The Raptors got back on track last night against the Heat and they did it in a big-time fashion.
Led by a season-high 16 points from veteran Rasho Nesterovic, Toronto cruised to a 108-83 blowout of the Heat.
It was a balanced attack for T.O. … with five players scoring 12 or more … shooting 55% overall as a team.
Heat coach Pat Riley looked like he aged another 20 years last night. In a season that has been full of frustrations and disappointments, the veteran coach appeared to be even more incensed with what he saw against the Raps. In fact, after the ball game Riley said that he has to “ferret out the guys who really don’t care”. That was a bold statement - and a sad statement - about the effort (or lack there of) that he feels he’s getting from a good chunk of his players.
Miami did keep it close early. Well, sort of. Though they trailed by as many as 15 in the first quarter - and they were down 12 (29-17) after the opening 12:00 minutes - the Heat chipped away at Toronto’s lead in the 2ND. Midway through the quarter they had sliced the Raptors’ lead down to three. But the Raps punched back and regained a double-digit lead heading into the half (53-42).
And that was pretty-much the ball game.
Toronto DOMINATED the 2ND half - storming out of the gate in the 3RD - holding Miami to only three points in the opening six minutes of the frame. But the biggest story of the quarter - and possibly the game - wasn’t the pasting the Raptors laid on the Heat. That honor goes to Alexander Johnson and Andrea Bargnani.
While driving to the hoop from the right side, Bargnani collided with Johnson mid-air. It looked like Johnson was going up to contest a potential dunk by Bargnani … while the Italian had made the decision to try and go up and under the hoop instead. As a result, the angle Johnson was taking drove his body right into the face and chest of Bargnani. It certainly wasn’t an intentional or malicious play but it looked quite nasty.
Bargnani face and head took the brunt of the collision. As he slammed into Johnson, Bargnani took a shoot to the mouth and cheek - just under his eye. Clearly shocked and shaken … the 7-footer fell to the floor in a bit of a daze … and … as a result … he wasn’t able to properly break his fall. As he fell to the floor on the baseline, Bargnani neck whipped back and he slammed his head onto the hardwood.
Bargnani laid on the floor for about five minutes as Toronto’s trainers and members of the Heat medical staff tended to him. A few moments later, Bargnani sat up and walked off the floor under his own power. He was sporting a bruise/cut on his cheek bone as he headed back to the locker room for further examination.
As the game continued, the Raptors busted open a 22-point lead heading into the 4TH (80-58).
Nothing changed for either team in the final quarter. Toronto continued to score at will and Miami provided little resistance and showed very little ‘fight’. The Heat trailed by as many as 32 points in the 4TH … going on to lose their 47TH game of the season.
Jamario Moon had a fantastic game for the Raps with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Jose Calderon was solid with 9 points, 13 assists, and 3 rebounds. Bargnani and Anthony Parker both tallied 12 points.
Before the game had ended, word came down that xrays taken on Bargnani’s cheekbone were negative and he was not suffering from a concussion either. He will be re-examined later today in Toronto.
The Raptors salvaged a 1 and 2 road trip with the win; trying to erase the ugly loss in Charlotte and Tuesday’s loss in Orlando.
Toronto now heads home to host the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
E. Smith
