 | Amir Johnson, PF Shot Chart 32 MIN | 7-11 FG | 2-2 FT | 13 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 17 PTS | +21The guy does not have a single play called for him and is downright productive in the true sense of the word. Now imagine if there were sets in the Raptors offense that actually got him the ball instead of him trying to work off broken plays? His help defense was a little suspect for me, but when you’re banging with Collison and Ibaka, it takes its toll on your legs. That rebound he dove for against Ibaka is the play of the century. |  |
 | Jonas Valanciunas, C Shot Chart 35 MIN | 6-10 FG | 1-2 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 1 TO | 13 PTS | +3His coach tried to stymie him once again through an extensive benching in the third/fourth, but it didn’t faze him as he continued staying close to the rim, cleaned up the glass, and executed well in the block whenever he was given a precious touch. The Raptors stuck around in this game on account of their rebounding and paint-control, and Valanciunas had a lot to do with that. |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG Shot Chart 37 MIN | 6-16 FG | 7-7 FT | 7 REB | 9 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 22 PTS | +4Big Game Kyle. Outplayed Westbrook pound-for-pound for me, solid defense, drew some charges when needed, played the passing lanes well, hit some big shots including that three in the fourth quarter. I don’t know if he’s long for Toronto given Ujiri’s intents, but his trade value has to be much higher since the rumours surfaced. I’ve said it all along, I love this guy as a player. | |
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG Shot Chart 38 MIN | 7-20 FG | 3-5 FT | 2 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 17 PTS | -4He led the Raptors offense in the first and second quarter, and gave them a lift in the third as well. In the fourth, the jumper was a bit short. Overall, he played well but didn’t stick defensively with Lamb enough and needed to punish him far more than he did. He needs to realize that this team doesn’t need him to dominate. |  |
 | Terrence Ross, SG Shot Chart 23 MIN | 2-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 6 PTS | 0Disappointing. The play that stuck out for me was when he tried to do a little extra on a baseline jam and got blocked by Lamb. He had his moments defensive in transition in the first half where he did well to stick with Westbrook, but he needs to provide some efficient production, not be a volume shooter, hence the low grade. |  |
 | Tyler Hansbrough, PF Shot Chart 12 MIN | 0-3 FG | 3-4 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -4Was a key cog in the Raptors going up in the second half on account of his rebounding and hustle. Got neturalized a bit in the second half but gave the Raptors the boost that he was brought in to give. |  |
 | Patrick Patterson, PF Shot Chart 16 MIN | 2-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 5 PTS | -13Since nobody quite expected anything from him, anything he produces is a bonus. Best thing I can say about him is that he’s providing returns on the time afforded to him. Hit a couple tough shots after he was passed the ball late in the clock, stuck with Ibaka and Durant in the first half, and hustled his ass back-and-forth up the court. I thought he could’ve done more on the boards, but he tends to pull to the perimeter a bit too much. That’s his game, though. If the Raptors aren’t running pick ‘n pops, he becomes a peripheral player on offense and that’s what he was tonight. | |
 | John Salmons, SF Shot Chart 31 MIN | 5-12 FG | 3-3 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 14 PTS | +22He’s basically the role-player SF we’ve been searching for all these years. Played good defense in every matchup and handled the ball when when OKC was pressuring the PGs. Was unlucky to miss some shots up close but hit some huge jumpers in the fourth and drew a key foul in a one-on-one situation against Durant; overall a solid game from a bench three who did well to relieve some pressure. |  |
 | Steve Novak, SF Shot Chart 0 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +5No idea when he got in there. |  |
 | Greivis Vasquez, PG Shot Chart 15 MIN | 1-6 FG | 5-6 FT | 4 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 4 TO | 7 PTS | -4A disastrous defensive second quarter where he looked like he had wooden shoes on and Jackson tore him apart at every chance. Had a better stint in the fourth quarter but as soon as Westbrook saw him matched up against him in some space, calamity ensued. There was a literal cost to having him on the floor last night, some night the profits outweigh the cost, some they don’t. Tonight they didn’t. |  |
 | Dwane Casey He’s getting this team to play hard. I thought the Ross benching came a bit too late and JV was slightly mismanaged again. Overall, though. Good use of timeouts to quell the crowd and excellent use of Salmons. | |
Four Things We Saw
- In the third quarter OKC was 33-34 from FT, while the Raptors were 11-13. The refs tried, they really did, but the Raptors played through it.
- Raptors outscored the Thunder by 16 in the last 10:30 of the game.
- Raps forced 8 OKC TO in the first, held them to 37% in the first to get off to a great start. They were -5 on the glass for the game, but it’s the rebounding what kept them in it, especially in the first half.
- Key stat: The Raptors were 4-7 3FG in the second which resulted in a 6-point halftime lead.
