Not the most promising of starts, to say the least. The lure of free seats drew fans to distant corners of the Skydome, as the 500 level was almost entirely filled for the first time since MJ was last in town. If only the product on court could have measured up.
Before the game, captain Doug Christie spoke to the fans, saying the Raptors were ready to earn back respect, through hard work and dedication. But the new-look Raptors looked a lot like the old bunch. The Raptors' inability to score in a half-court setting, so evident last year against good defensive teams, showed again, as it took almost five minutes for the Raptors to score their first field goal. In future, they must go inside to Kevin Willis more. It worked well the few times they tried tonight.
Ray Mercer helped the Celts to an early lead, finishing with 25 points as the game's high scorer. Kenny Anderson started at the point and was roundly booed every time he touched the ball. Some hot shooting by Doug Christie and Dee Brown helped keep it close through half-time. The play of point guard Alvin Williams was a big disappointment. He was unable to help the Raptors fast-break, and contributed little offence of his own.
In the 3rd quarter, the Celts pulled away, and coach Butch Carter gave some playing time to guys fighting for roster spots. We got our first look at forward Sean Marks and guard Mark Baker. Marks looked OK, and may challenge John Thomas and Reggie Slater for the last forward spot on the roster. As the game clock ticked down to the end, the boobirds were out in force, proving that the Raptors still have a long way to go to win back their fans.
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