Pull out all the clichés you like now if you're a Raptor fan because they all apply as Toronto will be fighting for its playoff life here in Orlando tonight.
"Just come out and get into 'em early," was the response from Chris Bosh when he was asked what had to happen for the Raptors to send the series back to Toronto . "Take the challenge on defense."
It was the defense that let Toronto down in the waning stages of Game 4 last Saturday at the Air Canada Centre. We're not talking about athletic or savvy wing players like LeBron James, or Paul Pierce; the type of guys that have given the Raptors fits all season by torching them from the perimeter, but Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu have been getting to the basket when it counts. Turkoglu made a tough lay up to win Game 2 and both he and Lewis were determined not to settle for jump shots with Game 4 on the line. Both got to the basket again late in the game as Orlando took a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.
Jamario Moon proclaimed himself fit to play when he spoke to the media before practice this morning and left the decision, with regard to playing time, in the hands of the coaches. He said that he did some work in the pool at the hotel to check the condition of his groin strain and head coach Sam Mitchell said he will see if Moon is able to loosen up properly for tonight's game.
Moon chuckled when asked about his swimming skills, after telling the media horde what he did to loosen up in the pool.
"Like a rock," he laughed when asked about his aquatic prowess. "I'm not a fish but I can swim a little bit." He and his mates had better be strong swimmers as they are headed up stream against the current tonight. Only eight teams in the history of the NBA have ever come back from being down 3-1 to win a series.
The guess here is that if Moon warms up well he will be in the starting line-up. Moon is one guy who can provide energy and perhaps a bit better defense in guarding one of Turkoglu or Lewis on the dribble, something the Raptors have had difficulty doing the entire series. But it will take more than Moon as he can't guard both of them and either Carlos Delfino, Anthony Parker or Jason Kapono are going to have to find a way to stop dribble penetration, or put Lewis or Turkoglu on the bench in foul trouble.
The other key has been the point guard play of Jameer Nelson in particular. He said last week before Game 2 that he didn't take it personally in regards to the media giving the edge to Toronto's point guard tandem. He just takes it personally regarding the media he said as he referred to both T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon as "good guys".
"He's been kind of the unsung hero of this team, if you ask me," Mitchell said. "The three games he's played well has broken our backs."
Even though Game 2, in the end, came down to a missed jumper by Bosh, Mitchell will not allow himself to look back and ask, "what if?"
"The reality is, we are down 3-1," Mitchell said. "As a coach you do look back and say man, 'if we would have done this, if we would have done that' there would be a different outlook on the series, but that's not the case, the case is we're down 3-1."
"We've got to come out and give them everything we got on their home floor and we got to find a way to win a basketball game and get it back to Toronto."
You have to admit, it's a very different series if Toronto wins Game 2 or they are able to close out Game 4 that was a two-point game with 2:30 remaining in the contest. It doesn't matter now though as Toronto will get a chance to prove themselves again tonight.
So pick your favourite cliché. But as Jamario Moon said, "We have to play like it's our last game, because if we don't it will be."
FIRE SAM and TRADE T.J!!!
I love the Raps, can't wait for the new season and new hopes.