Game 63: Trailblazers at Raptors!

March Madness!

• Last game of a 4 game homestead before heading down to Detroit on Sunday! The Month of February was kind to the Raptors, going 8-1, with their sole loss coming against the Orlando Magic, which of course yours truly was in attendance for!
• Raptors have added Jodie Meeks on a 10-day contract to try him out before the end of the season, he played well in the limited minutes he's been getting against Orlando and Boston.
• Fred Van Vleet is still out with a broken thumb. Evan Turner is out for Portland with a knee injury and Enes Kanter, a Turk, has some immigration issues that will keep him from entering Canada. Other than that Portland has a full squad who are looking great since the All Star Break

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Bon Jovi - "Blaze Of Glory"

The days of hair metal and rollin' down the road songs by dusty, American soft rock bands were a simpler time. If you're too young to have lived through those brief moments of history then please allow Jon Bon Jovi and the boys to enlighten you with "Blaze Of Glory"

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Marquee Game Night Choice

Tonight's game has been added to ESPN's national broadcast in favour of the Boston/Washington game, so that's a reason to celebrate. Also this week saw the Raptors host their annual Season Ticket Holder's Social night out on the town which saw the likes of Kawhi, OG and Marc Gasol bartending. So take your pick tonight and enjoy it!

Raptors 2nd in East 45-17! Trail Blazers 4th in West 38-23!

Game 31: Raptors at Trail Blazers!

Walking Wounded...

• Raptors shocked the Golden State Warriors and basically the whole NBA by dominating them in a 113-93 win on Wednesday night. Kawhi Leonard did not play
• He's listed as questionable tonight aswell as Kyle Lowry who is suffering from a thigh bruise. Jonas Valanciunas took a hard swipe from Draymond Green on Wednesday night. He's out for approximately 4 weeks with a dislocated thumb
• Raptors also call up Canadian Centre Chris Boucher from the 905 in JV's absence. Maurice Harkless returns to the Trail Blazers tonight so they come at the Raptors at full strength

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Oregon Girl"

Also known as SSLYBY, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are an indie pop group from Springfield, Missouri. Their name has made them semi-stars in Russia and played a concert in Moscow just 3 months after Yeltsin's death

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Ink & Roses IPA

This one comes from the Portland Brewing Company located where else but Portland, OR. Since the Trail Blazers play at the Rose Garden, I felt it fitting to include this IPA named Ink & Roses.

Raptors 1st in East 23-7! Trail Blazers 9th in West 15-13!

Game 51: Trailblazers at Raptors! OVO Night!

I can't believe it came down to a free throw.....shake it off boys! Defend your home court as the visiting Portland Trailblazers look for a W in the East! North East! Gold & Black is back!

• Portland has been waiting for the Raptors in Toronto while they tried to take of business in Washington. A tough road loss can only lead to a fierce home victory
• The Blazers may be without big man Jusuf Nurkic and Maurice Harkless. Likely game time decisions for both
• Fred Van Vleet is back from his turn at babysitting and CJ Miles is also a game time decision due to that sore knee. Likely out.
• Big congrats to Damian Lillard for making his first All Star game. In the hyper competitive West, this is a real accomplishment

Tonight's Raptor Track!

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - "How Near How Far"

The trail in there is the connection tonight budz. These guys were part of that early 2000's garage/indie band explosion that saw the rise of The White Stripes, The Vines and The Hives. ...Trail never saw the fame heights as those bands and i'm sure they're just fine with it. 

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Blue Blaze Brewing Co.

Really anything by this Brewing Company out of Charlotte, NC. Yes I know we're playing Portland and not the Hornets. But this Brewery has drinks called Black Blaze (Stout), Yellow Blazer (Kolsch) and their flagship altbier, Blue Blaze

Raptors 2nd in East 34-16! Trailblazers 6th in West 29-22!

Game 6: Raptors at Trail Blazers!

The Western swing rolls on for Toronto as they stop in Portland, Oregon to face the Beaver State's only professional sports team, The Portland Trail Blazers

• Raptors are still without their starting big man tonight, Jonas Valanciunas and it has been announced that Serge Ibaka will also not be playing. Though the reason for Serge sitting has yet to be announced.
• Trail Blazers will be without Meyers Leonard, CJ Wilcox, and Noah Vonleh, but with all stars like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum still in the line up it's likely the Raptors won't notice
• Look for Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl to continue to improve as they get heavy minutes tonight and hopefully Norman Powell wakes up from the funk that he seems to be in

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Cowboy Junkies - "Oregon Hill"

I was going to include Drake's "Portland" here, but it appears there is some issue with having the video uploaded to Youtube as all I can find is the instrumental version. So here's Canada's Cowboy Junkies instead!

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Port

Port is a famous after dinner wine which is typically a fortified wine from Portugal. It's usually a sweet red wine, but there are also dry, semi-dry and white varities. As well as Canadian, Australian, Indian and South African types. On a cool night like this a snifter of Port will warm your core!

Raptors sixth in the East 3-2! Trail Blazers fourth in the West 4-2!

Preseason Game 3: Raptors at Trailblazers!

While they're not playing at 1am on a weeknight in this one, it's still a late game as The Raptors are on the West Coast for a match up with the Portland Trailblazers! Oregon yo.

• Though he missed last game due to sore ankle it has been reported today that Norman Powell has agreed to a 4yr $42 Million Contract Extension with the Toronto Raptors. Considering the hype around this guy, his potential ceiling and what we've already seen on the court, this is a very very good deal for Toronto. Praise Masai.
• Lowry sat for the last game to have a little rest. Nothing to worry about, though i'm going to assume DeRozan or Ibaka, maybe both will rest tonight. No word yet though.
• Not much has changed in Portland over the offseason. The Blazers still have their studs Lillard and McCollum. They still have Jusuf Nurkic after acquiring him in a trade last year with the Nuggets, which i'm sure was only to stop the confusion with Nikola Jokic.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Al Stewart - "Katherine Of Oregon"

Al Stewart was a Scottish singer/songwriter from Glasgow. He knew Yoko Ono before she met John Lennon and even shared a flat with a young Paul Simon. Quite a Forrest Gump here. "Katherine Of Oregon" comes from his album A Beach Full Of Shells released in 2005

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

McTarnahan's Amber Ale

This is one of Portland Brewing's 2 offerings, the other one being an IPA with an Elephant on it. I like elephants. And I like Beer. The Amber Ale sounds like a nice refreshing ale to kick back and enjoy a good match with. Pick me up a 6 pack would ya?

https://www.portlandbrewing.com/

Game 59: Trail Blazers at Raptors!

Nice win over the Celtics on Friday night and a great debut for Ibaka and Tucker! Future looks bright buds! Portland is in town for Sunday night action!

• Kyle Lowry sat out Friday's game with a sore wrist. Looks like he injured in the game against Charlotte and hoped it would get better over the break. It didn't. He'll likely sit out these next couple of games too. Cory Joseph to start
• Great debut for Serge Ibaka and PJ Tucker on Friday night. It's that kind of defensive intensity and diversity that the Raptors will need to go deep into the play offs once again!
• Portland made a move at the trade deadline as well, sending Mason Plumlee and pick to Denver for Jusuf Nurkic. He's a versatile player and exactly the kind of player we brought Serge Ibaka in to match up against.

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Replacements - "Portland"

One of my favourite lesser known bands is The Replacements. Their album Let It Be is timeless, near perfection. This track off a later album Don't Tell A Soul, but it was only included on the re-issue in 2008. 

Raptors 4th in East 34-24! Trail Blazers 10th in West 24-33!

Game 30: Raptors at Trail Blazers!

After a quick rest home for the Holidays the Raptors are hitting the road again to continue the West coast swing! Tonight they get their first look at the Portland Trail Blazers.

• Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard is unlikely to ply tonight as he is nursing an ankle sprain. Also likely to miss tonight's game are Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu and Festus Ezeli
• CJ McCollum, Lillard's running mate is going to have to carry the majority of the load on the defensive and offensive end. But there is a reason why Portland is ranked the number 30 defense in the league
• FORMER RAPTOR ALERT: The only former Raptor who currently suits up for Portland is Ed Davis who was drafted by Toronto in 2010 at number 13. He played a few great years with the Raptors until he was shipped off to Memphis as part of the original Rudy Gay deal. He would also play for the Lakers before finding a nice home in Portland

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Clutch - "Oregon"

Clutch are an American rock band with a huge cult following with very little mainstream success.

They have been gaining more steam in recent years with an online buzz giving them a wider audience. "Oregon" is from an album of rarities called Slow Hole To China.

Raptors 2nd in East 21-8! Trail Blazers 9th in West 13-19!