Toronto's 102-89 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday had all the signs of a classic back-to-back scenario.
It was a good first half for the Raptors but it didn't quite end on the right note. They received a "kick in the pants" at the end of the second quarter just when it looked like they were going to take a double-digit lead into the locker room. Following a 20-second time out, Toronto executed nicely with Bosh scoring on an 18-foot jumper, leaving just under two seconds for Portland to try to score. But after the subsequent inbound pass resulted in a 50-foot three point heave -- the casual kind of shot that players try at the end of practice -- going into the hoop for Travis Outlaw, Toronto's lead was unexpectedly cut.
So with the lead at eight points instead of 11 to start the second half, Toronto missed its first shot -- a three-point attempt that could have made it a 14-point lead, Portland scored to make it a six-point game. As the Blazers became energized, the Raptors went into a funk scoring only 10 points in the quarter, their lowest output in any 12-minute frame this season.
Cue the hometown comeback.
Toronto's scoring in the third quarter came on two free throws, two lay-ups, a put-back dunk and one made jump shot. It seemed like the Raptors had no legs following the break making only one of 14 jump shots.
Brandon Roy was spectacular in the final quarter hanging up 18 of 32 his points. He scored using his change of speed and direction, which is the best of any wing player in the NBA. In fact, there are only a handful of point guards ahead of him on that list who can break you down with the ball like Roy. He never seems to panic or complain regularly in trying to get calls from officials, realizing that things are going to happen over the course of the game and you just have to keep playing.
It is interesting to watch the dynamics of the coach interacting with the media in various cities around the NBA. In Portland, without the media crush of the big city like Toronto, five or six members of the media corps gathered in head coach Nate McMillan's office for his pre-game address. That scenario in itself is just not possible in Toronto.
When he was asked about juggling his starting line up and putting No. 1 pick Greg Oden back on the bench, the classy coach discussed the delicate balance between developing a top overall draft pick against trying to win games. McMillan said that Oden would have to take his lumps while learning but he would play while the team is trying to win in the tough Western Conference. He stressed that Oden needs to develop for the team's long-term future and if he, the coach, does not expose him in the right doses to what the NBA is about, he won't develop. McMillan talked about being patient and building towards winning. Without the younger players developing their skills, winning only comes via the trade route. It was attention-grabbing watching the dialogue unfold between the coach and media.
The fans love their Trail Blazers in Portland. It's a one-team town and the crowd at the Rose Garden is the second-best crowd I've seen, to this point, in my travels around the NBA this year. Boston is No. 1 but the Portland faithful provided sustained energy for the home team even in segments of the game when they were trailing and may not have been playing well.
