Game 52: Raptors at Mavericks!

Lonestar State Showdown!

• Raptors have lost 2 in a row. First to Indiana and an epic battle on Friday night to the red hot Houston Rockets. Tonight they continue their Western road trip in Dallas and do battle with the struggling Mavericks
• Danny Green missed Friday's game with a sore hand, but is available tonight. As are Kawhi Leonard and OG Anunoby, who have been out for various reasons as of late
• Dirk Nowitzki's final season rolls on but not as he thought it would. Luka Doncic has been a bright spot for Dallas this season and there are even whispers of All Star. JJ Barea is out for the remainder of the season due to an achillies injury.
• Congratulations to Kawhi Leonard for being named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All Stars at this year's All Star Game in Charlotte.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Flatlanders - "Dallas"

It's almost a given that the Raptors Track selection when the Raptors face Dallas is going to be  a country/western song. Not every time I suppose, but 9 times out of 10. Here are the Flatlanders from Lubbock, Texas with tonight's offering

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Maverick Estate Wines

This Winery is located in Oliver, British Columbia. A far cry from the Lonestar State, but great wine is almost always worth the trip. Couldn't find much on their specific wines as their website is under construction, so just enjoy an easy classic and try their Pinot Gris.

Raptors 2nd in East 36-15! Mavericks 12th in West 22-26!

Game 8: 76ers at Raptors!

All Good Things Come To An End

• The Raptors' undefeated streak ended last night as they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 124-109. It just wasn't their night as many of their players were missing and others went cold
• It doesn't get any easier as another Eastern Conference rival comes to town in the Philadelphia 76ers.
• Kawhi Leonard returns tonight after resting last night's game. OG Anunoby has been excused for personal reasons and Fred Van Vleet is also unlikely.
• Philly's biggest off season acquisition was Wilson Chandler, but he won't play tonight with a hamstring strain

Tonight's Raptors Track!

The Skyhooks - "1976 Guitar"

I know the Philadelphia 76ers are named after the year 1776 in honour of the Declaration Of Independence, but trust me finding songs about 1976 is much easier

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

The French 76 Cocktail

This is a twist on the French 75 Cocktail with vodka, champagne, grenadine syrup and lemon juice.

Raptors 2nd in East 6-1! 76ers 6th in East 4-3!

Playoffs Round 2: Game 4: Raptors (1) at Cavaliers (4)!

I Don't want this to be the final post I write this season. Stay alive Raptors. Let's do this..

• LeBron James is an absolute beast. There's really no other way to say it. We should all be sure to cherish the fact that we are seeing him do incredible things as they happen. That being said, The Raptors need to find a way to neutralize his scoring ability or take everyone else out of the picture. Otherwise, this season is done
• Masai Ujiri was fined $25,000 by the NBA for walking on the court and confronting a ref about the officiating. That's a President of a Basketball Club ladies and gents
• Fred Van Vleet was inserted into the starting lineup in replace of Serge Ibaka. Though the Raptors got off to a slow start, the minutes seemed to pay off down the stretch

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Band - "Look Out Cleveland"

It's a Canadian group lamenting about Cleveland. Kinda like what we got going on in this game.

I don't understand how people cannot enjoy The Band

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Vodka Red Bull

Frig I can't stand the smell or taste of Red Bull but it does give you an energy boost. That's exactly what the Raptors need right now. Ram this game down their throats and stay alive!

Cavaliers lead series 3-0!

Playoffs Round 1: Game 5: Wizards (8) at Raptors (1)!

We're back home and we're tied! It's come to this. This is why home court advantage is so important. Neither team has lost at home. Let's not start tonight. Get this one for the entire city of Toronto and Canada!

• All major Toronto sports teams play tonight. The Blue Jays host the Red Sox and The Maple Leafs are in a do or die game 7 in Boston against the Bruins. Raptors looking to regain the lead against the Wizards! TFC and Marlies also in action tonight.
• Fred Van Vleet practiced and looked good, but will not go tonight. OG Anunoby turned his ankle after getting hit by Ibaka and landed on by Gortat. He's a tough kid. He'll play tonight
• John Wall injured his ankle in the last game as well, but closed out the game and no update on it at this time. Probably walked (ran) it off.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Rage Against The Machine - "Know Your Enemy"

This has nothing in relation to either team name or city, but it's a fantastic pump-up song! Also it's good advice to any team or anyone looking to over come a villain. You have to know your enemy. Their strengths. Their tactics. Most importantly their weaknesses and exploit them.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Taster's Choice

Doesn't matter what you're having tonight. Whatever it is, make you sure you raise a toast to the memory of those fallen in the recent attack on citizens in Toronto. And raise another one for the heroic first responders of that magnificent city!

Series tied 2-2!

Game 72: Nets at Raptors!

We're back home and it's another Drake sponsored OVO Night in the North! The Raptors don their black & gold to face a once formidable but now fallen foe in the Brooklyn Nets!

• Raptors fought hard against Cleveland on Wednesday, but eventually fell by 3 points. AN impressive effort for sure and didn't lay down among the naysayer's commentary
• CJ Miles missed the Cleveland game with a sickness and will be missing tonight's game as well. Hope CJ gets his constitution in check when the finals roll around
• Brooklyn is essentially at full strength. Of course they've been without Jeremy Lin for most of the season, but other than him they're good to go. Which also means this will be DeMarre Caroll's first time playing in Toronto since being traded last Summer

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Esperenza Spalding - "Black Gold"

Yeah we're playing the Brooklyn Nets put tonight it's all about the Raptors baby and they're fresh as fire black and gold jerseys! Here's a smooth jam all about that dynamite combination of colours!

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Whiskey and Coke

As with every Drake night game I am enjoying a nice smooth Whiskey & Coke. 3 ice cubes. Kick back and enjoy this one tonight folks. Have a great weekend!

Raptors 1st in  East 53-19! Nets 13th in East 23-49!

Game 67: Raptors at Pacers!

Heyyyyy here we go in that caravan down to Indiana to do battle with the Pacers! The whole nation is gripped with March Madness madness, but there is still some meaningful NBA games to be played. Let's take  a look at this one!

• Good news for Toronto is that OG Anunoby has been cleared to return to the lineup. Will not likely start, but come off the bench. Which is fine because bad news is Norman Powell hurt himself in practice and will not go tonight
• Raptors signed Nigel Hayes to a second 10-day contract. Guess they liked what they saw from him in the game against the Knicks when he drilled 2 three pointers.
• Pacers have been playing well as of late. Passing Cleveland in the standings to sit 3rd in the East. Victor Oladipo continues to impress, along with players like Myles Turner, Bogdan Bogdanovic and former Raptor Cory Joseph. Domantas Sabonis will sit this game out with an ankle sprain.
• Congrats to the Raptors on their 50th win! It came Tuesday night against Brooklyn! Might they reach 60 this year for the first time in franchise history?

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Crystal Gayle - "Can't Get Indiana Off My Mind"

Guess we gotta slow things down a bit tonight with this one. Indiana is a tough one to find songs for. Hope we don't meet them in the playoffs. This song was originally by Hoagy Carmichael. Best name.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Pacer Citra Pale Ale

Heard of chasers? Well why not try a Pacer? From Christian Moerlein Brewing in Cincinatti, OH. Good in a can or a glass ooooh yeah

Raptors 1st in East 50-17! Pacers 3rd in East 40-28!

Game 61: Hornets at Raptors!

Another win over an Eastern Conference rival and another Sunday game against the Charlotte Hornets. Life in a Northern town as a b-ball fan. Charlotte makes their final regular season appearance in Toronto.

• OG Anunoby will remain out for the foreseeable future with a rolled ankle. No use rushing him back when there are plenty of goombas in Toronto's bench mob ready to step up and get meaningful minutes
• The only questionable member of Charlotte's team is Cody Zeller who might sit due to a sore left knee.
• CJ Miles had a fantastic game against Washington on Friday night. He helped Toronto pull away from a tight game with the Wizards hitting 6 3s including one as he was fading out of bounds! That actually killed me while I watched on my couch...thankfully my wife knows CPR and brought me back.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Sting - "Fields Of Gold"

I'm slowly running out of songs about "Hornets" and "Charlotte", so Sting is going to have to sub in for few rounds until more songs are written with my blog in mind. I don't think I need to explain this one do I?

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Hornet IPA

Australian beer company Black Hops Brewing brings us this dry, angry and bitter IPA.  Pours deep golden with a thin white head, fruity & hoppy aromas with a bit of earthiness.

Raptors 1st in East 44-17! Hornets 10th in East 28-35!

Game 60: Raptors at Wizards!

Capital Cities collide!! Well Toronto is only a Provincial Capital, but a Capital nonetheless! Raptors venture out on the road as they encounter the weaselly Wizards in Washington DC!

• John Wall is still out and likely to remain out for a while with a knee injury, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the Wizard's February record going 8-4 in the month.
• Washington Coach Scott Brooks was named Eastern Conference coach of the month, beating out Dwane Casey who's Raptors went 9-2 in February
• OG Anunoby left Wednesday's game with a sprained ankle. Norman Powell filled in for him and had a nice game. No word on whether OG Will play tonight or not yet

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Death Cab For Cutie - "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight"

Not sure whether the District referenced in the song's title actually references Washington DC, but I don't know that it doesn't either. Crazy to think that this album Give Up, turns 15 this year

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Washington Apple Cocktail

Funny that the first recipe I found for a drink called the Washington Apple Cocktail calls for Canadian Whiskey. Mix that with sour apple Schnapps and cranberry juice and you've got yourself a refreshing cocktail!

Raptors 1st in the East 43-17! Wizards 4th in the East 36-26!

Game 52: Grizzlies at Raptors!

It's Super Bowl Sunday, but that doesn't mean we can't find time for hoops! Raptors looking to make quick work of the visiting Grizzlies so they can get to where they need to be watch the Eagles take on the Patriots later today!

• CJ Miles is listed as questionable for this game as he missed the last 2 with knee soreness, other that all Raptors are available
• The Grizzlies on the other hand are missing quite a few players, Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Chandler Parsons and Mike Conley will all sit for the struggling Memphis squad
• Marc Gasol is in, but his name has been thrown around alot in trade rumours. February 8th is the trade deadline. Keep an eye on Memphis and the big Spaniard.

Today's Raptor Track!

The Holdsteady - "The Bear & The Maiden Fair"

This one brought to us by the 3rd or 4th season of Game Of Thrones? I Forget, but the episode definitely featured a huge Grizzly Bear!

Today's Game Day Drink!

Viewer's Choice

Maybe a bit of a cop-out, but it's Super Bowl Sunday! There should be plenty of options at your disposal tonight! Beer, wine, mixed-drinks and even some champagne for later! Cheers!

Raptors 2nd in East 35-16! Grizzlies 12th in West 18-33!

Game 29: Raptors at Hornets!

The Holiday Season is upon us and it's time for the yearly awkwardly arranged Raptors game schedule. They begin on the road tonight in Charlotte with a game against the Hornets

• CJ Miles will miss another game tonight due to a "dental" procedure. CJ has missed a few single game tenures for various reasons. Get them out now, we're gonna need his sharpshooting for the Playoffs.
• Serge Ibaka will return tonight for Toronto. He missed the last game with a sore knee
• Last time these two teams squared off the Hornets were without All Star starting point guard Kemba Walker. Charlotte has been a notoriously frustrating place for the Raptors to play. Walker must be kept in check for a shot at a W

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Cure - "Charlotte Sometimes"

Sometimes the Raptors play well in Charlotte, sometimes not. This Cure is inspired by a children's book of the same name, it's also where the songstress Jessica Poland got her stagename: Charlotte Sometimes

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Screwdriver

I'm a little under the weather tonight. So this game day drink is inspired by the fact that it's made with orange juice. Gotta replenish my fluids with a strong serving of Vitamin C...and yes VODKA

Raptors 3rd in East 20-8! Hornets 12th in East 11-19!

Game 23: Raptors at Memphis!

20 years ago whenever the Raptors and Grizzlies faced off it would be known as the Naismith Classic and it would be held in a different Canadian City each time. Of course that was when the Grizzlies were playing in Vancouver as 1 of the only 2 teams in the NBA situated outside of the US. Today only the Raptors remain as the Grizzles folded up shop and moved to Memphis in 1999. Will we ever see another Vancouver NBA team? Here's hoping, but only time will tell!

• Things haven't been a dance around the maypole in Memphis lately. After a disastrous start the organization fired head coach David Fizdale, and it has been hinted that they are listening to trade offers for Marc Gasol. Toronto has been one of the teams that those rumours are linked to.
• Mike Conley is out for the Grizzlies too. Another point of contention for Memphis fans is the highly paid point guard has spent plenty of time on the injured list instead of on the court
• Raptors are still without Delon Wright and Lucas Nogueira. Toronto is hoping to remain mostly healthy heading into the holidays, but they have a 4 game road swing to get out of the way first. It starts tonight in Memphis

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Joe Jackson - "Memphis"

Joe Jackson has been mainly known for his roots and inspiration of the New Wave scene of the late 70's and early 80's before shifting over to a more Jazz infused style. "Memphis"is off the soundtrack to the 1983 movie Mike's Murder which Jackson composed the music for

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Ambear Red Ale

For tonight's game day drink I needn't look much further than the glass in my hand. My wife picked up a Cameron's Brewing Sampler on her way home and the AmBEAR Red Ale is one of the options. This frothy, amber beer is best served cold. Sure the bear on the can is more Black Bear than Grizzly and Cameron's is a Canadian brewing company and not in Tennessee, but work with me here! It's a BEAR people!

Raptors 3rd in East 15-7! Grizzlies 12th in West 8-16!

Game 14: Raptors at Pelicans!

These guys again!!? Raptors are hoping the high from ending the Rockets' winning streak carries into tonight's game as they stop off in New Orleans to take on the Pelicans, for the second time in less than a week.

• It's the first back-to-back for the Raptors tonight as they also played and won last night in Houston. Pelicans did not play. We'll see if that helps or hinders
• OG Anunoby started in the place of the injured Norman Powell and he had quite a game. He is looking more and more like the steal of the draft when the Raptors selected him at #23 in the 2017 draft
• Rajon Rondo will likely play tonight after missing Thursday's game due to injury. He's a dangerous player who has the ability to take advantage of this road weary Raptors team

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Gary "US" Bonds - ''New Orleans"

This is one of this Rock n' Roll legends more popular songs. Gary "US" Bonds was known for his energetic jazz style of performing. He's got countless albums to his name and even guest starred in the ill-fated Blues Brothers 2000.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum

Cajuns love their spicy food, spicy music and spicy women. Why not add spicy liquor to that mix? Old New Orleans Spiced Rum has a kick of cayenne and cinammon, hints of nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Yum?

Raptors 4th in East 8-5! Pelicans 5th in West 8-6!

Game 5: Raptors at Lakers!

It's the Lonzo Ball show as the Raptors roll into Los Angeles for a battle with the Lakers! Since we just faced Steph Curry we'll see if Ball Sr. is correct in comparing the two...

• It is Lonzo Ball's birthday today, so hopefully the Raptors can spoil the 2nd overall pick's birthday celebrations.
• Still a bit too early to tell if Jonas or Bebe will be playing for Toronto. Both were sidelined with ankle injuries earlier this week, though Jakob Poeltl has been playing execptionally well in their stead. In fact he leads the league in offensive rebounds
• Lakers should be at full health. That includes Brook Lopez who they acquired from Brooklyn and rookie sensation Kyle Kuzma, who has cooled off a bit since his sizzling debut

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Tragically Hip - "Lake Fever"

Yes Gord Downie has passed and left a nation in mourning. Thank goodness we'll always have fantastic music like this to remember him by. It's not Ball fever, though tonight might feel that way, it's Lake Fever from the Hip

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Highball

In honour of Lonzo Ball we'll be having a taster's choice tonight! A Highball isn't exactly a specific drink, rather it's a glass or any drink mixed with a spirit and larger proportion non-alcoholic mix. Highball it up my friends!

Raptors 8th in the East 2-2! Lakers 7th in the West 2-2!

Preseason Game 2: Clippers at Raptors!

Yeah I know officially the game is booked as a home game for LA, but I got it backwards on Sunday so i'm switching it up for tonight's header. Raptors are still in the Island State as they face the new look Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu, Hawaii.

• Raptors won the first match-up between these two teams on Sunday. It was a good showcase for the young talent trying to make the team on both sides
• Fred Van Vleet and Delon Wright looked good for the Raptors as did Norman Powell. Though we knew he's going to turn out pretty well. Hopefully we get to see more of Alfonzo McKinnie, KJ McDaniels and few others tonight
• The Clippers have an interesting rookie prospect in Milos Teodosic. Though he's 30 years old he's considered a rookie because it's his first year in the NBA, having played the majority of his career in Europe

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Strokes - "Hawaii"

The Strokes have always seemed to just bounce off me. Never a huge fan and no real disdain for them either, but lately i've been checking them out more and more. I Like what I hear. "Hawaii" was the b-side to the single "Jukebox" released in 2005.

Tonight's Game Day Drink

Great Lakes Alberta Clipper

Sure it comes out of Ohio based brewing company Great Lakes, but it is called Alberta Clipper and at 7.8% abv it'll likely get you drunk. It's a late game so don't have too many of these, but it's the drink of choice as the NBA Preseason Hawaii games finish up tonight

BruNo? BruYes!

Preseason Game 1: Raptors at Clippers!

HOOOOWEEEEOOOOOOO it's basketball season again! And this year the Raptors are kicking things off in Hawaii!! There's been a few changes so let's take a look at the rundown as the Raptors take on the Clippers tonight!!

• It's a new season and with every new season there are new changes. Patrick Patterson has signed in OKC. PJ Tucker is now a Houston Rocket. DeMarre Carroll has been traded to the Brooklyn Nets and Cory Joseph has been traded to the Indiana Pacers for CJ Miles.
• With the 20th pick in the draft the Raptors selected OG Anunoby who last played at Indiana University. OG was slated to be a top 10 pick but fell to the Raptors after some injury issues. No word on whether he'll play tonight.
• The Clippers have been through a few changes as well, namely Chris Paul who was traded to Houston for a myriad of players including Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and Patrick Beverly.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

As tonight's game is coming from Honolulu, Hawaii I figured i'd play a song from one of their favourite sons. Big IZ was an acclaimed ukelele player and singer, though due to his weight issues he passed away at the age of 38. Scenes from his funeral are in the below video. His ashes being spread into the Pacific Ocean.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Spiked Hawaiian Punch

It's a new feature here at Raptors Tracks! Nothing better than kicking back while watching a game and having a cold drink. So to go with the games i'm gonna make a friendly drink suggestion. Tonight's is simple enough. Some spiked Hawaiian Punch