It is impossible to get the measure of a team's heart from just one game. But it doesn't stop people from thinking along those lines. And that's why there's so much interest building for Toronto's next game, a home date Friday with the Atlanta Hawks. In what has to be the low point of the season so far, the Raptors were embarrassed 146-115 by the Hawks just over a week ago, a defeat that prompted a 45-minute team meeting that seems to have cleared the air at least a little bit.
But with a return game so close to the original spanking, it'll be interesting to see how the Raptors -- not generally known as a mentally tough team -- responds.
The scope of the loss in Atlanta wasn't as much about anything the Hawks did; rather, it was more about what the Raptors didn't do -- compete with any type of intensity. They have picked things up considerably since then and if they can at least show some fight against the high-powered Hawks, it will go a long way towards appeasing disgruntled fans and likely create some more confidence in the locker room.
BUCKS 117, RAPTORS 95: Toronto's season-high three-game winning streak came to a thudding halt as Milwaukee pulled away in the second half to win. Missing starting point guard Jose Calderon (hip) and center Andrea Bargnani (ankle), Toronto had to mix and match rotations and never came up with a cohesive unit at either end. Chris Bosh had his typical big night, piling up his NBA-best 20th double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Play Basketball Hot Streak and win prizes!
