Right from the get-go, the game shifted into the Mike D'Antoni up-tempo offense. Both teams fired away, hitting jumpers and penetrating the paint for points. Hell, with 8:09 left in the 1st quarter, the score was 16-12. I felt like my eyes were shifting rapidly from one side of the TV to the other. The Raptors led most of the way (their biggest lead was 10), but for the most part, only a few possessions separated the opponents.
But just like any classic Raptors game, the Suns found a way to take the lead late in the game. With 7:41 left in the game, Steve Nash hit a dagger 3 pointer to go up 87-84.
Back and forth the teams went, exchanging leads. All while my mood was flip flopping like a middle aged woman going through her annual PMS symptoms. It was not a pretty sight.
With 38 seconds left, Steve Nash drove the lane and scored from the left side while Jose Calderon committed a killer foul. Suns up by 100-101. It was at this point that I started praying and firing away at my Twitter.
With 12 seconds left, the Raptors put the game in Hedo Turkoglu's hands, calling on him to shoot the game winner. The shot was up.....and off the back iron. Raptors lose. Suns win. I was on the ground in disbelief.
While sitting there, I just thought of two things: A--how did we even contend with these guys? B--how did we lose? I wasn't this heartbroken over a loss since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Nets in 2007. This was one of few occasions where the Raptors gave a 100% effort for 48 minutes--but somehow still lost. It was so frustrating.
And the thing is--I have no complaints. The Raptors played amazing. I mean, to be THAT CLOSE to a beating an 8-2 team on the road is hard to do. No question, last nights game was the most exciting of the season. The fans in attendance definitely got their moneys worth. It's hard to see your team lose, but it's even harder when the effort doesn't match the result. I've had 21 hours to recuperate from the loss, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
Alright, well since I've vented, I guess it's time for me to get up off the floor and move on with my life.
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