Raptors' fiery Jose Calderon silences critics
Calderon made 2-of-4 three-pointers he took but it was his actions, rather than his shots, that spoke volumes. He was animated and aggressive and when he goaded New Orleans' Chris Paul into a travelling turnover in the game-changing third quarter, he got up, screamed, pumped his fists and it felt like he was giving a big "take that" to the critics.
"That was just Jose, I thought his energy level was excellent," said coach Jay Triano. "He hasn't been playing well and he knows it, but it's not like we're going to bench him. He's a guy who's going to be a big part of our team.
"He doesn't like a lot of the things that have been written about him ... he takes it to heart and I thought he came out and did an excellent job."
Toronto Sun
Raps defence puts brakes on Paul
"We showed him as many bodies as we could," Triano said. "I thought Jose (Calderon) and Jarrett (Jack) did a great job of sharing and taking turns of staying in front of him and making him work for everything he got. He still had great numbers but we wanted to wear him down and make him work." Antoine Wright, who is becoming the defensive conscience of this Raptors club, loved every minute of it, particularly the third quarter.
"It felt good and it normally does when guys are all on the same page," Wright said of the third frame during which the Raptors outscored their opponents 34-14.
"We blocked guys out and got the rebound and that's what we have been struggling with ... finishing the possession," Wright said.
Raps Replay
Not that it means his return is imminent, but Reggie Evans, still out with a left midfoot sprain, is travelling with the team on this three-game road swing. The Raptors have not had injured players travelling with the team unless there is a chance that they could play. Evans is with them in order to get the foot that has given him problems re-evaluated. Head coach Jay Triano also wants him getting used to travelling with the team. Evans says there is still pain in the foot, but he's doing some shooting now, minus the jumping part.
Calderon leads the charge
Following an up-tempo Saturday afternoon practice recently, question No. 2,000 about Calderon's laboured start left Triano shaking his head. With a pained expression Triano pointed out: "It's not as if he woke up this morning and became a bad player."
Last night in the Big Easy, in Game 5 of an 82-game season, Calderon didn't need anyone to defend his abilities. They were in full view on the court.
With even the most faithful of Raptor followers predicting a long night with a red-hot Chris Paul lying in wait for Calderon and the Raptors' much-maligned defence, the wee Spaniard had plans of his own as he sparked the Raptors to their first road win of the season in a 107-90 victory over the 2-4 Hornets.
National Post
Raptors go long to beat Hornets
The Toronto Raptors' general manager has stockpiled as many versatile offensive players as possible, and he has been left to hope it all comes together. Last night, it did.
The Raptors rode a barrage of three-pointers in the third quarter to beat the Hornets 107-90 at the New Orleans Arena. It was the start of a stretch in which the Raptors (3-2) will play seven road games in their next eight contests. There will not be many gimmes, so a solid start was welcome.
New Orleans Times-Picauyne
Toronto Raptors fire away in third quarter to defeat New Orleans Hornets
The Raptors used a defensive scheme similar to what the Denver Nuggets successfully executed against Paul and the Hornets last season in a five-game elimination in the first round of the playoffs. They covered Paul with traps to get the ball out of his hands.
"Our focus tonight was on Chris, " Toronto Coach Jay Triano said. "Anytime he gave it up for the most part our guys had a hand in his face. I think we also rebounded well and he (Paul) didn't get many chances."
Dallas Morning News
Toronto Raptors at Dallas Mavericks preview
This will be Toronto's first time playing back-to-back nights. The Raptors are 3-2 and 1-1 on the road after beating New Orleans on Friday. ... Lincoln product Chris Bosh is averaging 29.0 points and 11.4 rebounds. ... Andrea Bargnani, the 7-foot center from Italy, is averaging 20.4 points and 6.0 rebounds, well above his career averages of 12.6 points and 4.4 boards. ... Toronto has scored more than 100 points in all five games and went into Friday ranked third in the NBA in scoring at 108.5 points per game. ... Bosh and Bargnani have the range to shoot the ball well from the perimeter, and veteran forward Hedo Turkoglu is a 3-point threat and is averaging 15.4 points.
