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This might shock you, but I don't have anything substantially negative to say about the Raptors' tough loss to the Lakers last night. The Raptors played their asses off, showed fearless grit and determination, and then got beaten by one of the two most notorious dagger-throwers in the history of the game. I mean, you didn't actually think the Raptors were going to win that game, did you?
Last night's contest was not only riveting, it also had its fair share of weirdness. Chris Bosh went two-for-two from three-point range — including the game-tying trey with nine seconds left — and an attempt by Jose Calderon to keep the ball from going out of bounds with under two minutes to go was interfered with by a front row spactator described in the press as an "international playboy". It reminded me of a hometown fan as a baseball stadium interfering with a visiting player trying to catch a foul ball. Should that kind of thing be allowed? Is Nav Bhatia going to start setting picks at the ACC?
I find it interesting that the Raptors are able to beat or almost beat teams like the Cavaliers and Lakers on a regular basis. I think it shows us that the Raptors actually have comparable talent on their roster to pretty much any team in the league. On a good night, Toronto's shooting and playmaking matches up favourably against any opponent.
The teams that the Raptors really seem to have trouble with are the super-athletic teams like the Hawks. The Cavs and Lakers are huge and highly-skilled, but they're not incredibly athletic outside of their star players. As a result, the Lakers only had 10 fast break points last night — they did a lot of their damage in halfcourt sets where guys like Bryant and Bynum used their superior post-up skills.
Should Jay Triano have left Jarrett Jack in the game after the lit up the Lakers for 13 third-quarter points? Possibly, but they only had a three-point lead when he sat down and the score was tied when he re-entered the game midway through the fourth so it's not like the game fell to pieces without him. The Raptors were in it right until the end but the superior team had superior execution when it mattered. That's what great teams do — they don't make costly mistakes like Turkoglu's ill-advised psss that Derek Fisher picked off with 30 seconds to go. What the Lakers do is get the ball safely in Kobe's hands and get out of his way.
The thing that impresses me most about great teams like the Lakers and Cavs (and the Celtics of the previous two seasons) is the level of intensity at which they play in close games. There's a palpable sense of anger in them when a team with a mediocre record like the Raptors gives them a run for their money. You just know that Kobe Bryant said "We ain't losin' to these punks again" to his teammates at some point in the fourth quarter. And while he's probably missed more game-winning attempts than he's made over his career, surely none of us are surprised when Kobe brings the pain. 
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