Paul Jones

Paul Jones is the voice of the Raptors on the FAN 590 and writes regularly for Sportsnet.ca.

The effort and execution the Raptors showed early against the Heat dissipated by the end of the game.

Well, that one must have been tough to take last night for Raptor fans. It looked like the effort from the Denver game was going to carry over and then the wave, or should I say Wade, hit them in Miami. Dwayne Wade had 32 points with 21 coming in the second half in the 97-94 win.

Toronto had a 17-point lead midway through the third quarter when Jose Calderon's three-point shot made in 72-55. But after that point, maybe Toronto figured they could ride it home and took enough "plays off" to allow Miami to get back in the game and edge them at the finish.

The effort and execution that was present in the first half and part of the third quarter dissipated. The shot chart in the official box score showed that while the Raptors were outscored 30-17 in the final quarter managing only two rebounds over the entire frame. Toronto's offence did not help them either by scoring only three hoops in the paint. Miami on the other hand was 10 of 13 from the floor with Udonis Haslem having an outstanding fourth quarter. "U.D." as he is known amongst the Heat faithful scored 11 of his 16 second-half points in the final quarter and outworked everyone on the floor.

Toronto's defensive effort Sunday night was a story of inconsistency. It was acceptable in the first half with the offence giving them the lead, but the second half was a different story. Open shots and straight-line drives by the Heat helped them erase the lead and come away with its fifth straight win as Miami shot 61.1 per cent from the floor in the second half.

The other story last night was Hedo Turkoglu who was available to play but didn't see a minute of floor time. It was the first time since March 10, 2006 that Turkoglu was available to play and didn't start, breaking a streak of 236 games where he started when available to play.

So why was he a cheerleader last night? According to head coach Jay Triano, part of it was due to a health issue. Turkoglu missed the second half of last Friday's game against the Nuggets with a stomach ailment, and the other part was part "message" which one can infer to be disciplinary. There are unconfirmed reports circulating that Turkoglu was out on the town in Toronto Friday night following the loss to Denver. First off, it depends on what he was doing. It's not uncommon for players to be out following the game and not wind down until the early morning hours.

But if he was out, enjoying the "nightlife" too much, well that's another story particularly when he has not been playing well. If that is the case, it sounds like the kid that tells mom and dad he isn't feeling well one morning and can't go to school. You know what I'm talking about. Even after a visit to the doctor where nothing can be concluded, the kid suddenly feels much better at say, oh, 4 p.m., when school is over and friends are heard outside playing and having a good time.

Here's my take. If a guy wants to stay out late, fine. But just don't let your team down and have it impact your play on the court. And if it's a case where you can't play because you are sick, then get home, rest so you can be ready to help your team win games. Show a commitment to your team, your job and respect others that are doing their best for the team as well.

There are stories about lots of players being out late at parties and the like and then coming out the next day and giving an opponent 30 or 40 points. Maybe I should ask Larry Brown about it Monday night and how many times Allen Iverson did it? Nah, I'm steering clear of that one. But, you know what, if you can function like that, great, go ahead but if you play poorly then it's time to make a chance in the routine.

------------

It was great to chat with Bob McAdoo last night. "Doo" is a longtime assistant coach in Miami and was displaying the shooting form that made him one of the NBA's most feared scorers back in the day. The two-time NBA champion, NBA scoring champ, and former MVP was one of my boyhood heroes with the Buffalo Braves and at 58 years old was out beyond the arc last night drilling triples when all the other Miami players had retreated to the locker room just before the final pregame meeting. McAdoo headed into the locker room for the meeting after but not before working his way around the arc in both directions, dropping eight straight bombs that hit nothing but net.