Final Score: TOR 110 – CHI 78

One night after getting off their losing skid and finally showing some signs of life, the Raps were once again in a game against an under performing, but still skilled, Bulls team. Although the Bulls record doesn’t truly show the type of raw talent on the team, much like the Raptors, they are a team that can hurt you in different parts of the game if not taken seriously. Going into the game, Jose had to be thinking defense to keep the slashing and quick off the dribble Derrick Rose at bay. Down low, Bosh et al had to be focused in on stopping Noah from getting the Bulls some second opportunities. The Raps focus should have been on building off of the baby steps, as Seb mentioned, from last nights victory. Enough can’t be said about how the fundamentals are imperative to success.

Coming out of the gate the Raps killed it. I don’t know what much more can be said – everybody was getting after it. To see this type of energy on a back to back is even more unheard of for the Raptors. DeMar had some solid takes to the basket, showing his growth as a player in the last couple of games. He no longer looks like a tentative rookie. He was never doing much wrong per se, but in earlier games this season you could tell he was a bit nervous out there at some points. In the first quarter we saw a thunderous baseline throwdown on Brad Miller, and a ridiculous one handed alley oop from Jose – an oop that I did not think he would get to (made me bite my tongue eh DeMar?).

It was nice to see Bargs put the 6/20 night he had last night behind him, and come out tonight with the mindset that this game was going to be different. The mental toughness is something we’ve seen a drastic improvement in this year. Also in the first, Bosh was back to his usual tricks. I love it when Bosh gives me life in those legs on the second night of a back to back. Five of his first eight boards were on the offensive end – whenever you can get these extra chances, you’re in for a solid night.

The defense was looking fluid in the early parts of this game. The Raps were working as a cohesive unit, transitioning around and contesting all shots. They were brining energy to the court, and you could see that in their mind they felt they had something to prove. As quoted by the great Jack Armstrong “Excellence is a habit, not an act.” After a 37 – 16 lead for Toronto after one quarter, we saw glimmers of excellence. I sincerely hope it’s not just another act.

Well, the Raptors started the second quarter right where they left off in the first. They were holding the Bulls to one-and-done trips, limiting the offensive boards and minimizing second chance points. Marco was a nice burst of energy in the second quarter with a couple quick baskets, a steal and a nice dish to Bosh. One thing that impresses me about him is his ability to distribute the basketball. This skill is enhanced when he does hit a few shots as the defense is required to pay some attention to him. This is a nice skill set to have coming off the bench.

The lead could have been huge at half. Obviously I’m still pleased with a 64 – 44 lead for the Raps at the half, but there’s still a part of me that wished it was larger. It wasn’t a case of the Raps hitting a lull however, which is a good thing. The dino’s still basically matched Chicago basket for basket. We’re accustomed to seeing huge runs by other teams to crawl right back into it. At half I said to myself, “If we trade buckets the rest of the night and come out with a win, that’s more than enough for me.” I just hope that the third quarter doesn’t prove deadly again…

After a couple trips to start the third where all the Raps could muster was a three pointer late in the shot clock, I got a little uneasy feeling my stomach. I had visions of Raptors settling for shots dancing through my head; and we all know how that strategy plays out for the Raps historically in the third. But, after those, the Raps got right back into the groove of things. With a couple Bosh dunks, and endless second chance opportunities due to hustle on the Raps part, Toronto built the lead to just about 30 points with 12 minutes to go. All in all, it was an excellent quarter for the Raptors – you know things are going well when Jack’s tying his shoes on the court during a live play; with the ball in his hands nonetheless. There are most definitely still things to be done and figured out, and it was a good quarter against a seemingly lackadaisical Bulls team, but once again, it was a huge improvement from what we’re used to seeing coming out of the locker room, and I have to give the guys credit where credit is due.

After a couple of minutes had gone by in the fourth, and no “out of this world” pushes were made by the Bulls to get back into the game, I was set to chalk up the victory. I knew it was going to be a fourth quarter full of garbage time – but when you’re up by 30+ with 7 minutes to play, what more do you expect? And also, what more can I say about the game at this point…

There were a lot of positives to take away from this game as I mentioned. It was nice to see a solid back to back performance, I loved the energy on the glass, the defensive movement was much improved, and the Raps shot selection and patience was on point.

After winning two in a row, and starting to get momentum back on your side after a dismal stretch, the Raps can’t afford to let up – not by a long shot. Now is the time to make a push to get back on the brighter side of .500. With upcoming games against Minnesota and Milwaukee, two teams who are struggling currently, Toronto needs to stretch this into a four game winning streak. After those two games, the Raps get a second chance against the Atlanta Hawks – a team that totally demoralized them in the last matchup. However if I was trying to be a “glass is half full” kinda guy, I’d like to thank Atlanta for opening our eyes and giving us a reason to respect ourselves and our game.

To stay on the topic of tonight’s matchup, and not get ahead of ourselves here, the Raps came out with energy and outworked Chicago – bottom line. We finally held a team to under 100 points – thank God, Allah, Buddha and whoever else anybody prays to. We still need to remember to take it one game at a time. Every game is just as important as the next, and focus cannot be lost. Period.

Raptors win, Raptors win, Raptors win.

Jordan Steffler
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