The AltRaps Blog

TORONTO FINDS WAY
-Anthony Parker drilled a 66-foot shot at the third quarter buzzer. The three-pointer gave the Raptors an 81-74 lead and they never trailed again. “I think that gave us some momentum and a little bounce in our step,” said Parker, one of six Raptors to score in double figures.

-Jorge Garbajosa, who has played sparingly this season after ignoring team requests to undergo a second surgery on his injured left leg, logged a season-best 24 minutes, scoring eight points and adding six rebounds. The Spanish veteran even got some time in the fourth quarter. “It’s funny. I’ve said these last few weeks that I am 100%, and some people don’t believe me,” he said.

-Journeyman Maceo Baston started for injured centre Rasho Nesterovic (sprained ankle, day-to-day). Baston, chosen over Kris Humphries, had not played a second this season and was inactive for seven of eight games. The former Pacer finished with six points in 18 minutes and drew praise from head coach Sam Mitchell for defending Indiana’s star forward Jermaine O’Neal. “In the first quarter, I was a little anxious and winded … but in the second half, I felt I was in my comfort zone,” Baston said.

-Jamario Moon, another journeyman inserted into the starting lineup just three games ago, was nearly knocked out courtesy of a flagrant foul by Danny Granger in the third quarter. Moon was on a breakaway and attempting to dunk when Granger fouled him from behind. The Raptors forward crashed into the basket stanchion and said he tweaked his right ankle.

-Would-be super sophomore Andrea Bargnani, who has struggled since delivering consecutive 20-point games to open the season, played just 4:35. He missed one shot in the second quarter and never returned. Afterwards, a sensitive Mitchell erupted when asked a legitimate question about the Italian youngster’s lack of court time. “We won a basketball game and we had eight or nine guys play well,” said Mitchell, who ended his press conference on this note. “Don’t ask me about that. That is just trying to stir up something. In 82 games, you are not going to play great every night.”