Game 74: Hornets at Raptors!

Home Stretch

• After a tough loss the Raptors host the Charlotte Hornets who are scrapping and fighting and doing everything they can to get into a playoff position down the stretch
• Kyle Lowry is listed as questionable with an ankle injury that he suffered last week during the home game against the Knicks. Kawhi will be playing
• Charlotte is likely going to be without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist due to a concussion and Cody Zeller who is recovering from a knee injury. Former Raptor and fan favourite Bismack Biyombo likely to get the start.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

King Buzzo - "Useless King Of The Punks"

Roger Osborne, also known as Buzz Osborne, also known as King Buzzo is the guitar player, vocalist and main songwriter for the legendary grunge group known as The Melvins. He's also collaborated with Venomous Concept and the Fantomas. This track is from his solo album This Machine Kills Artists.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Coors Light

Raptors haven't fared too well lately on Sunday games, so let's get back to basics. Sit courtside and have a Coors, the official beer of the Toronto Raptors. Can't you just imagine all the lads sitting around, joshing with each other and the coaches holding a Coors...not drinking of course. Just holding.

Raptors 2nd in East 51-22! Hornets 10th in East 33-39!

Game 4: Hornets at Raptors!

Raptors Klaw Back!

• Another win for the Raptors on Saturday as they went 117-113 over the Washington Wizards. Kawhi Leonard did not play that game, so Nick Nurse went with the third different starting lineup that saw both Anunoby and Powell get the start
• The Hornets added a few key pieces in the offseason. Kawhi Leonard's former San Antonio team mate Tony Parker signed with Charlotte in the off season and will likely come off the bench behind Kemba Walker and former Raptor Bismack Biyombo was traded back to Charlotte, he was drafted by the team in 2011.
• Kawhi Leonard will play tonight, but Delon Wright is still out due to a back strain.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Hornets - "Your're Falling Down"

Dang near impossible to find anything out about these guys. Looks like the song here was released this year, so maybe we'll hear more about them soon

Tonight's Game Day Drink

Hornet India Pale Ale

Dry, angry and bitter, Hornet has some serious sting with a balancing aroma of stone and citrus fruits. This modern IPA drinks with a subtle sweetness and a sturdy presence of hop bitterness

Raptors first in the East 3-0! Hornets fourth in the East 2-1!

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 55: Raptors at Hornets!

Don't look now, but thanks to Boston's loss the other night the Raptors find themselves in 1st in the East! They definitely helped themselves out going 4-0 on a recent home stand, now Toronto has to take care of business on the road! Raptors in Charlotte to take on the Hornets in afternoon NBA action!

• No injuries to speak of on either side of the court tonight. So that also means no excuses!
• Charlotte went the same route as Toronto during the trade deadline and didn't make any major moves. Keeping point guard Kemba Walker who's name was among trade rumours. They did acquire Willy Hernangomez from New York however.
• Only a few games before the much needed NBA All Star break. Gotta keep the momentum going and hold on to that 1st seed going into the break

Today's Raptor Track!

Iron Maiden - "Charlotte The Harlot"

We're going all the way back to 1980 for this one. Neither of these teams existed at that time. Neither did I!! From Iron Maiden's debut self titled album, it's got a bit of a different sound than maybe some of the Maiden you're used to. That's because this is not Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals. The first two albums in Maiden's catalog had Paul Di'Anno. Dickinson would first appear on 1982's Number Of The Beast

Today's Game Day Drink!

Honey Pie Double IPA

Brought to us by the Birdsong Brewing Co. out of, you guessed it, Charlotte, NC. Honey Pie Double IPA is often referred to as "Heaven In A Glass". It's a limited release so track it down while you can!

Raptors 1st in East 38-16! Hornets 10th in East 23-32!

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 20: Hornets at Raptors!

Guess who's back? Back again!! That's right suckahs! After a week's vacation i'm back in the Raptor-cheering saddle! Though I proudly represented the 6ix down in Cancun! Since i've been away the Raptors have gone 2-2. Losing to New York and Indiana and beating Washington and Atlanta. Tonight we host the Hornets!

• Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka are back for Toronto, though Norman is now back to the bench after OG Anunoby has impressed with starters minutes. I think it makes sense. Norm is too similar to DeMar and he gets more touches off the bench. 
• Delon Wright remains out with a dislocated shoulder. Last year against Charlotte was kind of his arrival party as he lead the comeback from a defensive stand point when the Raptors were down big
• Kemba Walker appears to be out for the Hornets, Michael Carter-Williams will likely get the start. Charlotte also added All-Star big man Dwight Howard over the summer, just adding to the long list of Raptor killers on this Hornet team

Tonight's Raptor Track!!

Hawkwind - "Lord Of The Hornets"

Hawkwind was Lemmy from Motorhead's band before Motorhead. They were more acid influenced than whiskey influenced and definitely more experimental. It also featured Robert Calvert who wrote most of the lyrics and had a successful solo career. Which is why it's featured on both artists' albums.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Jack Daniels' Tennessee Honey

You might remember this commercial from a few years back that featured a swarm of bees surrounding a whiskey bottle. I dunno...didn't really make me want to drink booze, a bunch of gross insects flying about, but the commercial and song stuck with me. So it's enough to include it here tonight

Raptors 4th in East 12-7! Hornets 11th in East 8-11!

Game 75: Hornets at Raptors!

Raptors looking to make it 6 straight in the 6ix! Though it's a team with playoff aspirations coming to town, let's take a look at what the Raptors need to do to avoid getting STUNG by Hornets.

• DeMarre Carrol will likely be back and will be reinserted into the starting line up after missing a few games with a sore lower back.
• Charlotte have a fully healthy squad, which is what they want because as of now they sit 3 games out of a play off spot. Every game counts for them
• Last time these two teams met the Hornets got up big early. It was kind of the first game that started a trend of Raptors coming from behind to win. Delon Wright got serious minutes during that one, with Lowry still out, Wright will likely have to step up again

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Hold Steady - "Hornets! Hornets!"

The lead singer of this band sounds exactly like a singer from another band...hold on I'll get it... Louis XIV!!!! That's who. Remember them they had a hit back in 2000-whatever with "Finding Out True Love is Blind!" I'm playing them both. You judge.

Louis XIV - "Finding Out True Love Is Blind"

Raptors 4th in East 45-29! Hornets 11th in East 34-41!

Game 57: Hornets at Huskies!

Raptors couldn't get one bugaboo off their back in losing to the Chigaco Bulls for the 11th time and tonight they face another on going drama. The Charlotte Hornets come to town and we all know of Toronto's long storied history with the Charlotte franchise!

• It's Hardwood Classics night as the ACC will transform to be the home of The Huskies once more! Love the vintage throwback jerseys and the look of the floor.
• Charlotte are also struggling just as the Raptors have. Winning only five games so far in 2017, Charlotte also recently made a trade acquiring Chris Andersen and Miles Plumlee.
• Plumlee though is out tonight along with Ramon Sessions and Cody Zeller for the Hornets. And no Serge Ibaka will not play for the Raptors, neither will Patrick Patterson

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Huey Mack - "Charlotte"

I was gonna do a Serge Ibaka inspired song tonight, but I think i'll save for his on court debut. Here is a song by Charlotte by some one with a ridiculous name

Raptors 5th in East 32-24! Hornets 10th in East 24-31

Game 43: Raptors at Hornets!

It's Friday night and the Raptors look to close out a road trip with a victory. They take on the struggling Charlotte Hornets tonight in North Carolina.

• First off, congrats are in order to DeMar DeRozan for getting voted in to the All-Star game in New Orleans as a starter. First time in his career and well deserved. Fully expect Kyle Lowry to join him there on the reserves list
• Another player you can look for on that reserves list is Charlotte's Kemba Walker. He's been playing well despite his team's struggles
• DeMarre Carroll took a leg to the back of the head in Wednesday's game and didn't return. It appears his neck is still sore, but he may try to give it a go.
• FORMER RAPTOR ALERT: Tyler Hansbrough is playing infront of the Carolina fans once again. After spending multiple years as a Tarheel at UNC he was drafted by Indiana into the NBA. Later signing with Toronto for 2 years and then finally signing on with the Hornets. Though he doesn't get much playing time with Roy Hibbert and Cody Zeller on the roster, im sure he's happy to be back in the state he's from.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Horn - "Things In Themselves"

Just discovered that this band existed this week. A guy I know's uncle was the keyboard player. Though they didn't get much recognition, the fact they have an album uploaded to Youtube is cool enough. From Toronto, a self described jazz band with shades of Frank Zappa.

Raptors 2nd in East 28-14! Hornets 7th in East 21-21!