TORONTO - These are not the Toronto Raptors of old. This new edition of the Raptors is two games above .500 for the first time in two years, all alone atop the Atlantic Division, and aspiring to do big things in the playoffs.
The Clippers found out how and why in a Sunday afternoon matinee at Air Canada Centre, as Toronto shot 58.7 percent from the field in a wire-to-wire 122-110 victory.
"Defensively, we must not have been very good," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "But they made a lot of tough shots, and they answered every time we made a run back at them."
By far, the Raptors' shooting performance was the cleanest an opponent has carved up the Clippers' defense this season. Toronto actually cooled off in the second half after a blistering 70 percent first-half display that tied its franchise record.
Outstanding ball movement and unselfishness resulted in 30 Raptors assists on their 44 baskets.
"We're getting open looks and guys are stepping up," Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. "Jose (Calderon), T.J. (Ford) are moving the ball, and Chris (Bosh) is moving the ball."
The Raptors made 12 of 20 three-pointers and were 22 of 24 from the free-throw line. Six Toronto scorers reached double figures, including two off the bench, in the team's highest-scoring game this season.
"They were really on fire. There's nothing really else to say about it," said the Clippers' Corey Maggette, who shook his head as he perused the final statistical sheet.
"(Jorge) Garbajosa, 4 of 5 from three, Anthony Parker, 3 of 5 on threes, Mo Peterson, 4 of 7 and T.J. Ford 1 of 1 ... today there was no one that could have stopped them."
Peterson snuffed out the final chance the Clippers had when he buried a trio of three-pointers in the final 2 1/2 minutes from the right corner in front of the Clippers bench.
"Everything we tried to do to stop them, they had an answer for," Clippers guard Sam Cassell said.
"That's the name of the game, making shots."
What had to be frustrating for the Clippers is that they enjoyed their best offensive-rebounding half this season, when they turned 12 offensive rebounds into 15 second-chance points in the first half.
Led by Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, the Clippers also had by far their best three-point shooting game this season, making 11 of 20 from beyond the arc.
"That three-point ball is a weapon. I know because I was on the opposite side of it last year," said Thomas, who was part of the Phoenix Suns' three-point shooting assembly the second half of last season and in the playoffs.
"We have our best three-point shooting game but they (the Raptors) probably had theirs. We kept fighting but it's unbelievable how they shot the basketball."
OFF TARGET
The Clippers had an uncharacteristically tough time at the free-throw line, missing 10 of 31 attempts. Subtracting the field-goal performances of Corey Maggette (2 of 10) and center Chris Kaman (1 of 11) and the Clippers were 36 of 62 from the field.
"Bad shooting day, bad free-throw shooting day," Corey Maggette said.
"Our free-throw shooting, you can blame on me."
Said Kaman: "I got the same looks that I've made in the past but today it was like there was a barrier on the rim."
REBRACA UPDATE
Center Zeljko Rebraca's back surgery performed last Tuesday was considered successful, and he will begin a rehabilitation program in about 3 1/2 weeks.
The procedure was performed after team physician Tony Daly found herniated disc fragments during an examination.
The day before he underwent surgery, Rebraca expressed hope he could return in time to play if the Clippers were to reach the playoffs.
However, trainer Jasen Powell cast doubt on Rebraca playing again this season.
"That's pretty far-fetched, considering the healing process, the rehabilitation he'd have to go through and the conditioning," Powell said. "In terms of the time element involved in all that, it's against him."
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