Raptors at... 3 a.m.?
So I put in a 5 p.m.-11 p.m. shift at work on Sunday. Got home a bit past 11, rode the stationary bike while re-watching the third period of the Leafs-Bruins game, finished off the earlier Russell Martin entry, turned off the computer and did some reading...
I was too wired to go to sleep right away. But I stayed up a little longer than usual after my late-night exercise. The clock was ticking toward 3 a.m.
Then it hit me.
The Raptors have a 3 a.m. game!
I was jolted awake, though I wasn't really that sleepy to begin with. Anyway, I recently got up for a 4 a.m. Leafs game. And though I didn't intend it to be this way, I've managed to STAY UP for a 3 a.m. Raptors game.
Nearing the tip-off vs. the Wizards as I write this. I don't know how long I'll manage to stay awake to watch a game that I didn't think I'd be able to catch.
Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, Danny G looking sharp here!
(1st Update)
The Raptors came out to play. Scored the first 7 points of the game and led 18-5, then 29-10. It's easy to stay up when your team plays so well out of the gate.
The Wizards battled back for a bit but we closed the 1Q up 36-21. Life was good.
We kept at it. Our own reserves did their thing. Norm, Delon, Moose. We led by 23 points. D was spectacular, and the other guys couldn't buy a bucket.
Then the other guys started making a run. In fact, a 15-2 run. Closed the first half on a 22-10 run, and our halftime lead was only 61-50.
Looked like our boys took their feet off the pedal. Maybe leading by so many points so early wasn't such a good thing. It's hard to maintain that intensity in a dead arena (snowstorm in D.C. apparently, and the place looked half-empty at the start). Anyway, people started filling in the seats, we let them get back in the game and the crowd started getting worked up, too. Not good.
2nd half coming up...
(2nd Update)
OH MY GOD!!!!
I got more than what I bargained for! The Raptors came away with a 140-138 W in DOUBLE OT!!!!
So here's how things went down. We outscored 'em 37-34 in the 3Q and still took a 98-84 lead into the final 12 minutes. The Wiz hung around but with a 14-point lead, I felt relatively confident we would close them out.
But no. The other guys made first 12 of their shots in the 4th. Bradley Beal, who started the game 1-of-9, caught fire. He kept draining one jumper after another.
They cut it to 120-118 on Beal's three. Then Kawhi responded with two straight jumpers.
Was 124-119 for us with 1:14 left in the quarter and we didn't score again in regulation. Freakin' Beal drained a 3 with about 20 ticks left and sent the game to OT.
Kawhi was the only Raptor to score in OT. Our D stepped up and the Wizards' legs seemed to give out a bit. Kawhi's three put us up 129-126 late. But Porter Jr. matched that 3. After Kawhi's FTs, Beal's shot tied the score again.
Another OT.
By this time, I was way too tense to feel tired. It was some variation of "Man, we'd better win this thing!" or "I didn't stay up to watch us lose in double OT!" or "How am I going to get through today?" or... I don't even remember.
Some really nervy possessions on both ends, with the same group of 10 players basically running on fumes. Siakam and then Ariza (who was guarding Kawhi) fouled out late.
Caught a huge break when Beal, normally a good FT shooter, missed one from the line. Kawhi's layup and Kyle's FTs put us up 135-134.
With the Wiz up 138-136, Serge found himself open on the wing after a Kawhi miss and drained a go-ahead 3. The shot looked good as it left his hands and man, seemed like an eternity before it dropped.
Here's the shot.
Porter missed at the other end. Danny G. grabbed a loose ball and got run over by Satoransky. Perhaps still shaken, he missed the first FT.
I was nearly dying. He sank the next one for a 140-138 lead with 2.8 ticks to go. Kyle stole the in-bounce pass/heave and that was that.
What a stunning game. Just about 3 hours ago, I never would have imagined I'd be in for a game like this. We were up by 23, you know.
Man, I love basketball. Losing this game would have hurt so much.
Now I need to come down and get ready for some real life.
I was too wired to go to sleep right away. But I stayed up a little longer than usual after my late-night exercise. The clock was ticking toward 3 a.m.
Then it hit me.
The Raptors have a 3 a.m. game!
I was jolted awake, though I wasn't really that sleepy to begin with. Anyway, I recently got up for a 4 a.m. Leafs game. And though I didn't intend it to be this way, I've managed to STAY UP for a 3 a.m. Raptors game.
Nearing the tip-off vs. the Wizards as I write this. I don't know how long I'll manage to stay awake to watch a game that I didn't think I'd be able to catch.
Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, Danny G looking sharp here!
(1st Update)
The Raptors came out to play. Scored the first 7 points of the game and led 18-5, then 29-10. It's easy to stay up when your team plays so well out of the gate.
The Wizards battled back for a bit but we closed the 1Q up 36-21. Life was good.
We kept at it. Our own reserves did their thing. Norm, Delon, Moose. We led by 23 points. D was spectacular, and the other guys couldn't buy a bucket.
Then the other guys started making a run. In fact, a 15-2 run. Closed the first half on a 22-10 run, and our halftime lead was only 61-50.
Looked like our boys took their feet off the pedal. Maybe leading by so many points so early wasn't such a good thing. It's hard to maintain that intensity in a dead arena (snowstorm in D.C. apparently, and the place looked half-empty at the start). Anyway, people started filling in the seats, we let them get back in the game and the crowd started getting worked up, too. Not good.
2nd half coming up...
(2nd Update)
OH MY GOD!!!!
I got more than what I bargained for! The Raptors came away with a 140-138 W in DOUBLE OT!!!!
So here's how things went down. We outscored 'em 37-34 in the 3Q and still took a 98-84 lead into the final 12 minutes. The Wiz hung around but with a 14-point lead, I felt relatively confident we would close them out.
But no. The other guys made first 12 of their shots in the 4th. Bradley Beal, who started the game 1-of-9, caught fire. He kept draining one jumper after another.
They cut it to 120-118 on Beal's three. Then Kawhi responded with two straight jumpers.
Was 124-119 for us with 1:14 left in the quarter and we didn't score again in regulation. Freakin' Beal drained a 3 with about 20 ticks left and sent the game to OT.
Kawhi was the only Raptor to score in OT. Our D stepped up and the Wizards' legs seemed to give out a bit. Kawhi's three put us up 129-126 late. But Porter Jr. matched that 3. After Kawhi's FTs, Beal's shot tied the score again.
Another OT.
By this time, I was way too tense to feel tired. It was some variation of "Man, we'd better win this thing!" or "I didn't stay up to watch us lose in double OT!" or "How am I going to get through today?" or... I don't even remember.
Some really nervy possessions on both ends, with the same group of 10 players basically running on fumes. Siakam and then Ariza (who was guarding Kawhi) fouled out late.
Caught a huge break when Beal, normally a good FT shooter, missed one from the line. Kawhi's layup and Kyle's FTs put us up 135-134.
With the Wiz up 138-136, Serge found himself open on the wing after a Kawhi miss and drained a go-ahead 3. The shot looked good as it left his hands and man, seemed like an eternity before it dropped.
Here's the shot.
Porter missed at the other end. Danny G. grabbed a loose ball and got run over by Satoransky. Perhaps still shaken, he missed the first FT.
I was nearly dying. He sank the next one for a 140-138 lead with 2.8 ticks to go. Kyle stole the in-bounce pass/heave and that was that.
What a stunning game. Just about 3 hours ago, I never would have imagined I'd be in for a game like this. We were up by 23, you know.
Man, I love basketball. Losing this game would have hurt so much.
Now I need to come down and get ready for some real life.
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