Feb 1, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) is fouled on his way to the basket by Toronto Raptors center Amir Johnson (15) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Clippers 98-73. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Rudy Gay era is off to a flying start, as the Toronto Raptors crushed a team wearing Los Angeles Clippers uniforms by 25 points. Raps fans were happy to welcome not just Rudy and his 20 points, but the return of Jonas Valanciunas as well. A see-saw game tilted emphatically in the home team’s favour late in the second quarter, and the Clippers never mounted even the semblance of a comeback following the break.

The fine effort of our new man should not detract from the excellent games turned in by two of our veterans, Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan. Amir, not at all deterred by facing the powerful Blake Griffin all night, poured in 19 points and grabbed 16 boards. He also slapped several rebounds out of Clipper hands and back to our guards for new shot clocks. The man is a marvel. DeMar is becoming a complete player before our eyes. His 19 points included 2/3 from distance (yay!), he blocked a perimeter jumper, and he dished 7 assists, several of which were alley-oops to Rudy on fast breaks. DeMar has been the subject of much criticism, to the effect that his contract extension is too rich for his production. If tonight’s game is a precursor, he’ll turn his critics into fans in short order.

Rudy entered the game with 5 minutes to play in Q1, to loud applause from a lively crowd. His first point as a Rap was a free throw, and his first bucket was a jam.  Rudy ended the third quarter with a long 3, which pushed the Raps to a 27 point lead. He displayed exactly what this reporter was expecting: he can create his own shot, he’s both fast and quick, and he will mix it up on the boards.

Two more hat tips are due, one to John Lucas III, who buried 5 3-balls on 7 tries, and Aaron Gray, who’s having a wonderful week. Tonight he pitched in 7 points and grabbed 12 boards. After being all but forgotten, he’s earned himself a lot more minutes.

On the frosty side of the ledger, there was Alan Anderson, who was donut for 4 shots, and Terrence Ross. Our talented rookie’s shooting struggles continued, as he could muster only 2 baskets on 8 shots. Speaking of rookies, Jonas V had no impact on the scoresheet, but it was a relief to see him out there anyway. There were wild rumours of an Andrea Bargnani return, but he was in street clothes again. Landry Fields nailed his first 3-ball of the season, and wasn’t a liability.

As for the Clippers, they gave a woeful performance. They shot 3 of 19 from distance, on their way to 34.7% shooting for the game. The Raps’ defense was relentless, so many Clipper shots were late in the clock. With the Raps winning the boards battle 45-37, second chance opportunities were limited.

The Raps have a chance for revenge against the Miami Heat, who visit on Sunday afternoon.

Brian Boake is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.

December 30, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) and point guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half of the game against the Utah Jazzat the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Clippers are the top team in California, a status I don’t believe they have ever enjoyed before. Their sparkling record is no fluke; a team led by Chris Paul, the world’s best point guard, and physical freak Blake Griffin at power forward, could round up 7 D-Leaguers and compete.

Fortunately for the Clips, their other players are slightly better than that. Willie Green starts at shooting guard, but he’s out there primarily for defensive purposes. The true shooting guard is a scoring machine named Jamal Crawford, a candidate for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Jamal averages 16+ PPG, and plays far more minutes than Willie. Jamal has never seen a shot he doesn’t like to take, but it’s hard for his coaches to complain when he drains so many. Centre DeAndre Jordan’s FG% of 60.2 ranks second in the league; keeping him off the offensive boards will be a formidable task. He’s also a defensive presence who blocks and changes shots in the paint. Caron Butler, the starting small forward, has seen his minutes and scoring decrease since his glory days in Washington, but I suspect he’s much happier playing on a championship contender. Lamar Odom was a top-rank forward for years until last year’s disastrous season in Dallas. He’s attempting to resurrect his career, and appears to be making headway. Lamar isn’t scoring much, but he can still rebound and defend. Matt Barnes, a small forward and occasional knucklehead, has bounced around the league but appears to have settled down in la-la land this year. He’s a pesky player who can hit the 3.

And then there’s perhaps the NBA’s most dynamic duo, the Dunk Show of Paul-to-Griffin. Chris Paul is frequently mentioned as the only candidate besides a couple of guys named LeBron and Durant who will garner significant MVP votes. He’s a playmaker of the first rank (9.7 APG) who scores nearly 17 PPG, and leads the league in steals. His task is made easier by being able to throw alley-oop passes to Griffin, the poster boy of power dunks. Griffin was the #1 pick out of Oklahoma State in 2009, and unlike others selected in the lottery that year (Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn) has been a force since the day he arrived.

The Toronto Raptors are in some disarray following Wednesday’s monster trade. Rudy Gay will not play his first game as a Rap until Sunday. Fans at tonight’s game will have to be satisfied with seeing him in street clothes chatting with our array of injured Euros. I don’t think the Raps can stay close to the Clippers, but the game against the Hawks was closer than expected, so who knows?

Brian Boake is a staff writer for Raptors Rapture. “Like” Raptors Rapture on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @RaptorsRapture for all the latest news and updates about the best damn NBA team from Canada.