| The Raptors usually reliable defense let them down. The Kings shot 50% from the field and almost 42% from behind the three-point line. Wereit not for a rough patch at the end of the second quarter when the Kings didn't score for almost 4 minutes this game would have been decided at the half. As a Raptor fan it was just stunning to watch jump shot after jump shot fall through the hoop. It all looked so easy! You just have to work for an open shot and make it. I'm willing to bet that after the game Coach O'Neill turned to his assistants and said, "Wait a second, there are people who can actually make jump shots. I thought it was just a myth!"
"Is it just me or does Antonio Davis seem a little sluggish?" - Chuck Swirsky
Thanks for noticing about 5 games too late Chuck. Early on it seemed as if the game plan was to feed AD. He responded to this new offensive responsibility by shooting 3 for 12 for 7 points. That actually increased his season's scoring average by the way. But it isn't fair to heap this dismal game solely on AD's shoulders. Everybody flat-out sucked. The team shot 33.8% from the field. They totaled 10 assists. Yes, Vlade Divac and Darius Songaila combined for more assists than the entire Raptor roster.
Of course all this was due to Sacramento's vicious defense. It was the usual 48 minutes of hell out there. Wait a second. The Kings are the worst defensive team in the league! Teams average 102.4 points a game AGAINST them. Think about this: the Raptors were almost 40 points below the Kings' opponents' average.
Now let this sink in: last year's injury-plagued team coached by Lenny Wilkens could score more often than this year's Raptors. Where have you gone Greg Foster?
Fortunately for those who watched the game until the bitter end, Rick Brunson got on the court with a whopping 3.5 minutes left. I'm not sure why Coach O'Neill waited so long. When the Raptors were down by 32 early in the fourth everyone could assume the game was over. 32 points is a good half for this team let alone a quarter. Brunson finished with 2 points and an assist. It was Brunson's buzzer-beating shot that got the Raptors to within 30 points and theoretically staved off embarrassment. Remember that's just Leo's theory and has nothing to do with what actually went on during the game. Sometimes I'm not sure he's even watching.
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