So the Raptors are in Denver, Colorado where your a mile above sea level at least that is what the sigh outside the Pepsi Center says so before I get into the game I am going to look back at what happened @ the Pepsi Center on December 2Nd, 2008 when the Raptors lost 132-93 to the Denver Nuggets and it was the certain falling down on Sam Mitchell's coaching career as the head coach of the Toronto Raptors.
So the game begins and the Raptors could not give a dam about playing up on the Nugget's players in the first half where the Nuggets scored 36 points in the first quarter and 46 points in the second quarter and had 11 turnovers in the half which is the same as they had in all of last night's game and the Raptors only gave up 66 points through the first three quarter last night. So it is a completely different team and with the nuggets hitting 53% of their shoots from the floor and going to the line 16 times and making 13 of them but they are wide open for 3-balls and they are draining them at will hitting 7 of the 15 3 ball attempts in the first half. Ty Lawson was unconscious shooting the ball in the half as he was 5 of 6 from the floor as he also went 2 for 2 from 3 along with hitting all 5 of his free throw attempts and had 17 points in the half. The Nuggets also got 30 rebounds in the first half which is just outstanding as 30 rebounds could be a team's total for a game not a half while the Raptors had 17 rebounds in the half which is close to the average for a half while the Nuggets also have 16 assists compared to the Raptors 9 which means they are sharing the ball big time. The scariest rebound was the one where Danilo Gallinari got an offensive rebound with 3 raptors just standing there and he just powered up and slammed it down with no contest from any of the 3 Raptors standing under the basket as the clock went triple zero to thankfully end the first half.
The Raptors was able to keep it close in the second half but still lost all 4 quarters and the Raptors played all their players solid minutes while the Nuggets played their starters a little bit more and 7 Nuggets were in double digits led by Ty Lawson was 7 for 10 from the floor and ended up with 23 points along with 8 assists and Nene Hilario went 7 for 9 from the floor with 18 points. J.R. Smith was 2 assists away from a triple double as he had 13 points and 10 boards while the Raptors were led by Andrea Bargnani who had 20 points and DeMar DeRozan who had 14 points but the most interesting stat was Jerryd Bayless had 9 assists which 3 more than the shoots he took which is good for a point even though he did not make a basket along with Alexis Ajinca had 9 boards in his most rub on the court which equaled Reggie's rebounds.
The thing that the Raptors struggled on the defensive end again and they questioned about 2 maybe goaltending non-calls against the Nuggets and like always the Raptors questioned any close foul and like away the Raptors just got more fouls which is because it looks like the Raptors are showing up the refs as they do not play hard enough to earn the close calls.
Thanks for reading
Tom Mehegan
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