Playoff Series Round 1: Game 5 Pacers at Raptors

Alright back home in TO!! I didn't have a chance to watch much of Game 4...though it seems I didn't miss much. So let's get the Boys back on the winning side tonight, by being the crazy Raptors fans that we're known for!! WE THE NORTH!!

• It seems poor turnovers and worse shooting was the culprit in game 4. Plus Indiana couldn't miss and played a hell of a game on the defensive end. You had to know Indiana would do whatever it took to get a win at home
• Patrick Patterson has said that he expects tonight's game to much more physical than any of the others. Let's hope he means a more intense approach on D taking the rock hard inside on offense.
• With a win tonight the Raptors will only need one more to take the series. Game 6 is in Indiana once more and the series will wrap up in Toronto if need be, for game 7

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Alkaline Trio - "We've Had Enough"

We've had enough of these negative, so-called Raptor fans. Enough of all the uncertainty and pessimism in the media. And we've had enough of Paul George and the Indiana Pacers!  GET PUMPED!! This is our team and our time!! 

LETS GO RAPTORS!!

Playoff Series Round 1: Game 3 Raptors at Pacers (Post Game)

BUSH PARTY TONIGHT!!!! Wait, wrong team....WE THE NORTH!!! Raptors roll into Indiana and dominate the entire way to move the series to 2-1 in favour of Toronto

• Jonas Valanciunas' name is on the lips of many a NBA analyst these days as he had a monster game 2 against the Pacers. Indiana was looking for ways to stop him tonight, like get him in early foul trouble, but Lowry, DeRozan and Biyombo all stepped up and answered the call
• DeMarre Carroll had his first great game of the series with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Draining 3 three's in the process it;s great to see him doing so well with the minutes he's getting after such a devastating injury
• DeMar DeRozan also stepped up with many an eye on him tonight. He didn't have a great game 1 or 2 but tonight he imposed his will getting 21 points. Here's hoping he can do even better in game 4 on Saturday!

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Prince - "Purple Rain"

Raptors wear purple. Rain threes. Prince passes away. Raptors win. The circle of life.

R.I.P in peace sweet Prince

Playoff Series Round 1: Game 2 Pacers at Raptors

Raptors fans everywhere are holding their breath right now. After losing the first game the Toronto Raptors aim to bounce back in what should be looked at as a must-win for Toronto.

• Game 1 was going the way Toronto wanted until Paul George started heating up. If he gets going and Lowry and Derozan don't have an offensive answer, then it might be another long day for the Raptors
• Don't expect any change in the starting line up. Powell, Valanciunas and Scola all played well, so I can't see a big shake up coming in that regard.
• Hopefully DeMarre Carroll will be stuck to Paul George all game and bring some of that defensive toughness that we brought him here for.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Dig - "Believe"

Alot of grim and dismal chatter going on all over the net from Raptors fans. C'mon guys we gotta believe!! It's a seven game series!! LET"S GOOO!!!

SEA OF PURPLE!!

Playoff Series Round 1: Game 1 Pacers at Raptors!

This is it y'all! What we've all been waiting for!! Raptors finish the season on a high note and lock up the second spot in the Eastern Conference. The playoffs begin today where they'll face the seventh seed Indiana Pacers!

• Raptors took the regular season series with the Pacers 3 games to 1. Though the playoffs are a different beast, one of those wins came with Lowry and DeRozan sitting on the bench. Another saw Bismack Biyombo grab a franchise high 25 rebounds!
• It's a good story for the Pacers though. After missing the post season last year with All Star Paul George sidelined with a devastating leg injury, the Pacers came back strong this year adding Monte Ellis and Ty Lawson to their lineup. PG has been playing at another level, but Indiana is going to need some other players to step up if they hope to compete with the Raptors. He has also been dealing with an ankle injury, who knows if it's all smoke and mirrors though.
• I don't expect many changes to Toronto's starting lineup. Norman Powell has been playing extremely well for us and was even named the Eastern Rookie of the month for April. It's possible DeMarre Carroll will see more starter's minutes if Paul George is too much to handle for Powell. All in all should be a fun series. I predict Raptors in 6ix!.

Tonight's Raptors Track!!

Drake - "Summer Sixteen"

There's a lot of hype surrounding the fact that Drake is releasing his new album Views From The 6 on the same day that a possible Game 6 will fall, should the Pacers/Raptors series come to it. Love him or hate him, you can't deny what Drake has done for the popularity of Toronto and the Raptors. Expect him to be court side at each game.

Playoffs??

Game 82: Raptors at Nets

Game 82! Here we go. Last one of the regular season and we finish off in Brooklyn. Raptors are resting players, Nets looking for purpose. Let's take a look.

• As I said the Raptors are resting quite a few players tonight. Lowry, DeRozan, Carroll, Valanciunas and James Johnson didn't even make the trip to the borough of Brooklyn. It's going to be a bench squad tonight and maybe a Bruno sighting.
• Brooklyn. Cripes. What can I say? They are struggling. No draft picks in the foreseeable future, so tanking isn't even something to cheer for. Here's hoping they can figure themselves out. For Brooklyn's sake
• We know now who the Raptors will face in the first round of the Playoffs. It's going to be Indiana. Not sure what time the first game is on, but it will likely be a Saturday afternoon tip off.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Dave Matthews Band - "The Last Stop"

This song has nothing to do with the Nets or Brooklyn, but it's Toronto's last stop before they switch on Playoff mode and get down to business.

Raptors 2nd in East 55-26! Nets 14th in East 21-60!

Game 81: 76ers at Raptors

Last home game of the year as the Philadelphia 76ers come to town. Raptors already have the Atlantic Division locked up, but it's another Division rivalry game on a Tuesday night

• Dwane Casey says he's not resting anyone tonight except James Johnson who has a sore foot. That means Scola is back and Carroll is playing too. Casey is likely making sure everything is firing properly when the Playoffs roll around on Saturday.
• The Philadelphia 76ers recently announced they've hired ex-Raptor GM Bryan Colangelo as their new General Manager, after their previous one stepped down. Colangelo walked away from Toronto after Masai Ujiri was brought in to replace him, even after BC was offered another role in the organization. Quite a few fans speak real low about Colangelo but he is the one who drafted DeMar DeRozan, Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and brought us Kyle Lowry. Though he hung on to Andrea Bargnani too long and tried to wedge Rudy Gay into an already imperfect setting.
• Philly fans are hoping for a new approach next season as lately their "lose now draft high" strategy has seen them at the very bottom of the league again. Maybe Bryan Colangelo can make things happen where Henkie couldn't

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Boyz II Men - "Motown Philly"

This is an obscure, more upbeat than usual song for the Philadelphia natives Boyz II Men. Note the spelling on those please. Though they would become more widely known for their emotional ballads about love and heartbreak, it's good for them to show they were capable hip-hop artists as well.

Raptors 2nd in East 54-26! Sixers 15th in East 10-70!

Game 80: Raptors at Knicks

Here we go again! 3 more games of the regular season and they're all Atlantic Division opponents. One more time at Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks!

• The Knicks have been eliminated from the playoffs, but we like watching them lose. We own whichever draft pick is lower between Denver and New York in this year's draft.  So anytime one of those teams loses is a win for T.O.
• Demarre Carroll returned against the Hawks on Thursday but didn't play on Friday against Indiana due to it being a back to back. Expect to see Carroll get some playing time tonight.
• I know some of the New York veterans told their coach Kurt Rambis to focus more on playing the younger guys since they aren't making the playoffs anyway. Not sure if that means we won't see guys like Carmelo, Robin Lopez and Aron Afflalo, but who knows

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Snow Patrol - "New York"

An Irish band singing about New York, that's how much of an worldly influence that city has on the arts. Musicians and artists from all over world weave tales and paint portraits inspired by Earth's greatest city. "New York" comes off their last album Fallen Empires released in 2011.

Raptors 2nd in East 53-26! Knicks 13th in East 32-48!

Game 79 Pacers at Raptors

Yes the Raptors dropped one last night, but there some silver linings to the clouds that hang over a loss. Only 2 home games left and one of them is tonight as Indiana comes to play

• DEMARRE CARROLL IS BACK!! He returned last night to limited minutes. Though he only scored 5 points, his athleticism didn't seem hampered by his time off at all. He made some hustle plays and his presence was a sigh of relief to those worried about his effectiveness come playoff time
• Tonight's game is a preview of a potential first round paring in the playoffs. While Toronto is locked in at 2nd, the Pacers are jockeying for that 7th spot. Also with an Indiana win tonight the Bulls will be knocked out of playoff potential
• Indiana is on a 3 game win streak, seemingly hellbent on clinching a playoff berth. The last time the Raptors faced them they were without some key players, namely Jonas Valanciunas. In his absence though Bismack Biyombo set a franchise high 25 rebounds. I fully expect Biz to get some serious burn tonight

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Systems Officer - "Pacer"

I don't know shit about this band. This track though is pretty sweet though. Apparently it was on the soundtrack for The Vampire Diaries and it's as old as at least 2009. Anyone got any info drop me a lizzy.

Raptors 2nd in East 52-26! Pacers 7th in East 42-36!

Game 78: Raptors at Hawks

These guys again!! The win record keeps growing as it stands at 52 after defeating the Hornets. Raptors roll into Atlanta tonight to take on the Hawks....again..

• Still no definite return date for Demarre Carroll. It would have been a nice homecoming for him to return playing his former team, but I guess everyone is just being cautious.
• Ken Bazemore will not be playing for the Hawks tonight due to knee and wrist injuries. Tiago Splitter still out as well
• Valanciunas has been playing well as of late and becoming a more defensive oriented player. He's had more blocked shots and rebounds than any other time of his career. A good sign heading into the playoffs.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

B.o.B - "Atlanta, Ga"

B.o.B is Bobby Ray Simmons a Georgia native who broke on the mainstream scene back in 2008. Since then he's had big hits with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo and Paramore's Hayley Williams. "Atlanta, Ga" is from an EP in 2008, before he found success.

Raptors 2nd in East 52-25! Hawks 3rd in East 46-32!

Game 77: Hornets at Raptors

Big congrats to Kyle Lowry's alma matter & the Villanova Wildcats for clinching the National Championship last night in a victory over Michael Jordan's old team the UNC Tarheels in the March Madness finals. And oh what providence that the Jordan owned Charlotte Hornets are in town to face Lowry's Toronto Raptors!!

• After getting a few days rest it appears that both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will play tonight for the Raptors. Lowry was in Houston last night to watch Villanova take home the NCAA Championship. Maybe that will inspire his play tonight?
• For the Hornets it appears Nicolas Batum has been ruled out but Al Jefferson who has been dealing with a quad injury will likely play. Jefferson has given Valanciunas issues in the past, hopefully we'll see some improvement tonight seeing as JV has been on fire lately
• It will also be good to see Biyombo do well against his former team. Charlotte doesn't really have a big off the bench that can match his intensity.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Unearth - "The Swarm"

It seems The Hornets have started a hashtag campaign #entertheswarm to hype themselves and fans up for the Playoffs! It's pretty cool seeing their players done up in Hornet themed war paint. Reminds me of The Raptors' own We The North campaign from a few years back that is still around today.
This song is fast and heavy. "The Swarm" by Unearth

Raptors 2nd in East 51-25! Hornets 6th in East 44-32!

Game 76 Raptors at Spurs

Raptors are on a 2 game win streak as the season is winding down. They roll into Texas tonight to take on the San Antonio Spurs on their home court. Will the mighty Spurs stand their ground or can Raptors hand them their first loss on their own soil?

• It's a tough back to back for Toronto. After edging out the Grizzlies last night in a grind'em out game they must face the 2nd team in the West. The Spurs are undefeated at home as well. Everything must go the Raptors way to secure a victory tonight
• Luis Scola is likely still sitting tonight against the team that drafted him. Jason Thompson will get the start for Toronto and has been doing an admirable job. While he might not have the offense that Scola brings, Thompson is relentless on the boards and can cause turnovers with his hustle.
• Coach Pop has been known to rest his entire starting line up in games down the stretch to prepare for the post-season, but it does not appear to be the case tonight. Expect Parker, Duncan, Aldridge, Green and Leonard to all be active tonight against the Raptors

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Bob Wills & His Playboys - "New San Antonio Rose"

Bob Wills was an old school Western and Swing music singer/song writer. Though the original song "San Antonio Rose" was an instrumental, lyrics were eventually added and it was renamed "New San Antonio Rose". The song would be covered by countless artists like Willie Nelson, Harry James and the most famous version was done by Bing Crosby

Raptors 2nd in East 51-24! Spurs 2nd in West 63-12!

Game 75 Raptors at Grizzlies!

It's a good feeling to be a Raptors fan these days and let's hope that feeling keeps going. Raptors touch down in Memphis to play their old Canadian rivals, the Grizzlies, in another installment of the Naismith cup.

• For the first time in franchise history the Raptors have reached 50 wins after beating the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. They also locked up the Atlantic Division championship for the 3rd straight year after the Celtics lost to Portland last night. Good stuff!
• More good news is hearing DeMarre Carroll himself saying that he's hoping to be back on the court for the last few games of the year and in time for the playoffs. He was seen getting shops up earlier today in Memphis
• Memphis are still very much in the West's playoff picture even though they are limping towards the end of the season with a rash of injured players. Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, PJ Hairston and Brandan Wright are all out tonight due one injury or another

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Tragically Hip - "50 Mission Cap"

In celebration of the 50 wins we gotta go with some Canadian content here! "50 Mission Cap" is one of the Hip's best known songs,. It tells the true story of the fate of the Bill Barilko a Canadian hockey player who last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes a hockey song on a Basketball blog. 50!!

Raptors 2nd in East 50-24! Grizzlies 5th in West 41-34!