The Raptors beat Portland 110 to 98 last night. It was a game that happened in the Pacific Time Zone, which usually means I only see the first quarter before I fall asleep in my recliner with a handful of corn nuts. Fortunately, I stayed awake for this one, mostly because the radiators in my building were making a sound like a ghost playing the drums.
Sandro Mamukelashvili is apparently the greatest basketball player in the world now. Before this road trip, he had seven games with twenty points in his entire career. He has done it three times in the last four games. He is playing with a certain kind of energy that makes you think he knows something we do not, like where the best pierogies are hidden in every city. He got the defensive player chain and took a photo with some fans in the arena. They looked happy. Portland is a nice place for trees and people who enjoy rain.
The Scottie Barnes Block Party
Scottie Barnes decided that the rim was his personal property and no one else was allowed to touch it. He had six blocks. At one point, he looked like Dikembe Mutombo, though I do not think he did the finger wag because that involves a lot of extra effort. He also helped out in a very strong fourth quarter. When Scottie is focused, it feels like the team is actually going somewhere (possibly 3rd place in the East, which is where they are sitting right now).
We have played 47 games, while some teams like Detroit have only played 43. I do not know why the schedule is like this. It is like when you finish your homework early and then you just have to sit there watching everyone else struggle. It makes our 3rd place standing feel a bit temporary, like a park bench with a wet paint sign.
Observations from the Baseline
Immanuel Quickley had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He is having a very good road trip. He plays with a level of joy that I have not felt since I found a twenty dollar bill in a winter coat back in 2011. RJ Barrett also started, which is good. We need people to start games or else they just stand around.
There is a lot of talk about Domantas Sabonis lately. Some people say he cannot defend. Some people say he is the answer if Jakob Poeltl has back issues. I like Jakob. He sets screens like he is a brick wall that someone accidentally put a jersey on. If screen assists were real assists, he would be very wealthy, or at least have more stats. Sabonis had a big game for Sacramento, but they still lost. Statistics are funny that way.
Miscellaneous Confusions
A fan is worried about a game against the Pelicans in March starting at 8:30pm because their friend is visiting from Nova Scotia. That is a long way to travel to see a basketball game that starts late. Apparently, the Blue Jays moved their home opener, and now the schedules are bumping into each other like two people trying to go through a revolving door at the same time.
The team has a three game win streak. Fans were shouting "Brand New Raptors" backstage. I am not sure if they are actually brand new, as many of them have been here for several months, but the sentiment is nice. We play the Thunder next. They are very fast and very young. I will probably need more corn nuts for that one.