Game 66: Raptors vs. Pacers - Post-game
RAPTORS WIN! RAPTORS WIN! RAPTORS WIN! Mark this day in history, RAPTORS WIN! Okay, now that I have that out of my system, there were a couple of things that really impressed me today. So let’s get on with that and leave (most of) the silly stuff here.
If there was ever a guy making the most of an opportunity, it would have to be Pops. Look at his line today. Seriously, take the time right now to go and check out his line. 22 minutes, 21 points, 8 rebounds and 11-13 from the line (and you know how much I preach about hitting free throws if you are going to play inside). Now THAT is a game. But as I’ve mentioned before, it’s not like Pops is trying to reinvent the wheel in there. He’s hustling and getting tough on the boards. He’s active and isn’t afraid to get a little dirty for the ball. That is going to lead to some more trips to the line, which we saw today. He has found a nice little niche that needed to be filled and is fitting in quite nicely.
Also, let’s give it up for Andrea’s performance today. What I liked about his play today wasn’t even so much that he chalked up 27 points and just missed a double-double with 9 boards, it’s that he did it coming off of the flu (and who knows if he is really still 100%). I know, it’s not like he’s out there playing with a broken leg, but seriously, think of the last time you had the flu. Think about how horrible you felt, how you barely had enough energy to get from your bed to the toilet and then to the couch. Even when you were good enough to go back to work or school, you still didn’t feel like doing anything, right? Now imagine you are playing in the NBA as a big man. Okay, now you understand why I am giving him some praise here. Andrea is showing that he does have some toughness, even if he is never going to be the kind of player who goes in knocking guys over. He made a statement today.
I’m also going to give it up for Joey today. Joey had a rough time shooting the ball today. There’s no other way to say it. The dude was 0-7 from the field and it was an ugly 0-7. But here’s why I’m giving it up for Joey. He didn’t let his bad shooting day stop him from picking up 10 boards. That’s what it means to be a professional. When you can not let one part of your game curse another part, when you are able to block things out and keep hustling, that shows your dedication to the game. So it was nice to see something like that coming from a team that has all sorts of problems.
On the negative side, the Raptors showed again that for some reason, Troy Murphy gives them problems. He didn’t light it up, but he did post a double-double and he probably would have had more points if the Pacers had given him some more touches.
Overall, a nice way to end the losing skid and a great way for the rest of us to start the work week.
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