Magic Man and El Diablo. Shake-And-Bake. Whatever popular moniker you want to use from Talladega Nights will work as Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan combined to score 51 points against the New York Knicks.

For my first Raptors Pre-Game report, I explain what to look for in these reports, Jeremy Lin’s impact on the ACC crowd the last time he was here and Gary Forbes strong play off the bench.

Sitting on the sidelines during pre-game warmups the fact Iman Shumpert was shooting around with Allan Houston grabbed my attention. Once locker rooms opened for media, I chatted with Shumpert about what he’s learning from working with Houston and how his rookie season in the NBA has challenged him to grow as a player.

If you’re stuck somewhere without a TV tongiht I’m going to help you out by providing you with a Live Blog of the Michigan State – Louisville game this evening.

In a beautiful sense of irony, Toronto’s season in which they find clever ways to “tank” games to garner more lottery balls nearly hit a road block on Wednesday evening during Canadian Forces night.

This season has amounted to one giant tease as DeRozan will show glimpses of his potential only to disappear for quarters or even entire games.

The combination of Toronto waiving Anthony Carter earlier this month, trading Leandro Barbosa at the trade deadline and Jose Calderon’s recent injury has opened up an opportunity for Gary Forbes to prove he belongs.

It shouldn’t come as a shock that defensive minds respect each other, but Tom Thibodeau has Dwane Casey’s vote for coach of the year this season.

Are you ready for March Madness? If you’re stuck at a wedding or some other event, I’m going to help you out by providing you with a Live Blog of the New Mexico – Louisville game this evening.

As a member of the media with media credentials who has covered the Toronto Raptors this season, I know far too well the problems a team that is “rebuilding” will face.