Give This Win To The Amazing ACC Crowd

For most of the night, the Toronto Raptors lacked it. Yet when the team needed it the most, the ACC crowd provided it. Home court advantage is something that is often cherished in professional sports, and tonight, it was especially valuable to the Raps.

With all due respect to the Bucks and their fans, the Raptors have much higher expectations. Yet when the home team could not come out firing, their fans did not give up on them and provided us with a prime example of why the Raptors have one of the best crowds in the NBA.

You could see it in the team's intensity level late in the game. The Raptors totally fed off the electric energy that was ricocheting off the arena walls. Perhaps the player that benefited the most from the excitement was Jarrett Jack. The steady point guard totaled a season high in points in the most passionate manner possible. From there, the entire team got in on the act, evident both on the court and on the bench.

In the last game, Bosh carried us. Tonight, it was you, us, Raptors Nation that proved to be the difference maker.

***Other Notes***

- I've criticized Triano a couple of times for his questionable coaching in the last few games. But tonight, he managed to win us over with his zone defense. He knew when to use it, and when to go back to man D at the perfect times. The strategy was vital in our 4th quarter run

- Secondly, I've also talked about taking it to the rim in crunch time. Tonight, the Raps did just exactly that. Our last 3 crucial scores came on a Jack penetration drive, Belinelli not settling for a jumper and driving to the rim, and a Bosh dunk. Go hard to the rim, and either make a basket or force the refs to use their whistle.

- Lastly, Turk's still struggling with his shot, but he was a lot more effective tonight than usual. I'm sure a bunch of you guys noticed how many times both Jack and Calderon gave the ball up so Hedo could initiate the offensive sets. All Raps fans are waiting now for is his shooting slump to end. Keep working Hedo! The look on your face after that layup was priceless.