By RB.com Minister of Disinformation B-Huge.

Heading into this game the on-line betting community had installed the Raptors as 5.5 point favourites. The people who create these betting lines put plenty of research into their work because if they screw up it costs their casino clients plenty of money. Well there was one thing that those people missed when sorting out this game -- Snoop Dogg held a concert on the previous evening.

How else to explain the lackadaisical effort? Toronto Public Enemy #1 Tracy McGrady was in town. The sell-out crowd was on him the whole game but it didn't seem to fire up the team. I guess there is also the Christmas factor. With the Raptors facing a 4-day Christmas break they were probably looking ahead. I know back in the days when I held a job I usually snuck out early before Christmas. But unlike these guys I wasn't getting paid millions of dollars so I kind of have an excuse but my boss didn't seem to think it was valid.

I shouldn't condemn the whole team as there were a few of outstanding efforts put in by Alvin Williams (18 points, 8 assists), Chris Bosh (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Donyell Marshall (19 points, 19 rebounds). The main culprit was Vince Carter who played his most dispassionate game of the season. He only mustered 3 shots in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. He was actually shooting well (7 for 12) when he decided to let the ball fly. Further proof of Vince's apathetic play were his 5 turnovers and single rebound.

Vince must have taken the whole bench out to the Snoop Dogg concert with him as they accounted for a mere 9 points and 5 rebounds. No word on how Mengke Bateer enjoyed his night out but his interpreter looked pretty tired from translizziling all night.