Ball Don't Lie - NBA


(The best thing about searching for random Magic and Raptor images is that you're bound to find pictures like the one above. And, inevitably, some not-too-surprising pictures that you'll have to see after the jump.)

Orlando at Toronto

This is always a good matchup. It was great even a few years ago when Chris Bosh would come up with games like these on Dwight Howard, and it hit a new level last spring when the two young teams paired off in the playoffs, with a five-game series that everyone but Bill Simmons seemed to love.

Orlando won that series, in surprisingly handily fashion-ly. The Magic absolutely dominated the Raptors on the boards, forcing the Raptors to trade for some interior help the following summer to shore up their defense and rebounding. And while those two haven't exactly come around since Jermaine O'Neal, uh, came around; the Raptors have played quite well this season at times.

Still, they only have a 5-4 record to show for it. Meanwhile, the Magic have won seven of 10, as the squad's defense has been taken to another level.

Ten games on tonight, so fire away should you feel a fire coming on.

Orlando Magic: 7-3, 93 possessions per game (11th-most in the NBA), 106.5 points scored per 100 possessions (11th in the NBA), 100.3 points scored per 100 possessions (4th). I Can Feel the Fire.

Toronto Raptors: 5-4, 89.2 possessions per game (24th), 106.2 points scored per 100 possessions (13th), 106.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (19th). Pool Hall Richard.

Shocker:

Bigger shocker:

Taken at two seperate games, though I'm sure you assumed as much.

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10 Comments

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  1. Anthony
    1. Posted by Anthony Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:36 pm EDT

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    Michael Redd!
    Toronto wins tonight. I'm calling it.
  2. Kush Gulati
    2. Posted by Kush Gulati Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    Big Toronto Fan. But i dont know if the raptors can handle Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo...Beastly line up there....but hey if the raptors are shooting well...then they can win.
  3. Andrew K
    3. Posted by Andrew K Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:23 pm EDT

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    Plenty of good stuff on tonight, especially this one. Dallas-Charlotte, Cleveland-NJ, and NY-Boston should all be interesting games, too.
  4. MG
    4. Posted by MG Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:17 pm EDT

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    As a longtime Toronto fan, it is hard to tell that those Carter pictures are from different games.
    I saw Wince crying on the floor so many times, they eventually merged into one big memory that I filed it away in my mind as "Vince Carter's Career"
  5. Mike L.
    5. Posted by Mike L. Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    Classic cousin-to-cousin C-a-C:
    Tracey and Vince shouting together: "No, I am WAY more injury-prone than you are!"
  6. j_n_16
    6. Posted by j_n_16 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    Way to show some love for Wince Carter
  7. Ben N
    7. Posted by Ben N Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    You and the city need to get over Vince Carter..he's moved on, maybe you guys should stop being so spiteful and move on too.
  8. Envigado
    8. Posted by Envigado Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    Maybe Vince should grow a pair, he's still up to the same old tricks. Left the game against the Warriors crying like a baby, pulled a Pierce and came back shortly thereafter.
    Any dude that soft who admitted to bailing on my team would be on my ish list indefinitely.
    Dubs/Blazers should be a good one tonite. I shudder to think at what Rudy could do to us though...
  9. Mike L.
    9. Posted by Mike L. Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    Who here thought Bosh could go 40 and 18 and the Raps would lose by double-digits? I popped on to ESPN's NBA scoreboard after cooking/eating dinner and saw Bosh's numbers at the top and thought to myself, "Nice W over Orlando there..." until I saw the score. No help. At least not from Will Solomon. 7 TOs... ouch.
    Happy note: Dirk goes for 32 and 9 boards. Seems to be playing like Diiirrrk again. Which is nice.
    Oden could have a field day against the Warriors. Several Blazers could have a field day, actually.
    I tremble to think of what the Lakers are going to do to the Bulls. I'm rooting for the Bulls (the power of MJ compels me), but I have little actual hope for this one.
  10. young ice cube ftw
    10. Posted by young ice cube ftw Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    yea bosh went off .. but it was not to be ..
    damn raptors forwards getting exposed (broken record)
    warriors blazers game was crazy .. that ending .. only in golden state
    never forget abt vince .. never!!

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