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Ford is healthy; Bargnani is playing well. The Raptors play seven of their next eight against losing teams. They have Indiana tonight and Minnesota, Seattle and Charlotte this week before Orlando next Tuesday. If the Raptors are going to get on a roll, this is the time.

One game, some things, V1.37

1. A staple of most first quarters is Andrea Bargnani getting called for a foul in the first minute or so. Yesterday was no different as Bargnani got called for leaning on Eddy Curry – and let’s face it, for all of the Big Goo’s faults, he demands a good leaning. You are allowed to lean on people in the post in the NBA as long as you don’t put two hands on them or try to uproot them with your leg. The standard technique to place one forearm to you opponent’s mid-section and one hand beside it. This was exactly what Bargnani was doing when Leon Wood – one of the referees – called Bargnani for a foul, generating one of those: what does a guy have to do looks of exasperation that Andrea has so mastered.

2. A good move from Mitchell in the timeout was to call Wood over to ask exactly what Bargnani was doing wrong. Wood jogged over and gave a very simply explanation: It was okay to use your forearm to hold your position defensively, but Bargnani’s mistake was to try and force – push, basically – Curry out of position. This seemed to make sense to Mitchell, relayed the message to a nodding Bargnani. Obviously the difference between holding your ground and pushing a monster like Curry is pretty subtle, but armed with that knowledge Bargnani played the next 34 minutes without a single foul. Good coaching, good refereeing and good playing.

3. Fred Jones hit a two three-pointers. Two three-pointers at the Air Canada Centre. That’s like raining frogs or something.

4. The Knicks are playing Crawford and Renaldo Balkman together. The Raptors have Delfino and Kapono on the floor together. Delfino covers Crawford because Kapono don’t and Balkman never shoots. The only problem was that Kapono can’t stay with Balkman even when he doesn’t have the ball, and the apple of Isiah’s eye gets two offensive rebounds on one possession.

5. I can’t really believe I’m writing this, but I will: I like Nate Robinson. I think he’s pretty good. His point guard play is vastly improved – he ends most of his out-of-control forays to the basket with a pass to someone open. He shot fairly judiciously, a necessity on a team with as many offensive agendas as the Knicks. He’s an amazing rebounder for his size, but mostly he just plays with a huge chip on his shoulder at all times. His rep is that he’s a knucklehead off the floor, but at least he plays with the same no-holds-bar style on the floor on it.

6. And some cold water for the Brezec bandwagon: And Eastern Conference scout who has seen a lot of Charlotte said of the Slovenian Gangta’s inspired second quarter, “He can’t sustain it. He’s not that good, first of all; and he’ll break down physically.”