Raptors Limp Into Game 6
Posted May 3, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
On the eve of what could be the last Toronto Raptors‘ game this season, it’s still far from clear who will lead the charge against the New Jersey Nets in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final.
They know 36-year-old Darrick Martin — a third-stringer that’s more of a coach than on-court presence — will be available, but the health of starting point guard T.J. Ford and his very competent backup Jose Calderon is anything but clear.
Both were injured in the Raptors Game 5 victory, but down three games to two, and with the penultimate contest taking place in the unfriendly confines of New Jersey’s Continental Airlines Arena, their absence could all but seal the Raptors’ fate for another year.
Ford missed Thursday’s practice to see the doctor about his “stinger” and Calderon shot around lightly on his sprained right ankle, but couldn’t do much else.
So with those two in doubt, the only one that might be able to stabilize Sam Mitchell’s ailing club is its best player, all-star forward Chris Bosh, whose been kept quiet by foul trouble and double teams.
“It’s very tough,” Bosh said. “People have high expectations when they really don’t know how the playoffs are. That’s how it goes, I know that’s part of the job and I know there’s going to be constructive criticism all the time.”
But even Bosh benefits from Ford and Calderon, though Mitchell isn’t saying whether either will be available.
“Whoever is healthy, that’s who’s going to play. No use in worrying about it. If they can play, they’ll play. If they can’t, we go on, move forward.”
The NBA Coach of the Year added that he needs his best player to be just that.
“Can Chris play better? Yes he can. He knows that. Do we need him to play better? Yes we do. But it’s his first time around and he’s 23 years old,” Mitchell said. “You should cut him some slack. He’s earned that. This kid brings it every night, he’s loyal to this organization and to this city and this country. You’ve never heard him once talk about leaving, you’ve never heard him cry about the lack of attention about playing in Toronto . Never.”
