Raps find Magic formula
In three previous meetings against the Magic this season, Toronto came up short. Not last night, even though the Raptors basically imploded for most of the fourth quarter, but dug deep to hold off the Magic, who haven’t been playing well of late and were on the second game of a back-to-back.
While the Raptors won it 108-103, to climb back to the .500 mark, there were some glaring weaknesses that must be cleaned up, especially on defence.
Incredibly, Orlando wasn’t called for its first foul in the fourth quarter until one minute remained.
Raps Replay
BOSH NOSE BETTER
Raptors star Chris Bosh left the game briefly in the opening quarter when he was on the receiving end of an inadvertent blow to the nose courtesy of Matt Barnes. Barnes drove the lane and used his left hand to fend off Bosh. Barnes was called for an offensive foul.
Toronto Star
Raptors stave off a late collapse
A win is a win.
But, yes, the Raptors' latest dubya, their seventh in eight games, nearly turned into a loss after an alarming fourth-quarter collapse.
The Raptors, understand, were laying a beating on the Eastern Conference defending champions on Wednesday night. Up 18 points on the Magic heading into the fourth quarter, Toronto's hoopsters had achieved everything they'd set out to do against a team that had defeated them in each of their previous three meetings. They'd frustrated Dwight Howard into eight turnovers and five fouls; they'd kept Orlando's league-best three-point production in check, holding them to 6-for-20.
National Post
Magic no match for resurgent Raptors
Jose Calderon is back in uniform, and he picked a pretty good time to join the action: The Toronto Raptors, after all, are rolling right now.
The point guard returned to the floor on Wednesday night in Orlando after missing the better part of the last month, and he did not show much rust. Part of the credit for that goes to Calderon's teammates, who are justifiably feeling good about themselves. That showed in Wednesday night's 108-103 win over the Magic at Amway Arena.
Globe and Mail
Raptors hold off Magic rally
Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh had 18 points apiece, and the Toronto Raptors nearly blew an 18-point fourth quarter lead before holding off the Orlando Magic for a 108-103 victory Wednesday night.
Hedo Turkoglu added 17 points to help the Raptors win for the seventh time in their last eight games. They also got a boost with five points from Jose Calderon in his return from a hip strain.
Vince Carter’s dunk with 43.4 seconds remaining trimmed Toronto’s lead to two. But J.J. Redick missed a three-pointer in the final seconds that could have tied the score.
Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Magic wake up too late, lose to Toronto Raptors
Otis Smith, who generally manages the Orlando Magic, surveyed the recent slump by his team and quoted Chicken Little. Well, sort of.
"We'll figure it out," he said. "The sky's not falling."
The sky might not be falling on the Magic, but it certainly is dark, cloudy and with 100 percent chance of turnovers.
The Magic's 108-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Amway Arena was their third consecutive defeat and their fourth loss in their last six games.
Orlando Game Notes
"We're not going to do anything but just keep fighting," Howard said. "Not [the] losing, but I'm glad that we're going through this stretch where we just have to fight each and every night. And every night is not pretty for us. But I think success is right around the corner for us. We've just got to continue to just find ways for us to get better.
"As a team, we do everything in the gym every day to get better," he added. "We come up short in the games, but we're going to continue to fight. Like I told the guys tonight and the other night in Indiana, I know that we're going through this phase, but we've just got to remain together."
Game Pics
Sunshine Girl
RealGm Girl(Brianna Frost)
*You guys dont need to thank me, I write these to engage in the discussion of whats happening in Raptorland. Yesterday their was a huge thread on something I posted in the daily thread, why I dont get insight rather then thanks, I dont understand. Anyways enjoy the win guys.
**More Game pics if you click the heading "Game Pics".
***Veez dont work too hard, swimming tonight.
