By Walter Dubowec

Here are the four things we learned from the Raptors Game Four loss:

1. Another timid and tentative fourth quarter performance.

2. Another loss that should have been a win for the Raptors.

3. Another game where the Raptors played not to lose, as opposed to play to win.

4. Another meak collapse where Toronto showed only token resistance down the stretch.


The Toronto Pussy Cat Dolls in crunch time

The ACC crowd was amped and the Raptors playoff lives were on the line on Saturday. So what happens? Well, the Raptors showed zero intensity, no grit - nothing in crunch time.

The intense desire to win that propelled them down the stretch last season is non-existent this year. Elite teams have a 'take-no-prisoners' team psyche that enables them to put their foot on the throats of an opponent and not allow them to get up.

The Raptors not only let their opponents get up off the mat, but they help them get back in the game, for god sakes!


               

I expected the Raptors to win Game Four at the ACC. They had momentum on their side and another wild home crowd. The Raptors played a solid three quarters and held the lead in the final quarter.

Problem is that mental toughness was lacking again down the stretch.

The team's bad habits which have been evident most of the year did not magically disappear in the playoffs. While Orlando's stars stepped up in crunch time, only Chris Bosh played at a high level for Toronto in the final frame.

The Raps were able to overcome their season long bad habits in Game Three and if they were going to keep the season alive, a lot depended on the Raps avoiding the shortcomings that plagued them all season long.

Unfortunately, the Raptors reverted to their old form. The offence sputtered down the stretch and Toronto couldn't dig down deep and make keys stops in the final frame. They coughed up a fourth quarter lead at home again - which is inexcusable.

Conversely, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkuglo and Jameer Nelson all stepped up when the chips were on the line - even when Superman was having a game which was less dominant than we saw in earlier games.

Once again, the Raptors faithful held up their end of the bargain, even though the players did not. I hope Chris Bosh called out his team mates for letting down the fans - even though I'm sure he did not.

Even though Howard only went 1 for 6 from the line, both he and the Magic were energized by the fabulous ACC crowd:

"It's so much fun playing here ... the fans are great," he said. "The atmosphere was just amazing. Even though they were going against me, hearing the fans ... cheering their team on was amazing.""

Like I said before ad nauseum, its no accident that the Raps won only 41 games while Orlando won 52 games. Whether Raptor fans want to admit it, the better overall team is Orlando.

Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun summed it up this way:

"If there is a difference between the Raptors and the Orlando Magic after four games of this playoff series, the difference is in talent and depth. Orlando has more weapons, more opportunities, more ways of scoring, more ways of defending, more ways of rebounding, more ways of getting the little things done when the little things need getting done. It's why they won 52 games, 10 more than Toronto."

Actualy Steve, they won 11 more games than Toronto and the Magic are 5-2 against the Raptors this year.

Lets hope the Raptors go to Orlando and steal a game so they are back at the ACC for one more game. 

Otherwise, the dismantling of the Toronto Pussy Cat Dolls will begin on Tuesday morning.