| 1996: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors |
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I usually like to leave game recaps up to
Hoopsencyclopedia because he's "the man" for
it, but I've taken it upon myself to cover a
game that on the surface may not mean a lot,
but underneath went on to hold it's own
high-value for multiple reasons.
To many young fans today, this isn't exactly
a historical game - and for good reason. In
the context of basketball history, not many
regular season games are truly memorable,
classic, or historical. But many also become
classics in their own right, for records
made, or for final meetings. This one has a
little mix of everything - including
Toronto's largest ever crowd of over 36,000
fans at the Sky Dome.
In their previous meeting of the '95-'96
season Michael was the acclaimed "Raptor
killer", sinking the Raptors and posting 14
fourth quarter points. In this game, he posts
36 points on 63.6% shooting (14-22) with 15
in the fourth quarter. Amazingly, 13 of his
15 fourth quarter points come in the last 4
minutes and 20 seconds of playing time. These
were the games of his post-baseball career
(seemingly happened a lot in 95-96) that made
you wish his team wasn't as great as it was,
just so you could see him continue to light
it up all game long. Unfortunately, Michael
never did anything that wasn't necessary.
The expansion team, Toronto Raptors, face off
against Michael Jordan and a Bulls team that
went on to win an all time NBA record of 72
regular season wins. But what the 36,131 fans
that packed the Sky Dome on this night may
not realise, is that they were watching a
story filled with subplots unfold upon the
hardwood of a basketball court.
Michael Jordan. Alvin Robertson. Damon
Stoudamire. Chicago Bulls. Toronto Raptors.
72. 8.
What people don't realise, though, is that
the Raptors that year were actually stacked
with talent that could do harm in any league
of any era had they have had the correct team
chemistry, confidence, and playing time
required to do so.
Damon Stoudamire was a rookie, who, in my
opinion is one of the most underrated PG
talents of our generation. In the 95-96
season, he went on to win ROY and set
multiple records including a then record 133
3PT FG's for a rookie. He was also chasing
second place for most assists by a rookie, on
the tail of Oscar Robertson. He went on to
post 19.0ppg and 9.3apg (something that the
top PGs of the league today fail to do),
while setting multiple franchise records for
the Toronto Raptors that still stand today,
including most assists by a player (19). In
this game, he seemed to be having a shoot out
with Steve Kerr and Michael Jordan.
Damon posted 30 points, 11 assists and went
6-8 from three point land.
Then there's the subplot of Michael vs.
Robertson. Great friends, old team mates ('84
olympics), and fierce competitors. History
has it, that this would be the last time
either of the old timers would face off
against each other in professional
competition (Robertson retired after '96).
For those of you who don't know much about
Alvin Robertson, he's perhaps one of the
greatest perimiter, roaming, and lock down
defenders to ever play the game.
He's 1st all-time in steals per game, and he
has an anticipation that many see players
such as Bruce Bowen to have today. It's no
coincidence or conspiracy that he was named
DPOY in '85-'86.
While both players here are far past their
athletic and statistical prime (Jordan 33,
Alvin 34), they don't fail to impress and
excite. Alvin plays Jordan's turnarounds like
only few could; they battle hard for position
and trash talk each other all night long.
It's also notable that Alvin averaged 2.2
steals per game this season, which would've
been good enough for first place in 06-07. Of
course, Michael was no defensive slouch
either ;), coincidentally averaging 2.2spg.
With far too much already said... I'll leave
the game to unfold.
Enjoy.
Tags : Michael Jordan 72 wins Chicago Bulls Alvin Robertson Defense Offense Damon Stoudamire Rookie 1996 1995 95 96 NBA |
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Affichage : 112453
Durée : 482 s |
| Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heats Feb.4/08 |
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Just when the Miami Heat thought they finally
hit rock bottom, along came more indignity.
Chris Bosh scored 24 points, Andrea Bargnani
added 22 and the Toronto Raptors handed the
hapless Heat their biggest loss of the season
Monday night, a 114-82 debacle that was never
a contest.
The Raptors shot 66 per cent through the
first three quarters, jumped out to a
23-point lead in the first quarter and wound
up leading by as many as 39 in the final
minutes.
``It would be hard for us to play much
better,'' Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said.
In the other locker room, the opposite
sentiment existed.
Dorell Wright scored 17 points, while Mark
Blount and Dwyane Wade each added 12 for
Miami, which has lost 19 of its past 20
overall, 10 of its past 11 at home. Not that
many were around to see it; the arena that
hosts the team with the NBA's worst record
(9-37) had thousands of empty seats.
``Like my rookie year,'' Wade said.
Chris Quinn scored 11 points and Alexander
Johnson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for
Miami, which committed 21 turnovers that led
to 30 Toronto points. And afterward, Heat
coach Pat Riley simply seemed at a loss for
answers.
``We're going to have to do some evaluation
here,'' Riley said.
Anthony Parker scored 18 points for the
Raptors. Jose Calderon had 11 points and 10
assists for Toronto, and Jason Kapono _ in
his first trip back to Miami after the Heat
chose not to re-sign him in the off-season _
scored 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
Not only did the Raptors get a win, they also
got guard T.J. Ford back.
Ford, who hadn't played since colliding with
Atlanta rookie Al Horford on Dec. 11, entered
with 9:55 left in the second quarter. He
finished with four points and four assists in
18 minutes, a driving dunk capping his night
with 38.1 seconds left.
``I don't think people expected me to come in
and do the things that I normally do,'' Ford
said.
The Raptors led 89-62 after three quarters,
went up 100-66 on Kris Humphries' short hook
with 9:13 left, and flirted with the Los
Angeles Lakers' NBA-season-best mark of
shooting 66.2 per cent from the floor until
their reserves clanged a few shots down the
stretch.
``We executed offensively, hit some shots,''
Parker said. ``Defensively we did a decent
job in the first quarter and from there we
just kept the pressure on them.''
During a stoppage in play late in the first
quarter, Heat owner Micky Arison and his son
Nicholas, sitting in their customary
centre-court seats, were both laughing.
Must have been one heck of a joke.
They can't be finding humour in the on-court
product.
Miami's 23-point first-quarter deficit was a
season-low, as the Raptors came out and hit
12 of their first 15 shots on the way to a
33-10 early lead. Bosh had 12 points in the
quarter, matching Miami's team total, and the
Raptors wound up taking a 21-point edge into
the second.
``Too quick, too efficient, too ready, too
good,'' Riley said. ``That was Toronto in the
first quarter. An absolute clinic.''
Miami got within 53-41 when Wade found Ricky
Davis for a layup with 2:26 left in the half,
before the Raptors closed the period on a 6-0
spurt.
And in the third, all comeback hopes ended.
Bargnani and Parker combined to shoot 6-for-9
in the third, Toronto outscored Miami 30-21
in the period to take an 89-62 lead into the
fourth.
Wade got the rest of the night off, and the
Raptors kept pouring it on.
``Terrible basketball,'' Wade said. ``Maybe
it's getting away.''
Notes: Kapono made his first four shots. ...
The Heat were without Montreal native Joel
Anthony and ex-Raptor Luke Jackson (both with
flu), while Shaquille O'Neal (hip) and Udonis
Haslem (ankle) both remained out with
injuries. Haslem won't travel on Miami's trip
to Detroit and Philadelphia later this week.
... Wade's oldest son, Zaire, turned 6
Monday.
Tags : Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heats Feb.4/08 |
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Affichage : 21344
Durée : 358 s |
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