[Austin Kent]

vs.

Toronto Raptors (6-21) vs. Detroit Pistons (22-3)

Tuesday, December 27, 2005
The Palace of Auburn Hills
7:30 PM

Probable Starters:



Rafael Araujo l Chris Bosh l Jalen Rose l Morris Peterson l Mike James


Ben Wallace l Rasheed Wallace l Tayshaun Prince l Richard Hamilton l Chauncey Billups

Pistons Roster
Raptors Roster

[ChrisWoj]

Araujo looks like he's havin a jolly ol' time in that pic!

I'm hoping there's no let down. Although by the same token a loss here could insure intensity for the Miami game I'm going to

[Copper]

This game does pose the possibility of a let down. After all the hype and national spotlight of playin xmas day against the #2 team in the league to playin a struggling squad...it defenitely spells disaster if they lose focus...cause ya know the Raps are gonna be hungry.

[P33r~]

There is absolutely no reason why we should lose this game. However I feel Mike James is going to go off hard against us like usual.

[Austin Kent]

Ten minutes until tip off. I'll be watching but won't be able to hit up the internet on my laptop unless of course I can find some neighbours to steal wireless internet from.

[Austin Kent]

Pistons vs. Raptors – December 27, 2005

Pre Game

I don’t know how familiar you guys in Michigan are with Sportsnet Ontario and Jack Armstrong, but he just name dropped Chauncey Billups as potential MVP candidate before the game. It doesn’t seem like such a pipe dream after all.

Araujo is starting again for the Raptors and a small portion of my Canadian-ness dies. It’s easy to root against the home province team when they break your heart. Just on a side note I’d like to see the Raptors worry about getting five ball players instead of worrying about filling positions because right now Jalen Rose and Charlie Villanueva are not on the court.

The jerseys are eerily similar to those of our national teams, the colours at least. Making it that much weirder for me to root against the Raptors.

1st Quarter

Pistons come out of the gate hot, Hamilton starting particularly well. Chris Bosh, although early in the game, looks like the JV’s only chance of beating the varsity team. Obviously Toronto’s only hope and obviously unsure how to deal with the Pistons defense. Hamilton drains a three to give him 7 of Detroit’s 15-8 lead.

Rasheed takes the lead for technical fouls in the season with seven on a double tech with Mike James. Ben Wallace embarrasses Charlie Villanueva on his first possession of the game sending his hook shot offering out to the three point line.

Call me paranoid but the Pistons just forgot to box out and Tayshaun Prince missed an easy one on the other side of the court, followed by Ben Wallace going on one of his unsuccessful offensive rampages. It’s early and we’re up 20-14, but I can still be worried. As I type this Tayshaun Prince makes up for it.

Inside scoop from the Raptors base: Mitchell is none to happy with how Toronto is starting the game. It seems to inspire the Raps as they go on a run, punctuated by Chris Bosh finding his groove. Stupid turnovers by Billups and Prince lead to opportunities for the Raptors and they run us whenever they get the chance. Raptors just tied the game at 27-27, handing it to us in the paint whether in transition or in the half court. Things are going to have to change or the Raptors are going to slip one by us.

Ben Wallace finishes the quarter with two from the free throw line and the Pistons go back to their bench with a 32-29 point lead.

[Austin Kent]

2nd Quarter

Carlos Arroyo playing against his former team, I remember falling in love with the guy when he and Keon Clark formed the best garbage time duo in the league. Wonder why I am so leery of criticizing him? That’s why. Bias aside, dude looks totally out of place but not in a bad way. He’s getting Dice involved pretty nicely.

For the first time in a few seasons I am really happy with the players I see out on the court when the starters are on the bench. Sheed is out there running with the Carlos’, Evans and Dice. Speaking of Evans, is anybody else positive that the guy looks like a miniature Corliss Williamson, except with the gift of mobility? At least from far away.

Our bench looks like a pick up ball team, a definite change in pace but since when is that a bad thing? They aren’t doing as well as I had hoped, but we’re staying on top. It’s nice to have some variety and to know that all our players aren’t clones of each other. It will at least make the opposing teams scouting reports a little thicker.

Pistons are shooting well from the three point line and we sit comfortably on top 48-35. Dice has got his jump shot going and he has eight points on 4-4 shooting.

Just thinking about all the ties these players have with each other. Morris Peterson and Jalen Rose are from Michigan. Carlos Arroyo, Lindsey Hunter and Chauncey Billups, all of our point guards have spent time in Toronto. There point guard, James, played for us.

Chris Bosh has 14 points and according to Chuck Swirsky, is “the lone bright spot for the Raptors”. Told you so? Billups drains another three, and the team is now 7-11. Holy crap. Imagine if Chris Bosh played for us. Okay, now stop before you slash your wrists. Is Darko Milicic Joe Dumars’ only mistake? The Raptors broadcasters are taking their turn bashing the kid.

Pistons are up 63-45 but it doesn’t feel like we’re up 18. We can’t rely on some of the three’s we’re hitting because we all know they don’t always go down that easily. That being said it’s a good head start to go into the second half with. We can definitely play more solid basketball though.

[Austin Kent]

3rd Quarter

Oh my, I just heard that Shareef Abdur-Rahim broke his jaw in the Kings game. How the heck does that happen, a fight, or just a nasty, nasty fall. Araujo gets the start again in the second half. Why does Toronto do this to themselves?

Rip Hamilton seems to have slowed down from his quick start. Hopefully he can change that after he scores two quick ones early in the third. Back to Hoffa, I don’t know if you guys understand this, or maybe you do, let me tell you. He is all the frustration of Darko Milicic except five years older and it’s not like the Raptors have anything worth distracting you away from the pain either. I’m disappointed he cut his hair because at this point last year the one thing he had going for him was that he looked like Jimmy Neutron on steroids.

Rasheed drains another three, we have 70 points with 9:30 left in the third. Wow. After a time out there was a nice shot of the Pistons starting give waiting for the Raptors to join them on the court and it looked like a tank of sharks waiting to be fed. Now the poor innocent Raptors have come back and the feast resumes.

And continuing on with the theme of the Raptors broadcasters copying what I say they just made reference to high school juniors and seniors. A graphic just told me that our starters have been together for 108 straight regular season games and 48 playoff games. Holy crap. The announcer just said “With the shot clock winding down the Jose Calderon will be looking to get a jack off,” I swear he did it on purpose.

Raps chip away to a 15 point lead, thanks in large part to Chris Bosh. They have only won one game at home, and that was a game that I was at…on my birthday…on November 19. Back to Bosh, the guy is killin’ it from all over and he’s already got 24 points.

If I got a nickel for every tip Ben Wallace has gotten on the glass, I’d have like 65 cents, and if those were American nickels I’d have a lot more. Mike James takes a seat with four fouls and 1-6 shooting under his belt. Tayshaun Prince has made a few stupid mistakes all game that I am not used to him making, I hope it’s just a fluke.

The lead is down to 11, 75-64. Ahh and there is the Ben Wallace missed dunk we’ve been waiting for. Bosh gets called for a very questionable foul, Prince is at the line, the harm was obviously done by CV…although now they seemed to have sorted things out, foul goes Villanueva, who then takes out his anger on a put back slam.

Ben Wallace has been playing with a lot of energy this game, it’s good to see. On the other end Villanueva has come alive. Time out as Ben Wallace hits the floor. The trainers are out and the Palace is silent. He sat up rather quickly though, the replay shows he just got elbowed in the face by McDyess. That smarts, but no damage done.

We’re 2.5 games ahead of the Spurs and the Mavericks. Since when are they tied? Also how the hell are the Clippers still in fifth? They are dropping quickly but not quick enough, I’m sorry, it just kind of weirds me out to think that the Clippers are above .500, Maggette is injured though, I’m sure they will be back down there within a month.

Piston’s defense looking better, there are not as much easy buckets for the Raptors as there were during that one bad stretch in the first half. Prince hits a three at the end of the shot clock giving the Pistons there 10th three of the game with 1:12 in the first. The score is says Detroit’s up 86-70.

Chauncey Billups hits another jumper and he’s now got 18 to go along with 10 assists, make that 11, as he connects with Dice for another potential three point play. Jose Calderon takes it the length of the court as time expires. Pistons up 90-75.

[Austin Kent]

4th Quarter

I don’t watch enough Western Conference basketball to know whether Bosh is looking like Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett, but he is getting it done. The Canadian in me wonders how long until he decides to bail on Toronto.

The Pistons are moving the ball well, and are soundly defending the lead they got from all those three’s. Pistons up 100-80. Rip Hamilton’s got 20 points, which comes as a surprise to me. I don’t consider myself General Manager worthy material but I don’t think there has ever been a successful team with Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and Derrick Martin on the roster.

Arroyo returns and if I wouldn’t be surprised if Darko got some burn soon. There is 6:47 left in the fourth. A lady holds up a sign that says “73-9 Here We Come” and I realize I’ve never actually thought about beating the record. Mostly just tying it, and I’m confident that I would be ecstatic with just 70 wins.

Chris Bosh ties a career high with 33, he’s five off the Raptors season high of 38, set up by Mike James. He runs like a girl, but that doesn’t stop the fact that he is dominating tonight. He’s at the line looking for his 36th point. The lead is down to 14, err 17, thanks Chauncey (his fifth three of the game).

More Billups MVP talk, the Raptors broadcasters seem to think it’s possible. On a different note, our great defense doesn’t seem to be that hot when Chris Bosh continues to have his way with anybody that tries to stop him. Morris Peterson is in his 417th game as a Raptor, tying Alvin Williams’ record. I remember buying his jersey in his rookie year, and now I feel old.

Pistons exhausting the shot clock on every possession it seems, this one’s done. Bosh takes a seat with a career high in points, 37, to go along with 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Darko takes the court with 1:20 left and the announcers are ripping on him bad. The mustache is a nice touch and will only get better.

The Raptors tied their NBA record of fewest turnovers with three. Darko gets a dunk off of an Arroyo dish and clobbers Villanueva on the other end. Then Darko ends the game with a block. Final score 113-106 in favour of Detroit, it got close at the end, not close enough to worry, but close enough to suck.

[DTigre]

Now thats over, on to Miami.

[ChrisWoj]

Thanks for the posts, Lope! I love it when I can come back from work and read what happened during the game, major props for it

[Austin Kent]

Originally Posted by ChrisWoj

Thanks for the posts, Lope! I love it when I can come back from work and read what happened during the game, major props for it

Excellent, I'm glad somebody read it. I typed it up in Microsoft Word. 1970 words, count 'em if you want. It's fun though. I'd do it more often if I could see more games.