Kyle Lowry Laughs at Puny Utah

This game was all about what Kyle Lowry was going to do to top what he just did, and if you ever thought he’d run out of gas, or hit a wall, or somehow let the gruel of the road trip catch up to him, then shame on you. At some point in the second half as Lowry was pouring the glass of whoop-ass on the Jazz, you realized that the Jazz were mired in helplessness and had become spectators to Lowry’s brilliance, just like us.

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The Raptors led wire-to-wire in a game that they held control of right from the start and maintained a 9-12 point lead for the balance of the game. Any time the Jazz got a sniff of momentum and self-belief, the Raptors offense suppressed any uprising and extinguished any thoughts of a comeback. When you get defense-to-offense transitions like this one with Vasquez early, the defense knows that it’s in for a long night.

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The offense was functioning at levels where you could film the game, burn it on a DVD and sell it as an instructional video on eBay (57% FG). Whether it be Greivis Vasquez’s one-man fastbreak, Lou Williams’ gun-toting swagger, Kyle Lowry’s sheer dominance of whatever sod the Jazz tried on him, usually one of Trey Burke, Dante Exum, or Rodney Hood, it did not matter. It could not matter, what with Lowry in one of his moods where every opponent seems like a fly ready to be swatted. On his way to 39 points, Lowry saw everything that the Jazz had to offer defensively, and brushed it aside like it was nothing. Asked later about asserting himself, he said:

“I know I got to score a little bit more and be more aggressive. I could do it with DeMar (healthy), but as a point guard, I like to get my teammates involved. Right now, I got to be a little bit more assertive.”

My favorite thing to watch on the night was Lowry’s reaction to when he did get scored on. It pissed him off to no end. He was visibly angry and upped his intensity and anger on the subsequent possession to get a favorable outcome – whether it be a pass or score. It’s impressive how he’s he’s able to play with this wounded animal mentality while still functioning spectacularly in a team framework. He’s found a coach that’s affording him the needed freedom within the constraints of the team, and he’s thriving. These words were echoed by Greivis Vasquez at halftime as well when he commented on just how much fun it is play with his teammates, while touching on the “great lockerroom”. Right before halftime, the Jazz had some daring thoughts about making a run and when you have Kyle Lowry pulling off plays like this (notice the Jazz bodies on the floor), it’s demoralizing:

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The Raptors defense may have only forced 8 turnovers, but that would be missing the point of how effective it was. They were so aggressive and so over-committed on the perimeter that it tempted the Jazz to swing the ball and take the first or second shot available to them, under the belief that they had “beaten” Toronto’s pressure and gotten a good look. The problem with that was two-fold. First, it meant they took too many jumpers against a Toronto frontline which has zero shot-blocking, and the Raptors obliged by collecting their share of defensive boards and pushing the pace on offense, something they’re simply better at than the Jazz. Second, it turned the game into a track meet which is what the Raptors wanted since pound-for-pound they can’t matchup with Utah’s frontline, especially on a back-to-back, and with Amir Johnson hobbling around. This did not work out well for the Jazz.

Once the terms of the game were established, the only way Utah would have a fighting chance to stay with Toronto’s offense was if they dominated the glass, which the Raptors did a sufficient job of cleaning up. In fact, they won the rebounding battle 37-35. They did concede 22 second-chance points, but that’s the trade-off Casey chose to make in favor of tempo and style of play.

The Raptors also shot 12-21 from three (57%) which was a percentage only bettered in the game against Milwaukee where they shot 15-25. So, let’s do some math: Raptors have great offensive talent in the backcourt, it’s an up-tempo game, the three is going in, and the rebounding is even. The Jazz never had a chance. The supporting cast playing well and the ball movement being crisp, it took away Utah’s option to aggressively double Lowry, and so the Jazz rarely brought an extra man early in the possession and continued living in fear of the inevitable. This was also helped by Vasquez being the primary ball-handler. Here’s an example of a great team possession with Vasquez as the PG but Lowry getting the eventual assist:

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As essential and enjoyable Lowry’s 39 and Vasquez’s flashy 17 might be, something needs to be said about the shifts Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas put in to help that crucial rebounding number. The “team rebound” number for the Raptors was 8, and that speaks to Johnson and Valanciunas fighting for rebounds having good position with active Jazz bodies flying around them. Sometimes it’s not about getting the rebound, it’s about not conceding the offensive one. Whether it be a loose-ball foul being called, or boxing out and having the ball go out of bounds, the Raptors did the physical grunt work of competing on the interior and not getting killed.

Terrence Ross and James Johnson need to be commended for their defense on Gordon Hayward and the Jazz wings; they stuck with him through staggered screens, forced him beyond the three-point line and when their over-committed defense conceded a drive, it was in panic mode with Raptor bigs rotating to challenge the finish. That is not Hayward’s game and so again he went 5-15. Kanter was bodied up by Valanciunas and the former’s bulk advantage showed at times, especially when he caught the ball on Jazz drives against a scattered defense, but his scoring was contained and not rampant.

Despite not getting the touches he may feel he deserves, Valanciunas does not hang his head and appreciates the team goal on every possession. He celebrates everything. If he has a loose-ball foul called in his favor, you see him fist-pumping. If he’s battling for a 50-50 rebound and one of his teammates gets it, he’s excited. Perhaps his great summer at FIBA had raised our expectations unrealistically, but he’ll get there.

Dwane Casey took out Vasquez and Johnson midway through the first quarter without either having picked up any fouls, likely due to their early exertions on offense. He put in Lou Williams and Patrick Patterson, both of whom were able to stretch the defense and provide the spacing for Lowry to make his moves. Once it became evident early that the Raptors second unit was in tune for this one, the only worry was fatigue. Those fears were unfounded because when you’re playing such cohesive basketball with one of your main guns on fire, the game becomes fun and transcends any tired legs.

Up by 7 after the first, up by 16 at the half, up by 15 going into the fourth. This was easy. As for missing DeRozan? Hardly in a game like this. The Raptors have enough offensive weapons that having been allowed to dictate the game and without any consistent pressure being applied, the game was reduced to shot-making which the Raptors are quite good at. We’ll need DeRozan in grind-it-out games where the opposing coach pulls the plug on the tempo and when our wings are having bad shooting nights. Last night was a very different kind of evening.

If there’s a play that sums it up for me, it’s this – Kyle Lowry picking up a charge in a blowout game against a guy he’s giving up 40 lb to in a blowout game:

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One final note, you might recall the Raptors came into the Lakers game a little dazed and had a stinker of a game against a stinker of a team. They’ve corrected that issue against the Kings and the Jazz on the road, and Casey spoke to that: