These are my Toronto Raptors Linkage links for January 31st from 07:23 to 17:05:

• It’s The Time Of Doom And Gloom – Well, well, well. Wasn’t that something? Not sure what, but it was something.

  Despicable? Passionless? Disappointing? Yeah, those words fit.

• Zo deserves Hall call – True, what Mourning did to Toronto wasn't right, but he wasn't the first and probably won't be the last to pull that stunt. At some point you reach an understanding with him after his battle with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and coming back to play in the NBA only by the grace of kidney donated to him by his cousin, former Marine, Jason Cooper. He just wanted to do things his way knowing that the clock was ticking on his basketball life.
• The Toronto Raptors Are One Huge Mess – As a Toronto Raptors fan I was excited at the potential of our team coming into this season, I had thought that a lineup that had 3 potential all-stars, a former Harlem Globetrotter and the brother of the best female basketball player should at least contend for a playoff spot, so far that hasn't been the cast whatsoever.
• Jones: Charlie V’s return – The one thing that Raptor head coach, Jay Triano, worried about materialized as his team was "out worked" by the Bucks. There was only sporadic energy demonstrated by Toronto and even when the urgency level hit high late in the game it was too late to flip the switch. There was good intensity from the Raptors but it was too little and far too late.
• Award Watch: Most Improved – Andrea Bargnani – Toronto Raptors: Bargnani remains on the MIP radar after having a pretty solid last two weeks. He still has some games where he disappears like earlier this week in New Jersey, but his numbers remain on the rise.
• Change is good, smart changes better – But then another change came, right out of left field, and Jay Triano showed that he is definitely capable of thinking outside of the box: Anthony Parker at point guard. That sort of move is reminiscent of Mitchell’s two point guard packages, that saw T.J. Ford and Calderon on the floor at the same time.

  Even though Parker has not been scoring like he was in his first two seasons with Toronto, he is a dangerous shooter, and the kind of player who should be on the court of the time. With Jason Kapono and Andrea Bargnani vying for minutes as well, Parker has been lost in the shuffle at some points this year.

• Jermaine O’Neal Gets Bounced on His Own Bobble-Head Night – You had to pardon the surprised looks on fan's faces as they entered the Air Canada Centre for Friday night's contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors. Gate attendants were shoveling out Jermaine O'Neal bobble-heads at an alarming rate in an effort race general manager Bryan Colangelo's efforts to trade the often injured center.
• Raptors digging themselves a big hole – In a season filled with disappointments and heartbreaks, Friday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks might stand at the top the (ever expanding) mountain. In a match that could've seen the nine-games-below-.500 Raptors pull within a single game of the playoffs, a position only made possible by the dismal teams surrounding them in the standings, they choked.
• Game 48: Raps vs. Bucks – Post-game – After looking like they had solved their 3rd quarter woes, the Raptors came out against the shorthanded Bucks and laid up a nice egg in the third quarter, scoring 12 points, which was preceeded by an almost as depressing 17 points in the 2nd quarter. It doesn’t take a seasoned NBA vet to tell you that when you score a total of 29 points over two quarters, especially two back to back quarters, you aren’t going to win many games. When you score 55 points over the last 3 quarters, it’s almost a bloody guarantee.
• THE STREAK STOPS HERE: Raptors winning streak, Calderon’s free throw streak come to an end – Even with home court advantage, a healthy Jose Calderon, an injured Michael Redd, even freaking Jermaine O'Neal bobbleheads for the fans, the Raps couldn't do it. The Raps went ice cold in the third quarter falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 96-85.
• Calderon not upset – "I think everybody knows about (the streak)," Calderon said. "It's over and that's it. It's not a big thing for me. It didn't matter before, it doesn't matter now. I'm just mad because I missed a free throw. I'll try and start another one next game."
• Beginning or end for the Raps? – With the Raptors' situation turning serious, the team has yet to discover the need for playing with urgency from the opening tap.

  For reasons not easily explained, the Raptors can't summon the necessary energy to begin games at home. Perhaps they can't, which, among other intangibles, separates good teams from the bad.

• Raps lose their heads – "Our time is running out," warned O'Neal as the Raptors dropped to second last in the crowded conference with four hard games ahead. "We can say that we didn't get any calls, but the bottom line is that we didn't get the job done."
• Raptors’ flaws show up in all parts – `Maybe," Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was saying earlier this week, "the roster wasn't as flawed as everybody wanted to say it was flawed."
• Raptors blow big chance to close gap – They had to hustle and move the ball, to play with passion and purpose. They had to be decisive and dominant and show the team they are chasing that they mean business when they talk about the grandiose plans they have for the final quarter of the NBA regular season.

  But, no.

• Raptors drop the ball – It's a testament to how tenuous this season has been for the Toronto Raptors when a three-game win streak takes on huge significance for the NBA team.

  Well, the Raptors won't have that pressure to deal with any more. The Milwaukee Bucks came to town Friday night and delivered a demoralizing body-blow, powering to a decisive 96-85 victory before 18,791 fans at the Air Canada Centre.

• Bucks snap Raptors’ winning streak – When the Toronto Raptors were in the process of winning three games in a row this past week – a zenith in the team's largely disappointing season – coach Jay Triano dwelled on the negative.

  He cautioned fans and players alike that despite the results, the Raptors were not putting together 48 minutes of solid basketball.

• Raptors Relying on National Team Spirit – But say what you will. If the roster stays the same after the February deadline, the Raptors have the essential players to at least be appreciated, despite how the season pans out, so long as Jose is out there to push everyone to their limits. JO is a class act. He's accepted his role, is happy no matter what happens from now until February and is working with how much springs his legs have left in order to help his current team.
• Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post Game – OZ – Well that was an exercise in futility and stupidity.

  The effort was somewhere between weak and non-existent and there were more boneheaded plays than one could count. Last night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks was shameful.

• Officiating As Horrible As New Springsteen Song – How horrible was the officiating tonight against the Bucks? Apparently, home-court advantage doesn't exist for the Raptors. The offensive foul called to J.O. snapped our momentum, followed up with Jose's missed free throw & Kapono launching unnecessary three-balls. The officiating was just horrendous.
• Toronto Bucked By Milwaukee – “The officials lost control of this game, but despite that it was a disappointing effort from the Raptors in a game that meant SO much. This certainly doesn’t build much confidence going into the next four against Orlando, Cleveland, LAL, and New Orleans.”
• Raptors Rewind- Bucking Game Notes – Given the result of this game I got to say it is pretty awful without even seen this game yet. Still I am going to watch the game in an hour and experience the pain at a faster rate. So with that I will leave it to my notes to tell you my thoughts. I did hear about J.O getting kicked out on his bobblehead night at least that is reason to keep watching.
• Half-Way Home: 2008-2009 NBA Mid-Season Grades – Okay can anyone explain to me why Sam Mitchell was fired instead of General Manager Bryan Colangelo? It was not Sam Mitchell who traded T.J. Ford for Jermaine O’Neal was it? O’Neal to say the least has been underwhelming since joining the Raptors. Bosh, Bargnani, and Calderon, alone are not going to get you into the playoffs.
• Recap: Bucks 96, Raps 85 – Brew Hoop – Overall it's tough to complain about Scott Skiles' game plan tonight, but as a blogger I reserve the right to nitpick, right? While the Raps were never closer than eight in the fourth, I didn't particularly like Skiles decision to stay with a small lineup quite so long. As you'd expect, O'Neal was proving too much for the weaker Villanueva to handle, helping the Raps go on a 7-0 run that cut the Bucks' lead to 86-78. Bogut finally returned at the four minute mark, and 12 seconds later he cut to the hoop for an easy dunk from a Ridnour feed. The Raps never threatened thereafter.
• Villanueva has 26 points as Bucks beat Raptors to end Toronto win streak – "We had three victories and we wanted to get on a roll and play well, but we faced a team that obviously looked like and played like they wanted it a little bit more tonight," Raptors coach Jay Triano said after.

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1. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 30th through January 31st
2. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 19th through January 20th
3. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 25th from 08:40 to 21:53
4. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 6th through January 7th
5. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 20th through January 23rd