Really, folks, go back and watch the first half of that game because that’s as good as this team can play overall.

Steals, turnovers, deflections, dead-eye shooting, 21 assists on 29 baskets so the ball was zinging and I honestly don’t care what happened in the third quarter because the first two really were a joy to watch.

Yeah, the third quarter happened and it’s not like the Jazz are chopped liver but as Nick said in the quickie post-game, a 20-point laugher over a quality opponent is nothing be ashamed of.

And there were these little items on a night that was most memorable for me because Mr. Tanenbaum introduced me to the great Chris Hadfield in the tunnel outside the locker room after the game and I was basically awestruck.

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THREE POINTERS

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The complete Marc Gasol

Kind of Gasol-esque for him to take what he was given, knock down two three-pointers in an 11-point first quarter and then go scoreless the rest of the game because that’s what he does.

That as in “does what’s necessary and available” and that’s about all you want from anyone, right?

“I play unselfish basketball, maybe to a fault sometimes,” he said after. “That’s what I believe in. Having guys so much talent and some of the young guys with so much talent around, if I can create a shot or layup and get them confidence, keep doing that, keep them moving without the ball, I’m always hoping for that.”

Seems a good thing to hope for, doesn’t it?

But I am all here for as many Gasol Down The Lane Dunks as you can give me.

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Reading it right

Pascal Siakam’s 35 points weren’t entirely unexpected and you knew he’d bounce back from the Orlando game. The stride he made, though, was in figuring out what the Jazz were doing to him defensively and making them pay for it.

Utah sent all kinds of quick, aggressive double teams his way and he rifled the ball to shooters and when they relaxed and tried to guard him with one guy, he decimated them.

I know his shooting’s improved and has ball-handling’s getting better but the way he’s “thinking” the game might be his most important new trait.

“It was great, they double-teamed him early and he made all the right passes, kick-out Marc for three, kick-out down the lane Marc for a dunk, kick-out to Fred I think for another,” Nick said post-game. ”I mean, he read it and they called it off and then he noticed they called it off right away, and he went to work in the post … and that's where we gotta get with him, more reps and reads and all those different coverages he's going to see, continue to just make the right play.”

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The Screw You three for the 40-point halftime lead was a gem.

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Yeah, but the third quarter

Tough to fight human nature, right?

A team gets up, say, 40 points and the normal reaction is to take your foot off the gas and that’s basically what the Raptors did in a quarter when they gave up as many points (49) as they have in any quarter ever. And ever is a long time.

But I’m not going to read much into it, if anything, for that very reason, the human nature part. Slacking a bit – and the fact the other guys are NBA-level talents as well – is going to happen and I know there’ll be a bit of fixation on it in some parts but that truly is nitpicking.

Do what Gasol said he thought they should do.

“Then you also see in the third quarter when you don’t defend at the level, and you don’t play with the intensity that’s required, I think we gave up 49 points, which you select all and delete it, straight to the trash.”

If I knew how to really work computers that would undoubtedly make entire sense.

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All right, I’ve got to get a newsletter written, see the doctor in charge of my heart for my usual checkup, work a ton TEB (The Effing Book) and try to loaf for maybe a couple of hours.

I’ll back each day this week except for Saturday because I’m actually going on the Philly-Chicago road trip so if you want to start loading up the mailbag, you can do it by clicking on askdoug@thestar.ca and asking away.

And considering all the fun we had with yesterday’s mail, you should want to do that.

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