment in Charlotte, according to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star:

“You’ve got guys in here eating popcorn, joking around before the game. And we go out there and lose by 40. It’s a direct result of what’s going on before the game. Guys not coming in with the right mind frame.”

Nice to see Wright making a stand, but it’s a bit disappointing when the biggest motivator on your team is a backup small forward that couldn’t make a difference to the on-court product if he tried. You gonna get that field goal percentage over .300 next game, Antoine? You worry about that while the guys that are actually on the floor take care of the toughness.

Anyway, a day removed and there’s still not much good to say about these kids. It doesn’t get much easier with Phoenix in town tomorrow with sights set on dropping 250.

Rondo and the Celtics took it to us tonight

Hey Jose and Andrea, next time you don’t feel like showing up for a game against a good team, do you mind informing the rest of the team in advance so they can try about 200% harder? Behind a pair of no-shows in their starting five and another patented third quarter collapse, the Raptors fell to the Celtics 116-103 in Boston tonight. Excuse the negativity, but there’s just nothing good to say about this team right now.

Calderon had nine points, four assists and three turnovers and Bargnani had seven points and four boards, negating strong efforts from Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu, who each had 20 in the loss. After starting hot, Turkoglu didn’t help his cause by picking up his fourth foul of the night early in the third quarter, in which Toronto was outscored 33-17 and officially put to bed. In the past three games, the Raptors have been manhandled 105-64 in the third.

This one actually looked pretty good at halftime — despite committing 14 turnovers and allowing Boston to shoot 68% in the first half, Toronto held a one-point advantage and stretched it to four in the early minutes of the third before the wheels fell off. Paul Pierce capped it off by making a poster of Bosh early in the fourth, causing Jay Triano to raise some hell to which his team, not surprisingly, didn’t respond.

In the end, a loss that was likely to happen one way or another. Still, pretty disappointing when two guys that’ll be counted on if this team hopes to be any sort of a contender don’t bother making their presence felt.

Now 7-10, the Raps are home to face the Suns on Sunday in the first of two straight at the ACC.

"Why are you so mean, KG?"

I usually love watching the Celtics play, but that mood changes considerably when they’re facing the Raptors. Fresh off a 116-81 pounding at the hands of the Bobcats, Toronto will look to bounce back tonight against Jose Calderon’s best friend (Mr. KG, in case you forget) in Boston. As always, check in at Raptors Republic for the best preview in the business.

As easily as the Celtics have handled us in Toronto the past couple years, the Raps have actually put up some decent battles on the parquet floor in Boston. Calderon took over a game in January ‘08 (the Celts’ championship year) before his famous encounter with Garnett early last season, and Andrea Bargnani forced overtime with a late three in an eventual 115-109 loss in the second meeting. The Celtics come into this one looking a little susceptible too, following a tight win over a Sixers team they usually pound and a near-disastrous loss to the Knicks over the weekend. Still, at 11-4 and with the Fantastic Four still in tact, they’re as good a bet as any to win the East this season.

Toronto comes in desperately in need of a bounce-back following Wednesday’s embarrassment in Charlotte. I called out Chris Bosh yesterday and stand by it — now’s the time to step up, big man. This is as tough a game as you’ll play all year, so let’s go make a statement.

The Raptors and Celtics get going from TD Banknorth Garden at 7:30.

The story of the night

Yeah, so the Raptors were pounded last night in Charlotte. How does that happen, even on the road and in the second of a back-to-back? Well, here’s how: The team just ain’t that good. And what’s this breakout year everyone is talking about Chris Bosh having? The team is 7-9! Not sure if you recall, but last November Bosh had even better numbers than these, then got tired at the end of the month and limped the rest of the way home. If you’re a superstar, CB, then let’s see it. Win some games.

Anyway, that’s my opening rant. I’m probably overreacting, because realistically this is a slightly-better-than .500 team and that’s probably where it’ll end up at the end of the year. Still, last night’s effort in Charlotte was embarrassing. After making an apparent first quarter defensive stand, the Raps let their guard down, allowing the Bobcats — a team that had scored 100-plus three times in 14 games and never more than 104 this season — to score 116 and set franchise-record with a 35-point win. Toronto shot a season-low 34.5% from the field and was out-boarded 49-42.

There isn’t much use going around pointing fingers, since this was just an all-around ugly effort. Jose Calderon had six turnovers, Bosh was held without a field goal until right before halftime, big-time free agent signing Hedo Turkoglu had five points and no rebounds and the bench, aside from Amir Johnson, combined to shoot 4-of-27. Johnson was the only real bright spot, finishing with 13 points, eight boards and three blocks in 23 minutes.

As bad as that was, it may get worse — the Raps are off today but are in Boston to face the Celtics tomorrow. How about this is where you prove you’re a star in this league, CB4?

And one

The Toronto Raptors? Never heard of ‘em. There are embarrassing performances, and then there are outright horrible ones that make me make me wanna deny my team’s existence. It happens far too often in Raptorland. I’m on my way to bed, but I’ll check in with more on the Raps’ ugly effort in Charlotte tomorrow.

On the positive, the Leafs came out with a 4-3 win in Tampa Bay, catapulting them to sole possession of 29th place in the league at 5-11-7 (or 5-18, if you don’t speak hockey). I might have more on them tomorrow too, or maybe I won’t. You’ll have to wait and see!

Time to make it two straight, Rasho

Last night was fun, but here’s hoping the Raps have something left in their run-and-gun legs. Coming off a 123-112 home win over the Pacers, Toronto is in Charlotte tonight to face the 4-9 Bobcats. Full game coverage and other great Raptors stuff is available over at Raptors Republic.

Charlotte snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 104-88 win over Indiana on Sunday, its first win since picking up renowned douchebag Stephen Jackson in a deal with Golden State early last week. Jackson’s production with the Bobcats has been par for his course — decent scoring numbers (17.6), low shooting percentages (42.6 from the field and 29.4 from deep) and little in the way of wins (one in four games). He and Gerald Wallace share the scoring load on a team void of any real star players — one that Raptors should be able to handle even on a back-t0-back.

Last night’s Raptors performance was typical of the way they’ve played in most of their wins this season — great offense, no D and a sketchy second half before closing out strong. Jose Calderon had his best game, attacking early both with the drive and from deep and finishing with a season-high 21 on 8-of-11. Chris Bosh was sloppy offensively, but I’m counting on him bouncing back with a strong effort and leading the boys to a win tonight.

The Raptors and Bobcats get going from Charlotte at seven.

I'll still take Jose over T.J.

Hope is restored, citizens of Toronto! The Raptors got our beloved city back in the win column tonight, jumping on the Pacers with 74 first half points en route to a 123-112 win at the ACC. Of course, it wasn’t without the usual second half fun: This time the Raptors saw a 21-point lead slip to five (the fourth time in five home wins they’ve come close to blowing huge leads) before rallying late and putting it away.

Jose Calderon led the Raptors with 21 points on 8-of-11, effectively getting to the hoop early and knocking down a handful of jumpers in what was probably his strongest game of the year. Jarrett Jack continued his recent string of solid play, going 7-of-7 and finishing with 18 points and six assists in 30 minutes off the bench against his former mates.

Calderon and Jack’s efforts weren’t the only strong ones for Toronto, whose first half output was its best since 1999 — Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani each had efficient 14-point outings, with Bargnani coming on strong after a sluggish, foul-plagued start. Chris Bosh was just 5-of-19 but had 12 boards and a few big second half blocks.

In all, another up-tempo, catch-me-if-you-can type game for the Raps — a style of play that Toronto fans are going to need to adjust to if they haven’t already. The win bumps the Raps to 7-8 — good for seventh in the East — with a road date in Charlotte Wednesday.

Bargnani and the Raps should cruise tonight

A win tonight and the Raptors slip into the East’s last playoff spot with 67 games remaining! Still a ways to go, but we might as well start making a push now. The Pacers are in town tonight for a tilt at the ACC, tipping at seven. Check out the full preview at Raptors Republic, featuring my NBA 2k10 game sim.

It’s been an up-and-down year for the Pacers to say the least — after starting with three losses, they won five straight (including a homey over the LeBrons) but have since lost three, leaving them 5-6. Indiana is led by Danny Granger, a guy that shoots a ton and scores a lot, though I’m not so convinced he’s the type of guy that is gonna take a team too far as a number one scoring option (case in point: The Pacers kinda suck). Of course, it’ll also be fun to check out the infamous T.J. Ford, who’s averaged just 9.7 points and 2.6 assists in 11 games this season with a back and neck that are seemingly in tact. If you haven’t caught on by now, I’m not too high on the Pacers and don’t see why we shouldn’t beat them by 100 tonight.

If all goes according to plan, Toronto shouldn’t need Hedo Turkoglu come crunch time, which is good because he hasn’t crunched a thing in his first month as a Raptor. Still, it’d be nice to see the guy get it rolling tonight. The Raptors should also get a boost with Marco Belinelli and Antoine Wright supposedly ready to go, adding some punch to a second unit that has looked better with an improved Jarrett Jack at the helm.

I’ll be checking this one out live, so hopefully I’ll slide into some seats close enough to get a good perspective. Go Raps!

Darrell Walker quit midway through the Raptors’ hellish 1997-98 season, earning himself the status as Most Useless Coach in team history (and yes, that includes Kevin O’Neill). Nevertheless, I tip my hat to him for this never-before-seen tirade, which seemingly indicates he cared a little, at least.

The footage comes from a Raptors-Pacers game — see where I’m going with this? Yes, the Pacers are in town Wednesday night for a date at the ACC.

For more Random Raptors Moments, check the archive here.

This song over a jacked beat.

Superman and the Magic got the best of the Raps

Thanks for showing up, Hedo “fourth quarter” Turkoglu, and thanks for bringing your buddies. The Raps entered the final 12 this afternoon tied, but watched a crew of Orlando scrubs led by J.J. Redick run wild and put it away before Superman and Vince Carter got back on the floor, winning 104-96. Turkoglu, Toronto’s supposed difference maker this season, finished 3-of-11 for 12 points against his former team.

This was a tough game, but one the Raptors could’ve won if they’d played to their strengths. Chris Bosh drew a couple first quarter fouls on Dwight Howard, then decided to loft jumpers the rest of the game. CB finished with 22 points on 10-of-22 shooting and grabbed five boards. Andrea Bargnani, in foul trouble most of the day and ineffective offensively when on the floor, led the Raptors with nine boards.

Turkoglu’s the guy that’s really getting to me, though. Early in the fourth with the game tied, Jason Williams found Marcin Gortat underneath for a layup that Turkoglu didn’t even both contesting, despite Gortat missing a pair of free throws minutes earlier. Yeah, and thanks Matt Devlin for pointing out that we brought him in because he shot 42% in the playoffs last year. That’s an impeccable number.

After a rough first half, Carter did his usual second half damage against Toronto, finishing with 24 points — 18 on 7-of-12 in the final two quarters. Redick had the second-best game of his career (the best coming at the ACC a few weeks ago), finishing with 19 and five assists.

The loss drops the Raptors to 6-8, with the Pacers coming to Toronto on Tuesday.

Bosh and Superman are set to battle

I see you’re not gonna sit this one out with an “injury”, hey Vince? Alright, I’d be lying to myself if I said Carter didn’t love coming to Toronto and torching the Raptors. Air Canada and the Magic are in for the second time this season, tipping at 12:30 this afternoon at the ACC. As always, check out the full preview over at Raptors Republic.

I honestly believed coming into this season Orlando would be worse off with Carter than Hedo Turkoglu, but as much as it kills me to say it, I was wrong. Vince seems to have found the perfect scenario — one where he’s not pressured to be the top guy, or better yet, one where he can routinely take nights off and people won’t notice because Rashard Lewis and Superman will pick up the slack. Yeah, Turkoglu was killer in the clutch, but Vince has been known to hold up alright come crunch time when he feels like it. The Magic, behind Carter’s 18.1 points per game, come in at 10-3, including a 125-116 win in Toronto on Nov. 1.

As usual, the key for the Raptors will be D’ing up, especially on the perimeter against a team like Orlando. The Magic drilled 17 threes in their previous win over Toronto, and that came without Carter, who’s averaging almost three per game. Chris Bosh & co. will also do well to attack Dwight Howard early and try to get him in foul trouble.

Anyway, fresh off a home win over Miami Friday, it would be nice to make it two and a row with a walk in the park coming in the form of Indiana on Tuesday.

Love that fire, CB

Raptors basketball just wouldn’t be Raptors basketball without the nightly heart attacks, would it? Tonight’s came in the form of a 23-point third quarter lead dwindling to one late in the fourth, but Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack led a late push en route to a 120-113 win over the Heat in Toronto’s return to the ACC.

Bosh was magnificent tonight, going 10-of-14 and finishing with 29 points and 12 rebounds and Jack made a pair of clutch threes from the corner in the final three minutes, finishing with a season-best 17 in 31 minutes off the bench. Andrea Bargnani had 24 and 10 and Hedo Turkoglu had arguably his best game as a Raptor, scoring 19 points to go with five boards and eight assists.

Of course, this one came with it’s share of second half head-to-wall banging, as the Heat went about 27 possessions in a row late in the third with a bucket. Bargnani was eaten alive by Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers had a riot at the hands of Jose Calderon, scoring a career-high 30. Even when it looked like the Raps were putting Miami away midway through the fourth, Calderon managed to lose Chalmers on back-to-back possessions for threes to pull the Heat right back in. On the bright side, a handful of Toronto defenders did a commendable job on Dwyane Wade, holding him to 10-of-24.

I know the NBA is a game of runs, but it doesn’t always have to be. With that said, it would be nice to see the boys put it to bed next time they jump to a double digit lead in the second half.

So, a win in the first game back after four straight out west leaves the Raps at 6-7. Superman and the Magic, who beat Toronto at the ACC Nov. 1, are in town Sunday.

Bosh and the Raps stare down Miami tonight

Ah yes, home sweet home. After seven of eight out west, the Raptors are back at the ACC tonight to face Dwyane Wade and the Heat. The boys escaped the trip at 2-5 (wins in New Orleans and LA) and sit at 5-7 on the year — to be honest, a mark I’m pretty, pretty pleased with at this point. As always, a full preview for tonight’s game is available at Raptors Republic, including my world-famous simulation.

Miami enters tonight’s game at 7-4, but don’t be deceived: The Heat’s schedule has been the opposite of Toronto’s — not to hate on the Knicks and Nets, but it’s been a walk in the park, highlighted by eight of 11 at home. With apologies to first-class citizen Jermaine O’Neal, the Heat really have nothing going for them aside from Wade. Case in point: The Band-Aid Man was 6-of-18 for 15 points in Atlanta Wednesday and Miami was pasted 105-90. If the Raptors can keep Wade from going out of his mind, this should be a comfortable win.

With “defensive stopper” Antoine Wright expected out for Toronto, the Raptors will be forced into throwing a host of defenders at Wade, none of which, I’m sure, will be Jose Calderon. With Udonis Haslem unlikely to dress for the Heat, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani should be set for field days against O’Neal and big softy Michael “Supercool” Beasley. No excuses for Andrea — time to get back to work after a couple nightmarish games.

The Raptors and Heat get it popping at seven.

Deron Williams made it look easy

The Raptors are heading home and it’s not a moment too soon. Chris Bosh and the boys wrapped up a four-game trip tonight, falling 104-91 in Utah — their third straight loss after taking the opener against the Clippers last Friday.

This one had blowout written all over it early, as the Raptors started the way they finished Tuesday in Denver, falling behind by 18 in the first quarter. Bosh and Marco Belinelli helped Toronto claw its way back in, cutting the lead to one early in the fourth before the wheels fell off for the second straight night. Bosh finished with 32 points and 17 rebounds and Belinelli had his fourth straight double digit effort off the bench, scoring 19 on 7-of-14 shooting.

The most notable difference in this one was the point guard play. Jose Calderon wasn’t himself of late, going 4-of-14 and finishing with two assists and two turnovers. His counterpart, Deron Williams, ran all over him, scoring 22 and adding nine dimes. Carlos Boozer added 22 and 18 boards for the Jazz and Andrei Kirilenko had 20 points off the bench while sporting a fresh “new lesbian” hairstyle, as my man Sully Sullivan would say.

Another loss, but at least one that signals the end of hellish trip out west. After playing seven of the last eight on the road, the Raptors are home to face Miami Friday in the first of three at the ACC.

Deron Williams is back tonight for Utah

A four-game west coast swing is rough enough in itself, and finishing it with a back-to-back against a pair of teams that won a combined 102 games last season just makes it all the more difficult. After having their legs fall off in the second half last night in Denver, the Raptors are in Utah tonight to face the Jazz before heading back to the ACC for some home cooking.

The Jazz enter at 4-6, though that has a little to do with early-season road dates in Denver, Boston and Cleveland thus far. They hung tough against the Cavs Saturday, falling 107-103 despite playing without point guard Deron Williams, who’s expected to be back in the lineup tonight after taking a two-game leave to deal with his sick daughter. Throw Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur into the mix and it may be a rough night for the Raptors, especially if last night’s second half is any indication as to what they have left in the tank. Oh well, coming out of this stretch 5-7 is a lot better than it could’ve been. It’ll get better come December, Raptors fans.

Jay Triano was able to rest his starters most of the fourth quarter in Denver, so hopefully that’ll help them grab a second wind tonight. Still no word on whether or not Hedo Turkoglu will suit up after sitting last night with a sore hip, but his fresh legs would come in handy if he’s good to go.

The Raptors and Jazz tip tonight at nine.

Carmelo was a killer tonight

Well, if nothing else, at least this one is done and over with. The Raptors went to Denver tonight and held tough for 24 minutes before what seemed like an inevitable second half collapse, eventually falling 130-112 to the Nuggets.

With Hedo Turkoglu resting with a hip injury, Toronto actually jumped to an 11-point lead late in the second quarter before watching it all fall apart. Carmelo Anthony made quick work of everything the Raps threw at him, finishing with the easiest 32 points you’ll ever see an NBA player score. Anthony was 12-of-15 from the field and 8-of-10 from the line before packing it in and watching his teammates put it to bed with a 33-23 fourth quarter. J.R. Smith also ran wild for Denver, scoring 29 points (on 11-of-17) in just 22 minutes off the bench. The Nuggets shot 61.5% as a team — the second time Toronto has allowed a team to connect at a clip of over 60% this season.

Chris Bosh had a season-low 13 points but grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for the Raptors, who actually had a 48-33 edge on the boards, including 19-3 on the offensive end. DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with a career-high 17 in just 22 minutes, and Jose Calderon had 16 and seven assists. Marco Belinelli and Sonny Weems chipped in off the bench with 16 and 12, respectively.

It’s a shame this one was the first of a back-to-back, since it was as sure a loss as you’ll get going in. The Raptors, who looked gassed enough in the second half tonight, head to Utah to face the Jazz Wednesday before heading home for three, starting Friday against Miami.

The Raps have their hands full tonight

Coming off a tight loss in Phoenix Sunday, the Raptors are in Denver tonight to face the Nuggets — never a fun task, but we might as well get this one over with. As always, a full preview over at Raptors Republic, featuring my NBA 2K10 game simulation.

Last year Toronto was pasted in Denver 132-93 in early December — Sam Mitchell’s last game as head coach. The Nuggets come into this one 7-3 and tied with Portland atop the Northwest Division, undefeated at home and coming off a 105-79 romp of the Lakers on Friday. They didn’t do much to upgrade in the summer, but last November’s addition of Chauncey Billups transformed them into a top-five team in the league, where I believe they still stand. A couple keys tonight will be to keep Billups in check and keep Carmelo Anthony completely going off — he’s currently tied for second in the league at 29.7 points per game. Denver also got a boost last week with the return of suspended guard J.R. Smith, who’s averaged 14.3 points in three games. Smith is talented but extremely shot-happy, and has proven capable of shooting the Nuggets out of games on off-nights. Let’s hope tonight is one of them.

Chris Bosh should be able to have his way in the paint with Kenyon Martin and Nene, though Birdman Andersen will bring some shot-blocking punch off the bench. I’m not sure what else Toronto can do to come out on top tonight other than to cross their fingers and hope for a miracle, though.

The Raptors and Nuggets get going at nine.

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DETERMINATION and talent have enabled Caleb Vercher to restart his education.<p/><p/>A year ago he couldn’t play an instrument<p/>CALEB Vercher’s determination is a quality honed during troubled teenage years, and one that proved greatly to his advantage when he auditioned for a place at the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies of Music. But not first time around…. From The Australian. Full story

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How about some love for the greatest practice player of all-time? Joey Graham is actually now a member of the Nuggets, who the Raps face Tuesday night in Denver. He’s averaging just 3.7 points in seven games, but believe me, he runs Carmelo Anthony ragged every morning at shootaround.

For more Random Raptors Moments, check the archive here.

Bosh had 25 and 10 in the loss

A day later and I’m still shaking my head over Hedo Turkoglu’s last-second miss in Phoenix. Yeah, my hopes weren’t high going in, but I realized early in the game that aside from Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire, the Suns aren’t really working with much (apologies to Jason Richardson, but I don’t think you’re all that). Anyway, here’s the good and bad from Toronto’s 101-100 loss:

Chris Bosh: Played well inside, but like I said last night, I felt like he could’ve gotten more. Was caught off Stoudemire on switches much of the night, but didn’t put up much of a fight when he had a shot on him down low.

Hedo Turkoglu: Nice start, nice stretch in the fourth, but finish the job, my man! It’s been a disappointing first few weeks in Toronto, but hopefully his play the first 11-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter are a sign he’s coming out of his early-season funk.

Andrea Bargnani: Would’ve liked to see him attack and get closer to the basket. His decision making, for the most part, is considerably better this year, though his spot up after a pump and dribble sometimes comes out horribly flat. Still, like I said after the Chicago game, it’s nice that a bad Bargnani game this season usually means 17 points and four boards as opposed to two points and one board.

Jose Calderon: Got off to a nice start, so his closing line of eight points and seven assists is a bit of a letdown. Still, did a decent job defending Stoudemire on the pick-and-roll and managed a good game.

DeMar DeRozan: Just because teams leave you open, it doesn’t mean you have to shoot. I’d be happy if DeRozan retired his jump shot in game situations until he learns how to make one.

Marco Belinelli: Made a few shots early but missed some wide-open looks late. Overall, another good spark off the bench, though one more make would’ve been the difference.

Jarrett Jack: Another quiet night — two points, two assists and three turnovers in 19 minutes. His performance was slightly better than his line would suggest, but still nothing to write home about.

Amir Johnson: More hustle and grind. Seven points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes last night to give another boost to the second unit.

Sonny Weems: Again, didn’t look out of place in eight minutes on the floor. Flashed a jumper and showed some athleticism with a backdoor alley-oop from Belinelli in the second quarter. It would be nice to find a spot in the rotation for the guy.

Hot-handed forward misfires potential game winner against the Suns

The most competitive game against a top tier team this season turned sour for the Toronto Raptors as Hedo Turkoglu missed a shot at the buzzer, handing the Raps a heart breaking loss to the Suns, 101-100.

The miss, combined with Phoenix’s stellar shooting from the free throw line, solidified victory for the first place Suns.

Amare Stoudemire celebrated his 27^th birthday scoring 30 points, including a 10-11 night from the stripe. Steve Nash dominated fellow guard Jose Calderon, throwing down 23 points and adding 9 assists. Calderon finished the contest with just 8 points, going 3 for 7 from the field.

Stoudemire and Nash bounced back after mutual poor performances against the Lakers. The Suns’ tandem left the Raptors wishing for the kind of clutch experience the Phoenix club is known for , with Nash driving the lane, drawing the foul and scoring with 38.9 seconds left, extending the Suns home court win streak at 4 games. Channing Frye’s 6 three pointers once again exposed Toronto’s weak perimeter defense, while Stoudemire’s inside play gave Phoenix a one-two punch all night long.

“Anytime you have a game like that, especially as a team, it feels great,” Stoudemire said. “This was a bounce-back game.”

Chris Bosh had his 8^th double double for the Raptors, scoring 25 points and pulling down 10 boards. Turkoglu finished with 20 points and Andrea Bargnani chipped in with 17.

The Raptors can take a few small victories in the loss as the team finally showed it can compete against a formidable opponent like the Suns. The team shot well in the first 3 quarters but ended the game shooting just 39% in the final 12 minutes. Despite the low percentage, Toronto managed to hold the Suns when it mattered, forcing Phoenix to make clutch shots of their own.

Phoenix is currently undefeated at home this season, their 4 and 0 record matched by just the Western Conference’s Milwakee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. The club is 9-2, good for first place in the Western Conference, and have scored over 100 points in every game so far this year.

Toronto falls to 5-5 and is a half game behind the 8^th seeded Chicago Bulls. The team travels to Denver for a game versus the Nuggets on Wednesday.

I'm waiting for you, Turk

Hedo Turkoglu had a chance to steal my heart. Down one with a shot to win at the horn, Turkoglu’s first potential game-winner rimmed out tonight from about 20 feet, handing the Suns a hard-fought 101-100 victory over the Raps.

I realize it’s still early and he can’t make ‘em all, but it’s been a rather uninspiring first three weeks in Raptorland for Turkoglu. Sure, he made a couple biggies to keep Toronto in it in the fourth tonight, but with a pair of chances to win it (he missed a three on the prior possession), it would’ve been nice to see him seal the deal. He finished with 20 (tying a season-high) on just 8-of-20 from the field, though that was with a sore hip, as Matt Devlin reminded the television audience every 11 seconds of the first quarter.

In all, it was a nice road effort — one the Raps should’ve had in the end. After getting lit in the first quarter, Toronto’s D actually put together a solid effort, switching on Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire’s little two-man game nicely, keeping the Suns from killing them with the pick-and-roll. Still, Nash and Stoudemire managed to get theirs (23 and 30, respectively) and Channing Frye nailed six threes and finished with 20. Aside from the big three, the remainder of Phoenix’s lineup was 9-of-33.

Chris Bosh led Toronto with 25 and 10 rebounds, though he could’ve had even more against a weak Phoenix interior that had nothing in the way of a shot blocking presence. Jose Calderon started strong but finished with eight points and seven assists, forfeiting a bunch of ball-handling opportunities to Turkoglu late. Andrea Bargnani had 17 but grabbed just four boards for the Raps, who were out-rebounded 46-39.

The loss sends Toronto to Denver on a losing note, as I’d originally expected. Still, after getting my hopes up with a lead much of the night, this one is a little tough. Oh well, might as well get this road trip done and out of the way while we can. The Raps and Nuggets go Tuesday night, followed by a date with the Jazz on Wednesday.

Bosh heads to the desert tonight

Believe it or not, there may actually be a team in the NBA that plays worse D than the Raptors. Unfortunately, they’ll also light you on fire on the other end. If you hadn’t figured it out (which you would’ve by reading the title of this post), Chris Bosh and the boys are running with Steve Nash and the Suns in Phoenix tonight. Full preview over at Raptors Republic, as usual.

The Suns have actually turned some heads this season, which makes sense given they rid themselves of some dead weight by dumping Shaq Diesel and retreating to their run-and-gun attack. Sure, they’ll never win a championship with it, but as long as Nash is in town it’ll be their best chance to win games. Kid Canada has Phoenix at 8-2 and has numbers rivaling those of his back-t0-back MVP seasons in 2005 and 2006 (17.1 ppg, 11.8 apg and 53.9% from the field). The Suns did, however, got some wind taken from their sails in a 121-102 loss to the Lakers on Thursday.

To be honest, I’m not liking Toronto’s chances in this one. On the bright side, that might make it a bit easier to stomach if they lose — at least easier than the losses in Memphis and San Antonio. The Raptors and Suns get it tipping at eight from US Airways Center.