The AP reports: A new-look starting five did the job for the struggling Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh scored 21 points and T.J. Ford had 13 points and nine assists in his return to the starting lineup as the Raptors beat the Detroit Pistons 89-82 on Wednesday night… Rasho Nesterovic had 15 points and Jose Calderon 13 as Toronto won for just the fourth time in 15 games. The Raptors avoided falling below .500 for the first time since a loss at Cleveland on Nov. 24 dropped them to 6-7… Chauncey Billups scored 24 points, and Rodney Stuckey tied a career high with 16, including 14 in the fourth… The Pistons were without leading scorer Richard Hamilton (sore left hip) for the second consecutive game.
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Bosh rocks but Nuggets handle Raptors
The AP reports: Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony kept Denver’s offense in high gear, but it was Kenyon Martin’s defense that had coach George Karl talking. Iverson had 36 points, Anthony added 33 and Martin shut down Toronto all-star Chris Bosh late as Denver rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 109-100 on Sunday afternoon… J.R. Smith scored 14 points and Marcus Camby had 15 rebounds as Denver rallied from a 17-point first-quarter deficit to win for the fifth time in seven games… While he faded in the fourth, Chris Bosh shone through the first three quarters, finishing one assist shy of a triple-double. Bosh had 17 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high nine assists, but Toronto still lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Raptors file claim against Spanish league over Garbajosa injury
Statement from Toronto Raptors regarding claim filed against the Spanish Basketball Federation for non-payment of insurance proceeds related to Jorge Garbajosa’s injury:
“The Toronto Raptors issued a Statement of Claim on Friday against the Spanish Basketball Federation regarding the non-payment of insurance proceeds related to Jorge Garbajosa’s injury. It is unfortunate that we’ve reached this point. The matter is now before the courts. Therefore we will respect the court process and not comment further while the matter is on-going.”
Alexander Johnson suspended for nailing Bargnani
Alexander Johnson of the Miami Heat has been suspended one game without pay for throwing his body into Andrea Bargnani in mid-air and knocking him to the ground, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
In addition, the Flagrant Foul, Penalty One that was called against Johnson on the play has been upgraded to a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two.
The incident occurred with 9:57 remaining in the third period of the Heat’s 108-83 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday, March 5 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Johnson will serve his suspension tonight when the Heat hosts the Golden State Warriors at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Kapono forgot how to hit threes
The Toronto Sun (Steve Buffery) reports: Jason Kapono still is among the NBA leaders in three-point percentage, having nailed 50 threes in 99 attempts (51%). But in the past 19 games, he has been a complete non-factor from beyond the arc, and that has the Raptors faithful wondering why general manager Bryan Colangelo went out and signed the former UCLA star to such a long-term deal. Kapono has not made a basket from three-point range in 11 straight games. His last three-point shot made came on Feb. 4 in Miami, when he went 1-for-2.
Raptors hire John Lucas
The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have hired John Lucas as a basketball development consultant for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. He will assist the coaching staff with the development of the players’ on-court skills.
Lucas, 54, was the first overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He played with six teams during his 14-year NBA career from 1976-90. He has also served as a head coach with San Antonio, Philadelphia and Cleveland, as well as an assistant coach with Denver.
T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon should play together
The Toronto Sun (Steve Buffery) reports: Jose Calderon has been saying it for months, and now T.J. Ford has emphatically jumped on the bandwagon. The two point guards want to stay together for as long as possible — even though they would have a lot more to gain from a personal standpoint if they split up. “Do I think it can continue to work? Yes I do,” said Ford this week, when asked about sharing duties with Calderon. “I think we both continue to make each other better. We set high expectations for one another (and) I think we do a good job supporting one another and I think our relationship is great.” Calderon is a restricted free agent at season’s end and GM Bryan Colangelo has made it known he will match all offers. But the question remains: Will Calderon be content to come off the bench once Ford is healthy? Or, for that matter, will Ford be happy coming off the bench?
T.J. Ford suffers setback
Little T.J. Ford, barely bigger than many of the young children in the stands at NBA games, has suffered another health setback. Hopefully a minor one that means nothing.
The Toronto Sun (Frank Zicarelli) reports: T.J. Ford’s year of frustration continued yesterday. Just as the lightning-quick point guard was adjusting to his new role as backup, Ford was forced to leave the team’s practice after suffering an abdominal strain. He’ll be re-evaluated today, but it’s unknown if Ford will dress for tomorrow’s tilt against the visiting Orlando Magic. Ford returned from a two-month absence (stinger) on Feb. 6 in Miami, providing a much-needed infusion with the second unit.
Chris Bosh mini-interview
Toronto Raptors All-Star Chris Bosh is in New Orleans for 2008 All-Star Weekend. Here’s what he had to say during media availability:
Q: Can you talk about the community effort here in New Orleans?
Chris Bosh: I think with the Day of Service they’re showing they are really committed to being serious about trying to help out rebuilding the city since a couple years back. I think it’s really showing commitment, because I know we have an opportunity to help out in a couple hours too, so we’ll see how it goes.
Q: With your video, were you just trying to connect with fans like how Gilbert Arenas does with his blog?
Chris Bosh: Yeah, I think connecting to the fans in this day and age with the internet and TV the way it is, I think it’s very important because you can connect to fans that are out there and probably didn’t know very much about you, and then you can gain fans, too. So, I think putting yourself out there in a positive way is good.
Q: Were you surprised at the reaction your video got?
Chris Bosh: I was surprised at the reaction. I was expecting a reaction, but not as big. I think it really exceeded my expectations. I was trying to do something pretty funny and the minute it got out, a lot of people got a hold of it and they really played it.
Bosh named East starter in Garnett’s place
SportsTicker reports: Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh will start in place of Kevin Garnett in Sunday’s All-Star Game. Bosh has averaged a team-high 22.7 points and 9.1 rebounds for the Raptors and is making his third consecutive All-Star appearance and second straight start.
The Toronto Sun (Mike Ganter) reports: Rivers was asked what made Bosh his choice. “Because of the Canadian dollar — you know, it’s grown in value, and so we figure we’d go with that,” Rivers said to much laughter. “No — I think he deserves it, I really do. I think he’s terrific, a terrific player, and I think he deserves more attention than he’s getting, so I think he should start.”