The Toronto Raptors left the State of Florida with a split, and even came close to leaving with 2 wins but came up a bit short in the final minutes against ‘Miami Thrice’. The Heat prevailed with a 109-100 victory. CB4, uh CB1, in ‘enemy’ colours was fairly pedestrian in his first game against his former club, going for 12 points, 6 boards, and 4 dimes – albeit in only 21 minutes of playing time. Despite putting up decent numbers Bosh did not have a major impact on the game, and is clearly getting accustomed to his new role and amount of minutes. It’s a far cry from how he had been utilized in Toronto the past 7 years, but this is what he signed up for.
Coach Jay Triano stuck with the same starting line up he had in the win vs. Orlando, except for one change – Reggie Evans. Currently 4th in the NBA in rebounds averaging 11.8 per, Reggie sat out of the game against the Heat with flu like symptoms. He warmed up, but wasn’t able to suit up for the game. Amir Johnson got the start in Reggie place, playing 25 minutes and posting 14 points & 3 rebounds. An unexpected spark from the Raptors’ bench came from Joey Dorsey who pulled down 11 rebounds (with four of them on the offensive glass), in just under 16 minutes of floor time.
DeMar DeRozan, Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Sonny Weems, Andrea Bargnani, and Julian Wright have all played well in the past 2 games. They will look to continue their solid play as they continue onward in the next 2 games of this current 4 game road trip.
Up next for the Raptors is a match up against the Washington Wizards in the land of Obama. Washington Wizards’ rookie standout John Wall is currently in a walking boot as he injured himself in the Wizards’ last game, vs. the Chicago Bulls. This of course means he is almost certain not to be in the line up when the Raptors tip off against them tomorrow night.
After the Wizards, the Raptors face the Philadephia 76ers the next night in a second consecutive road back-to-back. Traditionally the Raptors haven’t had much success in the second of back to back games, but with the squad playing better against top tier teams, the Raps will look to continue to add ‘W’s along the way.
Bonus: ESPN.com writer Mike Wallace talks briefly about the Raptors’ loss to the Miami heat, and about the issues facing Miami after a cold start
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