Excuse my enthusiasm

It's not often I have something to get excited about when it comes to my beloved basketball team. Last night was one of those precious times...

If anyone wasn't sure how important point guard Jose Calderon is to the success of the Toronto Raptors, they should know now. After being out for 11 games during which Raps had lost the last seven straight, Calderon's return last night punctuated his worth. He scored a game-high 23 points (on nine of ten from the field including a three-pointer), had ten assists and was a perfect four for four from the free throw line, leading Raps to an easy ten-point victory (114-104) over the Chicago Bulls. And he needed only 29 minutes to do it-he was on a minutes watch due to his return from his injury.

In doing so, Calderon became the owner of the second-longest consecutive free-throw streak in NBA history. He is a perfect 80 for 80 this season plus three from last season. The record is 97. At Jose's current pace, he may be in a position to break it within the next six games.