Raps Beat Up Hornets: 107-90

It has become a well known fact that the New Orleans Hornets are experiencing some problems. Since their storybook season two years ago, the team has seen a decline in their performance and the frustration of their star player.
So what did this mean for the Raptors last night? This was an opportunity for the Dinos to show that they can beat a respectable Western Conference team and push past .500. The Raps played hard throughout the game, outhustling, outrebounding, and outshooting the Hornets, en route to earning a big win and even giving POB and Sonny Weems s0me court time.

NBA.com Recap

Player of the Game
We don't want to become predictable, but Chris Bosh had yet another dazzling performance. Toronto's All Star was a perfect 9-9 from the field, putting up 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Just in case you were wondering, Chris is now averaging 29 points per game.

Notables
Jose Calderon - A lot has been said about Jose early on in the season due to his disappointing numbers. Last night Jose went a long way in silencing his critics. He put up 16 points on 6-11 shooting and added 8 assists on top of that.
Andrea Bargnani - One of the quieter nights we've seen from Bargs so far. The good news, however, is that a quiet night from Drea now means 14 points and 9 rebounds, and not what it used to mean.
Hedo Turkoglu - Hedo once again showed why he's called the Turkish MJ, not only scoring but distributing and rebounding as well. He had a nice game of 16 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists, however we are still yet to see him break out.

Complete Box Score

Key Stat
In the past, the Raptors have been criticized for their sloppy third quarter play. They would come out of half time in a lull of sorts, looking lethargic and not ready to play at NBA pace.
Tonight however was the opposite. The Raptors and Hornets played evenly through the first two quarters. Then the Raps came out in the third quarter with renewed intensity, outscoring the Hornets 34-14 in the third quarter and clinching the game.
I don't know who to credit this to. It could be that Jay Triano came up with a Tony D'Amato-esque speech, or maybe the players just ate some Wheaties. Either way, it was absolutely beautiful to watch the Raptors come out with passion after halftime.