Toronto Raptors realize season’s end is approaching after Game 3 loss – NBA – ESPN
“What is it,” DeRozan said, “like 0-111 or something like that?” Actually, it’s 0-110 but by Sunday it could be 0-112. As in the times a team has come back to win a series after falling going down 0-3. Never. The Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans will try to avoid sweeps on Saturday before the Raptors try to win some respect Sunday. Yes, there’s a first time for everything and when they drag themselves back to the Verizon Center Sunday the Raptors will try to buck themselves up with such motivation. But the reality in this moment is that they’re all but done and the defeat was setting in. If they lose on Sunday they will feel some relief that it’s over, they’ll have reached a level of acceptance over the following 48 hours. The sting of realization can sometimes be sharper than the final blow.
Paul Pierce shows Toronto Raptors what exactly ‘It’ is – NBA – ESPN
Pierce, who finished with 18 points, pushed the Raptors to the brink of elimination by showing them, along with his young Wizards teammates, what “It” exactly is. Entering the playoffs, Pierce ruffled the Raptors organization by telling ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan that he didn’t fear Toronto because the Raptors didn’t have “It.” The Raptors said they didn’t know what Pierce meant by “It.” They should know by now. “It” is drilling a 3-pointer when your team is clinging to a one-point lead with 6:39 left against a desperate team looking for any life in this series. “It” is delivering yet another back-breaking trey to push your team up 98-90 with 1:58 left.
Wizards top Raptors for 3-0 series lead – Article – TSN
“I thought Kyle played his heart out,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “Again, his shot didn’t fall. That’s basketball. He’s our leader and he set the tone for us early. He played like the old Kyle — except his shot.” At one point in the third quarter Lowry had missed eight consecutive shots and DeRozan had missed 10 in a row. The rest of the Raptors tried to make up the difference. Toronto took an 85-84 lead with 6:01 left in the fourth quarter after a dunk by Amir Johnson, who was one of the Raptors’ few bright spots. He made 6-of-7 field goals and had a game-high 12 rebounds with three assists.
Raptors buried by Wizards late, now in 0-3 hole – Sportsnet.ca
“In this situation, we’ve never been in it,” Lowry said. “It’s like a Game 7 for us every single game starting Sunday. We’re down 0-3 and everyone knows the history of it.” Another fast start gave the Raptors hope they could creep back into the series, but a 10-point first-half lead vanished even before the two teams headed to their locker rooms at halftime. Point guard John Wall finished with 19 points and 15 assists to lead Washington and forward Marcin Gortat added 24 points and 12 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 32 points — including 22 in the first half.
Washington Wizards Take 3-0 Series Lead Over Raptors
Once Otto Porter checked into the game, DeRozan cooled down. DeRozan scored just two points in the second quarter. Porter’s used his length to disrupt him and DeRozan missed all four of his shot attempts. He even got under his skin at one point, and DeRozan picked up a technical foul. It seems like Porter became a legitimately good defender overnight. Pierce’s influence has been evident throughout the entire roster, but he’s done a great job of lifting Porter’s confidence. Toronto’s offense became stagnant and Marcin Gortat protected the rim tremendously.
Marcin Gortat stars in Wizards’ Game 3 win – The Washington Post
“He’s rolling to the basket,” Wall said. “They’re switching up their coverages sometimes. Sometimes they’re trapping me. Sometimes they’re playing soft. And we told Marc just to be ready, sitting in the pocket, be aggressive when you get the ball and make the right reads. He made some key assists to guys to make three-pointers.” Gortat played 10 minutes, 23 seconds in the fourth quarter and has missed just nine of his 30 field-goal attempts through the three games. At the other end, he frustrated Jonas Valanciunas into missing six of 10 shots and anchored another strong defensive showing from the Wizards. “I thought Marcin was solid for us in the middle again for us,” Wittman said. “Really good.”
Wizards vs. Raptors: Game 3 postgame wrap – The Washington Post
What went wrong for the Wizards: Simply put, the third quarter was a rough one for Washington. Four straight turnovers, three straight misses and four surrendered second-chance buckets allowed Toronto to take the lead late in the period despite its own offensive issues. The off shooting extended to the foul line, where the Wizards went 22 for 31 and kept the streaky Raptors in contention until the end. Rather than rely on what got them the lead — the pick-and-roll and pushing the tempo — the Wizards lived (see above) and, indeed, almost died by the three, with 17 misses. With Washington failing to dominate the boards as it had been through the first two games, those long misses made for quick, wasted possessions. Their 17 turnovers did them in on other occasions, many of them a product of stagnant play.
Wizards vs. Raptors final score: Wizards beat Raptors 106-99, take 3-0 series lead – Bullets Forever
John Wall is the best player on the floor in this series, and it’s not close Listening to someone pick a team to win a playoff series because they have the “best player on the floor” can get tiring after a while, mainly because there are so many cases where the team with the best player on the floor doesn’t end up winning. But when that happens, it’s usually because they can limit the “best player on the floor” in some way from doing what he wants to do. It’s much, much harder to beat the team with the “best player on the floor” when you can’t stop him. Through three games, it’s clear the Raptors can’t stop John Wall. Even though Wall had a rough night shooting (he was 5-15 from the floor) he had complete control of the game. Don’t just look at the 15 assists. Don’t just look at how well Marcin Gortat benefitted from Wall. It’s a shame that we’re not getting to see a full-fledged Wall vs. Lowry battle in this series, as it seems pretty clear Kyle Lowry isn’t fully healthy.
Raptors fail to notch victory after DeRozan gives it his best on and off the court
Drake showed up fashionably late at the Verizon Center and was booed lustily as he walked to his courtside seats. He seemed to enjoy the attention … This is what Washington does that the Raptors don’t: One basket in the first quarter, the Wizards passed the ball nine times before coming up with an easy bucket … Kyle Lowry started strongly for the Raptors even though there was some discussion his pre-game illness was going to keep him from the game. He hit two three-points shots within the first three minutes and no more shots in the first half, finishing the half with six points, below what’s generally expected of him … Amir Johnson isn’t supposed to be the Raptors’ most complete player, but he was again Friday night
Grading the Game 3 Loss – Raptors Rapture
DeMar DeRozan started hot, but lost all of his momentum after Q1. He had a franchise-record 20 points in the first quarter, ending the contest with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Unfortunately, DeRozan couldn’t keep his composure late, earning a technical foul after pushing Otto Porter. His unseemly foul was indicative of the whole team’s frustration.
Toronto Raptors dealt harsh dose of reality by Washington Wizards in Game 3 defeat
The Raptors played with more backbone on Friday evening. The process was not sound, but they clearly looked like they cared. “As far as our compete level, I thought it was big time,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “We played extremely hard,” Kyle Lowry added. And it did not matter. This team, as currently constructed, is plainly not good enough, with an offensive style that is not yielding clean looks and a defence with no structural integrity. The Washington Wizards took Game 3 106-99, and now the Raptors are down 3-0. If they are to come back, they are going to have to defy 110 previous teams that have tried and failed to come back from that deficit.
Pierce sinks Toronto Raptors hopes and dreams, down 0-3
Defence: C+ Toronto didn’t lack effort on defence tonight as they were able to force the Wizards into committing 17 turnovers. What killed the Raptors on defence was their inability to close out possessions and their over-help on the ball-handler driving to the rim. The coverage on Marcin Gortat was slack all game until Tyler Hansbrough came in the game and really provided that interior grit the Raptors are always lacking. Second possessions really hurt the Raptors as well, for the Wizards were able to capitalize on those opportunities and get their crowd into the game.
Recap: Season on Life Support as Raptors Lose Game 3, 106-99 – Raptors HQ
It was clear out of the gates that DeRozan took his own words to heart, putting forth an historic offensive onslaught. His 20 points were a Raptors franchise record for a single quarter in a playoff game, surpassing Vince Carter’s 19 in the second quarter against Philadelphia from 2001. It wasn’t enough to cover up Toronto’s defensive issues, though, as Washington only trailed by two at 35-33 after 12 minutes of action. The Wizards shot a scorching 58.3 percent from the field, with Marcin Gortat contributing 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Raptors fall behind 3-0 in series after loss to Wizards in Washington | Sports | Toronto Sun
As is their way, the Raps fought to the end, but Pierce sank a ridiculous three with a hand in his face after Kyle Lowry had rung off five straight to pull Toronto to within three. “He’s been doing it since he got in the league,” said a dejected DeMar DeRozan, who saw a 32-point performance go to waste. “He is who he is. Next time, we’ve just got to run him off and finish at the basket.” Pierce scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth while Marcin Gortat added 24. A clearly ill Lowry was 5-for-22 for 15 points.
Pierce has the ‘It’ factor | Sports | Toronto Sun
Pierce didn’t factor much in the Washington win in Game 3 until it really mattered. Until the game was on the line. Until it was crunch time. Then he did what he has always done. He made a difference. At the age of 37. In his 17th season. In his 151st playoff game. He hit one three-point shot and then almost-death shot with just seconds left to provide Washington with the win. “Those were big moments,” said Randy Wittman, the Washington coach. “That’s why we brought him here. He’s not scared of the moment. He’s never been scared of the moment.”
Raptors on the ropes after third straight loss to Wizards – The Globe and Mail
Every time a Raptor went up to the charity stripe, the video board promised fans a free sandwich from Chick-fil-A if he missed the pair, so the place got deafeningly intimidating. Washington veteran Drew Gooden was physical and provided key points. Still, the Raptors manufactured some key turnovers and kept scoring on pace. A Lowry-to-Amir Johnson alley-oop dunk put Toronto in the lead, then seconds later, Washington’s dominating big man Marcin Gortat delivered a put-back to steal it right back. Porter and Terrence Ross traded monster three-pointers. The tug-of-war was relentless. In the final three minutes, Washington just dug in harder, punctuated by big shots from Paul Pierce, ones that put the game too far out of Toronto’s reach.
Game Rap: Raptors 99 Wizards 106 | Toronto Raptors
It Was Over When: Paul Pierce drilled a three-pointer with 16 seconds remaining to put the Wizards up six. Pierce’s shot came after a long three from Kyle Lowry to make it a one-possession game with 40 seconds remaining. The victory gives Washington a 3-0 series lead. Turning Point: After DeMar DeRozan got off to a sensational start — setting a franchise record for points in a quarter with 20 in the opening period — the Wizards put Otto Porter on him. Porter’s length gave DeRozan trouble and he was unable to get back into the groove he had to start the game. The second-year player has been huge for Washington in the series on both ends of the floor.
Raptors’ Kyle Lowry puts up another dud: Feschuk | Toronto Star
“They’ve done a great job of keeping the ball out of me, Lou and DeMar’s hands, and making us take tough shots,” Lowry said after it was over, speaking of teammates Lou Williams and DeMar DeRozan. “Our offence hasn’t been on the same cylinder as it was early in the year.” When Lowry’s team has needed him most, in a crucial game that could have transformed the series from futile to hopeful, he simply couldn’t deliver a marquee-worthy masterpiece. Instead, he produced a third straight dud that even a career playoff high 32-point night from DeMar DeRozan couldn’t paper over. In the first two games, Lowry was undone by foul trouble. In Game 3, save for some late fireworks that kept the Raptors within a possession in the dying moments, he was simply foul.
Toronto Raptors dealt harsh dose of reality by Washington Wizards in Game 3 defeat | National Post
DeRozan was hitting some impossible shots early on: a pair of three-pointers from the elbow, a spot where he only hit one during the entire regular season, a tough runner off of the glass and a series of mid-range jumpers. He scored 20 points in the first quarter, a franchise post-season record. When that disappeared, the Raptors were left with precious little. On the second-last possession before the half, DeRozan sized up Wizards swingman Otto Porter, who has done such an excellent defensive job this series. DeRozan waved his hand, signaling for his teammates to clear out. He attempted to shake Porter with the dribble, failing. He then attempted a fall-away jumper with a foot on the three-point arc. It drew nothing but air. “I just missed shots,” DeRozan said about what changed. “They didn’t do nothing at all. Every shot I took felt good, or I rushed it a little bit. They just didn’t do nothing.”
