Hooped Up

They told him it was time. His time to take over.

They told him at the time-out, his coaches and his teammates. They reiterated it again on the floor, gave him the ball, reminded him of who he is.

“That’s kind of my job,” Chris Bosh said with unusual emotion and a smile that seemed perpetual, lighting up the Toronto night.

Bosh unintentionally is grinning as he is telling the story on his proudest night as a professional. How he took charge of a playoff game that bordered on desperation for the Raptors. How he did what star players are supposed to do at when it matters most.

This was career playoff win No. 1 for Bosh, playoff win No. 1 for the re-energized and emerging Raptors. The big game, the big win, the big finish, couldn’t have come at a more dire time.

Toronto Sun