Drake Night Thoughts!!

RAPTORS 96, NETS 80.

I took a lot away from this victory over Brooklyn. This was a truly special win, in that the Raptors, in playoff-like atmosphere, again came from behind to roll the Nets. A few quick notes + votes...

-I think that was the most hyped-up Toronto game I've ever watched. Sold-out crowd, intro video, player introductions broadcast on the coverage; this was as close to a playoff game as you could get. Sure, the Nets were missing Garnett and Williams, but this game felt like a really big deal, and is exactly the sort of atmosphere/pressure the boys need to get used to for the development towards a title run. When you also consider that this was a divisional contest, and that the Raptors trailed 10 and looked awful late in the third period, this was most certainly an important win.

- I'm not from Toronto (writing this from Melbourne, Australia), but hearing Drake talk about Toronto with such passion genuinely made me very proud. Toronto, to me, is that underdog city/team that the rest of the league considers one huge joke. Hearing Drake raving about how good Toronto has been to him was pretty awesome, and I really do hope he can have some sort of influence in changing the perception of the team.

-Man, our Sac-Town bench was superb tonight. John Salmons didn't miss a shot, Patrick Patterson dropped 14 points and grabbed 12 big rebounds, and Chuck Hayes provided vaguely solid relief for the starting bigs. I'm still a bit worried about the backup Point Guard role, as Grievis Vasquez has shown he is an inconsistent shooter and a horrible defender, but it's definitely nice to see the bench carrying the team to wins. Don't agree that it was the bench that won us the game? Patterson was +40, and Salmons was +32.

-I've been thinking; if one Raptor is an All-Star, who is it going to be? Lowry or DeRozan? I think currently it should be Lowry, based on him being the leader of this team's resurgence, but it is a truly close contest at the moment. There are a lot of moments when DeRozan keeps the team in games essentially single-handedly, so I do understand the case for Demar to be in front of Kyle, too. As much as we love to rave about both of their play, I highly doubt both will make the cut, but, due to Toronto's resurgence and high-placing in the Eastern Conference, I really do think one of the two must make the team.

PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- PATRICK PATTERSON (14pts, 5/12FGs, 12rebs, +40). I feel like I had to reward Patrick for a really strong performance, because his energy off the bench was really what changed the game. I remember that Patterson had a very solid reputation on leaving Kentucky, and it seems as if he is finally playing up to that promise.

2 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (26pts, 9/18FGs, 7rebs, 5asts). Another terrific performance from Demar. Matt Devlin always says about Demar that he is "sick of losing", and I really think Matt is spot on. His huge first quarter throw-down reminded me of what a crazy dunker he can be, and I really he dunked more.

1 vote- KYLE LOWRY (12pts, 4/11FGs, 4asts, 6rebs). Kid's a beast, that's really all there is to say. How about that smirk after one of his huge threes, just cheeky Kyle saying "yeah, I just did that". Too good right now.

NEXT- 14 Januray vs MILWAUKEE.

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