The Toronto Raptors were better Tuesday night.
Considerably better.
But there still were too many turnovers. They still played some shaky defence at times. And, oh yes, they turned in yet another absolutely horrible first quarter.
All of which contributed to their 104-103 loss to the Magic in a highly entertaining playoff tilt that wasn’t decided until the dying seconds of regulation time in Orlando, Fla.
The teams will clash again in Toronto Thursday night, with the Raptors trailing this best-of-seven series 2-0.
“We knew Toronto would come back and make this game closer than the first game (which the Raptors lost 114-100),” said Keith Bogans, one of several bench players who has excelled for Orlando in the first two games. “And they were tough. They gave us a scare.”
The Raps, in fact, were actually in good position to pull out a victory before the final buzzer. After an offensive foul against the Magic’s Keyon Dooling, who backed into Jose Calderon while Orlando was inbounding the ball, the Raps were given possession with only 9.3 seconds left in regulation and down a point.
Chris Bosh, who played a respectable game, fired a jump shot from just inside the three-point line, but drew iron. Orlando rebounded. Game over.
“We knew Bosh would take that shot, then and there,” Bogans said. “He’s their main guy. But (Orlando centre) Dwight Howard did a good job making him readjust his shot and he missed.”
And the Raps missed an opportunity to silence the critics who surely will blame the team for a pathetic first quarter. This time, the Magic was able to jump ahead 35-17. On Sunday, Orlando led 43-23 after one quarter.
How the heck does this happen? How does a team fall so far behind early in two consecutive games?
Why haven’t the Raptors been ready to go from the outset?
Folks, there was something seriously wrong with this, and you don’t have to be an NBA guru to recognize this.
Once was bad enough, but twice?
That was an embarrassment.
And it doesn’t say much about how the Raptors’ coaching staff prepared its players.
Head coach Sam Mitchell, who was given a bulky contract before this season, might just get the heave-ho after this season. That is, unless the Raptors can muster up enough to record a complete turnaround in this series.
Hey, play-by-play shill/announcer Chuck Swirsky predicted the Raptors would defeat the Magic in six games. Still can happen. If it doesn’t, though, look for changes, starting with Mitchell.
There have been better Grey Cup games, sure, but if there has been a more enjoyable Grey Cup week than the one in Calgary in 2000, I’m not aware of it.
And I’ve covered 26 of these things since 1979.
So allow me to express a smidgeon of joy that, at a news conference today, CFL commissioner Mark Cohon will confirm what we’ve been speculating for nearly a year now—that Calgary will be the site of the 2009 Grey Cup. Accompanying the commish at the news conference will be politicians, Stampeders executives, bells and whistles.
The 2007 championship game was in Toronto last November. This November, it’ll be in Montreal.
And, in case you’ve forgotten, the B.C. Lions edged the Montreal Alouettes 28-26 in the 2000 final.
CFL executives are starting to openly worry about what’s happening in Toronto, what with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills set to play games at the Rogers Centre the next five years.
“What happens to the league if the Argonauts fade away?” asked Rob Pletch, chairman of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. “What happens to our TV contract and sponsorships? The instinct is to say all works well in the West, but we need the Ontario support. We have some business guys in Toronto who have wanted the NFL there for a long time. They have significant resources and they control the stadium there. . .”
The NHL has a new competition committee.
Replacing Caglary Flames captain Jarome Iginla and three other veterans—Trevor Linden, Rob Blake and Brendan Shanahan – are Jason Spezza, Brian Campbell, Jeff Halpern, Ryan Miller and Mathieu Schneider.
Iginla, Linden, Blake and Shanahan represented NHL players on the committee the past three years.
So the Montreal Canadiens wound up winning their first-round playoff series, but let’s face it:
Other than the seventh game Monday night, when they eviscerated Boston 5-0, they weren’t really all that impressive against the Bruins.
And if they don’t sharpen up in the second round, they won’t advance.
“We didn’t play our style until (the seventh game),” acknowledged Montreal star Alexei Kovalev. “We have to be better.”
Especially on the power play. The Canadiens led the NHL in power-play efficiency during the regular season but, against the Bruins, they were a mere 3-for-33.
And you can’t help but wonder which Carey Price you’ll see in the second round.
The rookie netminder allowed 10 goals in the fifth and sixth games against Boston but was stellar in blocking 25 shots Monday night.
“Carey’s 20,” teammate Tomas Plekanec said, “but he has the poise of a 40-year-old. I know a lot of goalies who wouldn’t have been able to bounce back the way Carey did (in the seventh game). I guess he was just brought up right.”
Price is the son of the chief of B.C.’s Ulkatcho First Nation.
Plekanec on playing with brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn: “They have a way of finding each other. They talk to each other and then it seems they find a way to do something on the ice. Sometimes, I think they don’t need me out there. . .”
Has anyone ever seen Brian Burke crack a smile?
This is a who guy really, really, really, really needs to loosen up.
Why would the Toronto Maple Leafs want this guy to be their general manager?
His team, the Anaheim Ducks, woefully underachieved this season.
I think Glen Sather would make far more sense for the Leafs than Burke. At least I’ve seen Sather smile a few times over the years.
