-The Dallas Mavericks got their first win of the season...unfortunately at the expense of the Toronto Raptors, 99 to 86. This one was closer than the final 13 point spread though as the Dinos came back from double-digit deficits multiple times. However the Mavs' consistent attack on O was too much for one final push from Toronto, and the Raps leave the Big D with a 1 and 2 record to start the year.
-It wouldn't be fair to recap this one without mentioning Andrea Bargnani. Bargs had 30 points on 11 of 18 shooting, and single-handily kept Toronto in this one for stretches. He was nearly perfect from the floor in fact until late in the game when it looked like he began to fatigue. (He played a team high 41 minutes.) Bargs wasn't perfect on D, but was active again and grabbed a respectable seven rebounds.
-It's just too bad he didn't get any help. DeMar DeRozan, the likely candidate to give Andrea a hand was 4 of 12 from the floor and scored only four points after the first quarter. He did have four assists and four rebounds but the team could have really used a boost from his offence as only Leandro Barbosa was the only other major scoring factor tonight. Jose Calderon chipped in a fairly efficient 11 as usual, but guys like Rasual Butler, James Johnson, Ed Davis and Jerryd Bayless were non factors offensively.
-Speaking of Bayless, he struggled again in a back-up role, turning the ball over twice in only seven minutes before falling awkwardly and spraining his ankle. No word on how bad said strain is, but he didn't return after the injury and the team therefore got copious doses of Anthony Carter and Barbosa. In fact bench play was one of the main reasons this one got away from Toronto as the Mavs' pine crew outscored 56 to 22.
-Dallas was led by the usual suspects of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion, but Toronto regressed to their 2009-10 ways and allowed Ian Mahinmi to be their first "Stub of the Night" of the season. Mahinmi wrecked TO inside with 19 points and 5 rebounds in under 30 minutes of action. More importantly, he got to the line 11 times, almost equally Toronto's total on the night. The Raps inability to get to the charity stripe is a hidden story so far this season in fact as they've averaged about 13 trips to their opponents 30, something that has to change if the club wants to get back in the win column.