Video Bomb Alert: Kyle Lowry videobombs DeMar DeRozan

posted by Romy Aquino
When you pull out a big 109-108 overtime win against the Dallas Mavericks, there's a lot to smile about.  DeMar's jumper in overtime proved to be the game winner in the Raptors third win in their last four games.  In last night's post game interview with Eric Smith, Kyle Lowry popped his head in for his own video bomb.

RAPTORS PODCAST: RAPS TALK presented by HHJ & HHN Ep. 53 (12.17.2013)

Episode 53 of RAPS TALK (12.17.13) - Is Masai Ujiri  the real Il Mago?  The Toronto Raptors pulled off a seven player deal that sent Rudy Gay and his 40 shots/game to Sacramento.  On this week's podcast we break down the trade between the Raptors and Sacramento Kings, recap the past week with the Toronto Raptors, Terrence Ross' performance in the starting lineup, the emergence of Amir Johnson, Austin Daye's winter driving and our Wenningtons of the Week where we recap the best NBA Canadian performances from the past week.

Northern Exposure: Canada Basketball on the Rise

by Mike Masaya

There is no denying a lot has changed since 2011 for Canadians and their relationship with the NBA and basketball in general. After years of cringing international performances two-time MVP, future Hall of Fame inductee and British Columbia native Steve Nash was named GM of the national senior men’s basketball team. Several weeks later Tristan Thompson from Brampton, Ontario one-upped Steve Nash by becoming the highest ever drafted Canadian born player with the 4th overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bryan Colangelo's two cents on the Rudy Gay trade

by Romy Aquino

Well, it didn't take long for former Raptors General Manager, Bryan Colangelo to put his two cents on the recent seven player deal between the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings.  Colangelo gave his input on former Raptor Rudy Gay and the move made by the Sacramento Kings.

(via SacBee.com)

“I put a high premium on talent and character, and Rudy Gay has an abundance of both,” said Bryan Colangelo, the former Raptors general manager who acquired Gay from Memphis last January in a deal that was widely regarded as a salary dump by the Grizzlies. “Obviously, Pete (D’Alessandro) has a mandate to increase the talent level of his team as opposed to depleting it. This move is a pretty good indication of that.” 

Raptors deal Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings

by Romy Aquino

Well, Masai Ujiri is making his mark on this Raptors franchise.  The Raptors began cleaning house and unloaded Rudy Gay and his massive contract to the Sacramento Kings.  The details of the deal are as follows:

To Toronto:

Greivis Vasquez
John Salmons
Patrick Patterson
Chuck Hayes

To Sacramento:

Rudy Gay

Aaron Gray

Quincy Acy

RAPTORS PODCAST: RAPS TALK presented by HHJ & HHN Ep. 52 (12.05.2013)

Episode 52 of RAPS TALK (12.05.13) - Well, that was a rough week for the Raptors.  The Raps drop their fourth straight loss in a row on Tuesday against the Warriors.  They went out in style in the fourth quarter, blowing a 27-point lead against Golden State and end up losing by nine. On this week's podcast we discuss the brutal week for the Raptors, Nate Robinson and the Denver Nuggets bench, the historical collapse against the Warriors, DeMar's frustrations, Keon Clark and our Wenningtons of the Week where we recap the best NBA Canadian performances from the past week.

RAPTORS PODCAST: RAPS TALK presented by HHJ & HHN Ep. 51 (11.27.2013)

Episode 51 of RAPS TALK (11.27.13) - Amir for a game winning three? C'mon now. The Raptors move to 6-8 on the season and still hold the top spot in the Atlantic Division.  On this week's podcast we discuss the light schedule for the Raptors, discuss Rudy Gay's issues with stats sheets in the locker room, Terrence Ross trade rumours, the Eastern Conference, Derrick Rose and our Wenningtons of the Week where we recap the best NBA Canadian performances from the past week.

PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 50 (11.21.2013)

Episode 50 of RAPS TALK (11.21.13) - The Raptors moved from 10th place to 4th place with one win and now hold the top spot in the ugly Atlantic Division.  On this week's podcast we discuss the past week of the Raptors schedule, we talk about DeMar's growth this season, the Raptor's rehab and our Wenningtons of the Week where we recap the best NBA Canadian performances from the past week.

Lebron James Weighs in on Rudy Gay's Terrible Shooting Performance

posted by Romy Aquino

Rudy Gay's 29 points on 11 of 37 shooting against the Rockets on Monday was one of the ugliest shooting performances in Raptors history.  Rudy set a Raptors record with his 37 shot attempts and it sparked a buzz in the NBA when both Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan shot a miserable 17-62 from the floor in the Raptors double overtime loss.

Rudy's number of shots garnered a response from Lebron James when asked about the shot attempts that Gay took on Monday.

(via ESPN)

James, who won the league's scoring title in 2008 at 30 points per game with Cleveland, said he could easily be even more aggressive looking for his shots if he chose to play that way. He suggested he could score “60, 70 points” in a game if he shot the ball 37 times in a game. His answer was in response to a question that referred to the number of shots Toronto forward Rudy Gay attempted earlier this week during an overtime loss against Houston.

PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 49 (11.14.2013)

Episode 49 of RAPS TALK (11.14.13) - The Raps are fresh off of a win against the Memphis Grizzlies after grinding out a double overtime loss to the Houston Rockets.  On this week's podcast we discuss the ups and downs the Toronto Raptors previous week, we talk about Rudy Gay's shooting spree in Houston, Steve Novak's s mustache and our Wenningtons of the Week where we recap the best NBA Canadian performances from the week.

VIDEO: Amir Johnson Videobombs Tyler Hansbrough

posted by Romy Aquino
Prior to last night's loss to the Indiana Pacers, NBA TV Canada interviewed former Indiana Pacer, Tyler Hansbrough about the matchup against his former squad.  Shortly into the interview, Amir Johnson in true jokester fashion, straight up video bombs the interview.

PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 48 (11.07.2013)

Episode 48 of RAPS TALK (11.07.13) - The first week of the NBA season is in the books and the Raptors are 2-3 on the season and are just off a frustrating loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.  On this week's podcast, we recap the past week of the Raptors schedule, talk about JV's dunk on Lebron, Rudy's shooting woes, the NBA championship belt and the best NBA Canadian performances from the week.

PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 47 (10.30.2013)

Episode 47 of RAPS TALK (10.30.13) - It's a new NBA season and the Raptors have started off the season undefeated.  On this week's podcast we recap the Raptors season opener against the Celtics, discuss Stripes the interim Raptors mascot, talk about Andrew Nicholson, Andrew Wiggins and the rest of the Canadian ballers in action this past week.  The NBA regular season is officially here.

THE WALKING DEAD PART 2: Amir Johnson at the Toronto Zombie Walk (PHOTOS)

posted by Romy Aquino
For the second year in a row, Amir Johnson got his hair and makeup did.....zombie style.  He and his some of his NZA crew (National Zombie Association) that included the Raptors own Kat Stefankiewicz participated in Toronto's annual Zombie walk.  Based on these photos, Amir stepped up his zombie game and got a fresh new zombie look. Check out the photos via Amir's Instagram account, iamamirjohnson

Roster set at 15, Raptors waive Carlos Morais and Chris Wright

posted by Romy Aquino

Well, it looks like it was Julyan Stone who impressed Coach Casey and the Raptors front office for that final roster spot.  The Raptors announced yesterday that they have waived forwards Chris Wright and Carlos Morais.  Going into the preseason, Chris Wright was a familiar face to Toronto and looked to have a strong chance of locking down that final spot with his previous experience with the Raptors summer league and playing on last season's Raptors preseason roster.

PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 46 (10.23.2013)

Episode 46 of RAPS TALK (10.23.13) - It's episode 46, y'all. We're less than a week away from the start of the regular season and the Raptors haven't disappointed in the preseason, even grinding out a double overtime win over the New York Knicks. On this week's podcast we talk about the Raptors last matchup against the Knicks, Tyler Hansbrough's showdown with Metta World Peace, Raptors CEO Time Leiweke's run-in with a Celtics fan and the ESPN article about Canada Basketball written by Mr. Canada Basketball himself, Steve Nash.

VIDEO: Raptors DJ Augustin throws the high alley-oop pass to Landry Fields

It's only preseason but we have a nice little highlight from the Knicks-Raptors preseason matchup.  DJ Augustin chucks up the high alley-oop pass to Landry Fields for the jam against the Knicks on Monday night.

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Hoops Talk with St. Bonaventure alum and Nova Scotia's own, Chris Johnson

North Pretson, Nova Scotia native Chris Johnson is a guy who definitely put in work to get to the level of basketball he is at today.  From his high school at Auburn Drive in Cole Harbour to playing NCAA Division I basketball at St. Bonaventure in New York.

PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 44 (10.17.2013)

Episode 44 of RAPS TALK (10.17.13) - It's another season of the RAPS TALK podcast, and we're back but not only in audio format but in VIDEO, thanks to the technology of Google Hangouts on Air.  Now, it's preseason and we still have to workout the kinks with our video podcast, but don't worry...we'll be ready for the regular season!

This week we talk about the Raptors preseason performances to date, the point guard situation in Toronto, the Raptor mascot injury and the Canadians in the NBA.

First Kobe, Now the Raptor - The Raptor mascot out for the season

by Romy Aquino

I think most of us think that NBA mascots are invincible.  They've got those big padded suits, they run around the arena and pull off the most ridiculous stunts and after falling on their mascot faces, it looks like nothing phases them. But this week, all that changed.  Our beloved Raptor mascot, who has been there since the Raptors inception back in '95, went down with an achilles injury in our hometown Halifax last week.

VIDEO: Raptors Intrasquad Scrimmage Recap in Halifax, NS

Well, the Raptors short stay in Halifax ended off with an intrasquad scrimmage at the Metro Centre here in Halifax over the weekend.  It was Team Black consisting of Jonas Valanciunas, Amir Johnson, DeMar DeRozan and Landry Fields with the blowout win 92-64 over Team Gray made up of Kyle Lowry, Rudy Gay and Terrence Ross in front of over 7,000 at the Halifax Metro Centre.  Sean Francois and myself recap the game from our point of view in the Metro Centre stands.

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Exit TBJ, Enter #TheStarters

by Romy Aquino

So for most internet basketball fans, you've been waiting in anticipation as to where our Canadian homies, J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas and the TBJ crew would be taking their talents to.  Well the announcement came today and it couldn't be a more perfect situation, they've dropped 'The Basketball Jones' name (due to copyright issues) and have brought their blogging/podcast empire to NBA TV.  Yep, they've moved down south to the ATL and will have their own podcast, NBA blog and TV show on NBA TV under the new name "The Starters".

Who's the new guy? Raptors new face: Tyler Hansbrough

by Romy Aquino

Tyler Hansbrough is one of those guys you want on your side.  He's pesky, aggressive, he hustles to get that rebound and SOMETIMES he gets in your face.

It's Official. Toronto, Drake and the Raptors land the 2016 All-Star Weekend

It's official. Toronto has themselves Canada's first NBA All-Star weekend.  NBA's deputy commissioner Adam Silver made the official announcement on Monday.

Via the Raptors official press release:

“We are thrilled that Toronto is hosting our first NBA All-Star Game outside the United States,” said Silver. “As the site of the first game ever in the NBA, Toronto is an ideal location for this global basketball celebration.”

NBA TV Canada's "Open Gym" Series is back, Raptors Summer League Edition

The NBA TV Canada "Open Gym" series is back y'all!  The series returns on Thursday, October 3rd on NBA TV with a look back at the Raptors summer league action.  It all takes place in Vegas and in this Open Gym teaser we get to see a few new faces in the mix along with a few returning faces to Summer League with a few young Raptors: Quincy Acy, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas.  We've got few cameos from a few Canadian ballers in the promo, too.  Vegas, baby!

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Who's the new guy? Raptors new face: DJ Augustin

by Romy Aquino
With Jose Calderon and John Lucas III out of the picture, the backup point guard spot to Kyle Lowry is wide open.  Masai Ujiri signed DJ Augustin a one-year deal this offseason to potentially fill that backup role.  Augustin was a highly-touted prospect and was the ninth overall draft pick in the '08 draft that included a talented group of point guards: Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, George Hill and Jerryd Bayless.

NBA All-Star Weekend is moving north, Toronto set to host the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend

Toronto, Canada...it looks like might have your first NBA All-Star weekend.

As reported by the Toronto Sun:

Multiple sources told the Toronto Sun Tuesday that the Raptors are on the verge of landing the 2016 NBA all-star weekend. An official announcement is expected within a week that will reveal further details of how one of the sport’s biggest weekends will tie into Toronto’s 20th-anniversary season. 

T.O. - The Cavs #1 pick Anthony Bennett gives back to the T-dot

This year's #1 NBA draft pick, Anthony Bennett helped unveil the new youth centre in Toronto's Jane and Finch this past Thursday where the young Toronto native began his early basketball career.

Via The Globe and Mail:

“The Boys and Girls Club played a huge part in my success,” said Anthony Bennett, the NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2013, who grew up around the corner. “Seeing [the club] expanding, reaching out to the kids, is just real heart-warming.”

Raptors Camp is just around the corner

posted by Romy Aquino
The fall season is almost here which can only mean one thing, the NBA season is just around the corner.  NBA training camps will be underway soon and the Toronto Raptors will be starting their own camp in just a couple of weeks.  Another fresh Toronto Raptors squad will be making a return to Halifax, Nova Scotia under new general manager Masai Ujiri.  The team will be back for a portion of their training camp on October 4th and 5th.  The Raptors held their training camp here in Halifax last season at the Canada Games Centre.  There will be two practices on the Friday with an intra-squad game on Saturday, October 5th at the Halifax Metro Centre.

Hoops Talk with two-time NBL Canada All-Star Joey "The King Handles" Haywood

Halifax Rainmen guard Joey Haywood got an award at the 2013 NBL Canada Awards breakfast this past weekend, picking up the Canadian Player of the Year award for the second straight season.  The award along with his selection as an NBL Canada All-Star for a second time was a testament to his hard work he put in the league this season.

The guard from Vancouver, BC continued to impress Halifax fans and averaged 14.5 ppg with the Halifax Rainmen this past season with the Rainmen.  We had the chance to talk to Joey about his All-Star selection, his experience with the Trinidad and Tobago national team and his aspirations for the future.

Big shoutouts go out to Joey for taking the time to take part in our interview, be sure to follow him on Twitter @TheKingHandles.  Also, shoutouts to Joe Mosher for hooking up the interview, be sure to check out Joe's training services at Work Basketball - Skills Training on Facebook.

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PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 43 (03.18.2013)

Episode 43 of RAPS TALK (03.18.13) - So...the Raptors playoff hopes are pretty much done for this season.  On this week's podcast, we catch up on the last few weeks with the Raptors, talk about the future of Andrea Bargnani, discuss the Raptors Harlem Shake, we have a #TEAMJACKDANIELS update and we also have our regular segments "Hoop Heads Humour of the Week" and "The Wenningtons of the Week."  

If you're new to the podcast, make sure you subscribe to the RAPS TALK podcast on iTunes.

Click here for the MP3 (right click "Save As...")

Pound the Rock Stars of the Night - Toronto Raptors 114 , Milwaukee Bucks 122 - The 'Staying Alive' Edition

posted by Mike Masaya

POUND THE ROCK STARS - On a nightly basis, no matter how good or bad the Raps play, no matter if they blow out a team or if they get blown out and no matter if they win or lose, these are the Raptors with the best 'Pound the Rock' status for the night.

FINAL SCORE:   RAPTORS 114 - BUCKS 122    SEASON RECORD: 23W-37L

POUND THE ROCK STAR #1: AMIR JOHNSON

LINE: 19 pts (9-11), 1-2 FT, 9 reb

From the first tip right up until about three minutes left in overtime Amir Johnson was the motor keeping the Raptors going, taking high percentage shots and making things difficult for the Bucks with his defense. Andrea Bargnani and Landry Fields were a great help to Amir’s cause early on with their size and active hands creating points off of turnovers.  Amir had 9 points by halftime but went scoreless in a poor 3rd quarter by the Raptors before scoring 10 in the fourth. Even though Amir Johnson fouled out he was a key factor in trying to keep the Raptors playoff hopes alive.

POUND THE ROCK STAR #2: ALAN ANDERSON

LINE: 21 pts (8-20), 4-5 FT

None of Alan Anderson’s points were as important as his dunk to tie the game at 104 with 1.6 seconds left in the 4th quarter sending the game into overtime. Anderson’s role in keeping the Raptors in the game with 21 points in 29 minutes of playing time was invaluable especially with Rudy Gay out with back spasms. Averaging 24 minutes and 11 points this season its good to know he can elevate his game when Toronto is short handed and he is getting more touches. Should this be the end of the Toronto’s playoff chances, Raptors management should feel good knowing a player like Anderson is capable of performing well under pressure when his number is called. No doubt a topic of conversations with trade rumours likely to resurface at the end of the season.

POUND THE ROCK STAR #3: JOHN LUCAS III

LINE: 16 pts (6-9), 4-5 3pts

With less than 20 minutes of playing time John Lucas was able score 16 points on 66% shooting and 80% from 3 point range. DeMar Derozan was clearly no slouch with 18 points and 9 assists of his own and my only concern is that it was done with a little under 48 minutes on 6-21 shooting. There was no doubt a monkey wrench thrown into the Raptors new system with the temporary loss of Rudy Gay and more pressure will understandably fall back onto Derozan. This is why John Lucas III will remain coach Casey’s favorite go to bench player by staying ready to play at full speed the way the coaching staff and fans know he can when the team needs him the most, like he did tonight.

SHOUTOUTS TO THE Bucks:

ERSAN ILYASOVA

LINE: 29 pts (12-21), 5-5 FT, 11 reb, 2 stl

Ersan Ilyasova has averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds this season and improved to 15 points and 7.5 rebounds in the month of February helping keep the Bucks playoff hopes alive. No doubt asked to fill the void left by Andrew Bogut, Ersan Ilyasova welcomes contact under the rim with his 6’10 235 pound frame and balances it with a decent mid range jumper should his defenders ever question his ability.  His tip in of a missed shot with seconds left in the 4th quarter giving the Bucks a 104-102 lead is another example of his endless hustle and determination. Extra points go out to him after clocking in nearly 40 minutes in an uptempo game which can often be a challenge for big men.

Next up for the Raps: @ Golden State (Monday)

Photo via Fox Sports

3 Point Break: Raptors vs Pacers

posted by Mike Masaya

With a little under two months left in the NBA season the Raptors will have to forget the bad calls and the “could have, should have and would have” moments that littered their record throughout their first 20 games. The Raptors currently sit at the 9th spot in the East tied with the Philadelphia 76ers and 6 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks. If the NFL is a “game of inches” then the Raptors mantra is about winning games “decided by stats” with variables all less than 10.

The Indiana Pacers are force to be reckoned with and have won 4 of their last 5 games and are tied for 2nd in the East. The season series between these 2 teams is 2-1 in favor of the Raptors. One can only hope that the with the Pacers losing the first of back to back games, a day off for the Raptors and a concentrated effort that they can win the season series at 3-1 tonight.

In order to make that possible there are a few important things Toronto will have to do and the room for error is very small.

Bench Mob: All season long we have had great break out performances from the likes of Alan Anderson and John Lucas III. It’s always fun to watch a bench player have a game where everything goes their way and it makes for a great story. The key is turning these one-off situations into a common occurrences. By all accounts Andrea Bargnani should be leading the charge off the bench with Landry Fields and Terrence Ross should they get the playing time. The Raptors bench averaged 18 points in their last 3 losses and averaged 25 in their last 2 wins. Before you say that small of a margin doesn’t make a difference, all 3 losses mentioned above were by an average of 7.6 points.


Free Throws: Every team needs to shoot well from the line to stay in close games. Although the Raptors are doing great in that category averaging around 80% as of late, the truth is they will need to stay around or above 85% as they did in their last 2 wins.  The Raptors lost by 6 points to the Wizards and that just so happens to be the exact number of free throws they missed that night. I know asking a team to shoot 100% from the line is unrealistic however getting to the line which Toronto already does a great job of doing, will have to be better. With a few more free throw opportunities or a higher free throw percentage it could make all the difference. With Toronto tied for 6th place in free throw percentage among all NBA teams there is nothing to frown at and proves they have what it takes to make that extra push and turn close games into wins.

Turnovers: Every team wants keep their turnovers down and its obvious the Raptors keep themselves in every game when they keep their turnover numbers low. Only New York and Philadelphia average less turnovers than Toronto who themselves average 12.7 turnovers per game. As shown by their last 3 losses going even slightly over that number to 14.3 can make a huge difference. Indiana is a tough defensive team so passes will need to be sharp and the Raptors will have to avoid charges and fouls under the basket because the Pacers are in no way afraid of contact, they welcome it.

Photo via Raptors HQ

The Raptors break out the Harlem Shake

posted by Romy Aquino

It was only a matter of time before a Toronto Raptors Harlem Shake video was going to surface on YouTube.  And there was no question that it would be Amir Johnson that would be leading the charge.  The YouTube phenomena continues with the Toronto Raptors....except they put their own spin on it courtesy of John Lucas III.  

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PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 42 (02.25.2013)

Episode 42 of RAPS TALK (02.25.13) - We're back from our own All-Star break for another episode of the RAPS TALK podcast.  This week we have a lot to catch up on: the Rudy Gay Era continues, Terrence Ross is the new dunk champ, Sebastian Telfair is the newest memeber of the Raptors, we have a #TEAMJACKDANIELS update and we also have our regular segments "Hoop Heads Humour of the Week" and "The Wenningtons of the Week."  

If you're new to the podcast, make sure you subscribe to the RAPS TALK podcast on iTunes.

Click here for the MP3 (right click "Save As...")

#ROSSJUSTDUNKED - Terrence Ross takes the Dunk Contest trophy back to Toronto

posted by Romy Aquino

Terrence Ross dunked and won.  The Toronto Raptors' Ross outlasted dunk contest faves James White and Gerald Green of the East to win the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk contest.  T-Ross broke out a Vince Carter throwback in the final round with an off the side of the backboard reverse windmill that gave Kevin Garnett  a reason to put on a stank face.  Check it out.

T-Ross went head to head with 2012 dunk champion, Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz and won with 58% of the vote in the final, all with Toronto homie and rapper, Drake's approval.

Raptors Highlight Night: Rudy Gay's Game Winner, DeMar's Dunk on Mozgov

posted by Romy Aquino

What a night for Toronto Raptors highlights.

It's unbelievable how the Raptors always manage to get themselves in this many close games this season but at least the Raptors are getting on the right side of the win-loss column lately.  Most of the credit has to go to the Raptors newest acquisition, Rudy Gay.  Rudy Gay nailed his first field goal of the second half when it counted it most.....in crunch time, nailing his second game winner for the Raptors beating the Nuggets 109-108.

And to add to the highlight reel for the night; earlier in the second quarter, DeMar DeRozan threw down a filthy dunk on the Nuggets Timofey Mozgov...quite possibly the dunk of the year.  You be the judge.

Raptors move to 20-32 on the season and face off against the Knicks in New York on Wednesday night.  Playoff hopes are still alive.

(Photos via Toronto Raptors Facebook)

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PODCAST: Hip Hoop Junkies & Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 41 (02.11.2013)

Episode 41 of RAPS TALK (02.11.13) -  Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!  This week we talk about the Toronto Raptors past week, Rudy Gay's game winner against the Pacers, #RossShallDunk, "Name That Boxscore", Bargnani for Boozer rumours and we also have our regular segments "Hoop Heads Humour of the Week" and "The Wenningtons of the Week."  

If you're new to the podcast, make sure you subscribe to the RAPS TALK podcast on iTunes.

Click here for the MP3 (right click "Save As...")

Pound the Rock Stars of the Night - Toronto Raptors 100, Indiana Pacers 98 - The 'No, not this guy....YES, THIS GUY' Edition

posted by Romy Aquino
POUND THE ROCK STARS - On a nightly basis, no matter how good or bad the Raps play, no matter if they blow out a team or if they get blown out and no matter if they win or lose, these are the Raptors with the best 'Pound the Rock' status for the night.

FINAL SCORE:   RAPS 100, PACERS 98    SEASON RECORD: 18W-32L

POUND THE ROCK STAR #1: RUDY GAY
LINE:  23 pts (9-25), 5 reb, 1ast, 5 stl, 2 blk

No! Not this guy!  Yes.  This guy.  This is why Bryan Colangelo traded for Rudy Gay...to close out games.  Rudy Gay nailed the game-winner over Paul George with 1.7 seconds to play in overtime to grind out another win against the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.  Gay had a bit of a rough shooting tonight going into the fourth quarter, but got it together when it counted most, scoring 17 of his 23 points in the final quarter and overtime period.

#RossShallDunk - Terrence Ross is heading to Houston

posted by Romy Aquino

Terrence Ross is joining a list of Toronto Raptors to take part in the slam dunk contest at the 2013 NBA All-Star weekend in Houston.  It all started with Vince Carter, to DeMar DeRozan and now, Terrence Ross.  T-Ross has definitely made a name for himself this season with an extensive highlight reel of dunks.  And just two days after 22nd birthday, Ross was selected to join defending dunk champ Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz, the Clippers' Eric Bledsoe, Kenneth Faried of the Nuggets, the Pacers' Gerald Green and the Knicks' James White at this upcoming All-Star weekend.  T-Ross bring home that trophy!

(Photos via Yahoo!)

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Raptors Coffee Break: 3 steps to beating the Celtics

posted by Mike Masaya

With all the news surrounding the Raptors acquisition of Rudy Gay resulting in the loss of Jose Calderon and Ed Davis; to the Celtics drama filled ‘falling from grace’ type headlines, an injured Rondo and trade rumors surrounding Pierce and Garnett, both teams will have a lot on their mind during tonights game. As if that weren’t enough the 76ers and Pistons are making it harder for the Celtics to stay in playoff contention and making it tough for the Raptors to get there.

First thing the Raptors have to do is finish the month of February strong starting with a win against the Boston Celtics tonight. With the Celtics, 76ers and Pistons all having tough schedules for the month of February the Raptors need to win in what has historically been a standard loss to Boston.

Here are 3 points that could turn a losing trend on its head and allow tonight’s matchup to end in a win for the Raptors.

1. Attack of the Guards: Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan need to push the tempo against Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee after tip-off and never let up. Whether Lowry is driving and kicking it out to Gay or running a pick and roll with Amir the Raptors game plan should be focused on keeping the Celtics guards back peddling. DeMar has emerged as premier one on one player and neither Courtney Lee or Jason Terry can guard him. Barbosa will do his part from the bench for the Celtics but will have trouble dealing with the Energizer Bunnies Lucas III and Terrence Ross should they get significant time.

2. Pass the Rock: The Raptors played their most impressive and unselfish basketball this season when they fell into a great habit of making the extra pass. With the Raptors current line up, new addition Rudy Gay and if Bargnani suits up at least 80% they will be a major threat both inside and outside the paint even more than they usually are.

3. Get to the Line: It’s no secret tonight's matchup will be labelled as a ‘grind it out’ type of game since there is a good chance neither team will score 100 points. That being said, Lowry, DeMar and Ross will hopefully lead the charge to the basket picking up free throw attempts along the way. This is connected to point number one where driving to the basket and keeping the the Celtics guards on their heels could make all the difference.

Photo via CP24