Led by Lou Williams%2C who is becoming more indispensable by the day%2C the Raptors gutted another one with a 116-102 win thanks largely to the contributions from their second unit.%0A%0AKyle Lowry of course did his thing. It wouldn%E2%80%99t be a Raptors game if he didn%E2%80%99t.%0A%0ABut Lowry%2C who finished with 30 points and 11 assists%2C was the one threat in the starting five actually having any success putting the ball in the basket.
The Raptors were full measure for the thorough beating that was their second win in as many days on a five-game western road trip. They did not give in to fatigue or pace or the thin air%2C they weren%E2%80%99t great in the first half but they were excellent when it counted%2C getting big production from Tyler Hansbrough%2C an eight-point fourth quarter from Amir Johnson and enough defence to beat a rather pedestrian Denver team for the second time this year.
But none of the Nuggets could overcome an all-star level player, Lowry; a reserve, Williams, with a sizzling hot hand; and an energy player, Tyler Hansbrough, who kept possessions alive, defended well and rebounded with abandon. They were part of an overall winning formula the Raptors have had all season. And Toronto has won big without arguably its best player, DeMar DeRozan, who is injured. But it’s games like this, with contributions from everywhere, that has not only allowed them to stay afloat but to flourish. And the Nuggets wilted under pressure.
This was a win that was just as, if not more impressive than Saturday’s road victory over the Clippers. Against a rested Nuggets team in the thinner air of Denver, the Raptors appeared a little wobbly as their halftime cushion was wiped out in the third quarter of their second game in as many nights. But with 7:34 to play in the fourth and the Raptors leading by one, they dug deep, found an extra gear and ripped off a 9-0 run to restore a double-digit lead that wouldn’t be genuinely threatened for the remaining six minutes. “It was frustrating in the fourth quarter,” said Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried. “We couldn’t score a bucket for some reason. And when we did, they had an answer for it. Lowry and Williams got really hot.”
Another subpar defensive performance late sinks Denver’s tenacious effort to stay in the game as the Nuggets fall once again to one of the many teams in the league better than them.
The difference in this game was the bench. Denver came into the season boasting it’s depth and after injuries have accumulated, it is now a serious weakness. Jusef Nurkic cannot help but foul nearly once per minute, Hickson is a defensive sieve, and Darrell Arthur was ineffective offensively. The energy on the floor vanished when Faried hit the pine. His +/- was in positive double digits, but Coach Shaw decided to go with a small lineup late in the game consisting of Lawson – Robinson – Afflalo – Chandler – Faried, which lead to a Raptors run that sealed the victory. Toronto is a better team and Denver’s effort was admirable. In a brutal Western Conference I cannot envision the Nuggets making a run for a playoff spot, but if Faried can continue in this manner the rest of the way like he did in the final months of last season it would be considered a victory at this point.
Almost from the start it looked like the Raptors were going to pull away and win this game easily%2C however%2C the Nuggets refused to go away and the Raptors uncharacteristically shot 13-25 from the charity stripe through the first three quarters. Often times it looked like Toronto was running on tired legs in the mile-high city after playing in Los Angeles the night before%2C but Head Coach Dwane Casey found energy in his bench when he needed it.
Raptors Strike Gold in Denver%2C Defeat Nuggets 116-102
O Canada%2C we stand on guard Lowry.%0A%0AKyle Lowry hovered around triple-double territory with 30 points%2C 11 assists and seven rebounds to help lead the Raptors to their first season sweep of the Denver Nuggets since 2003-04 on Sunday night. It was the fourth 30-point%2C 10-assist game of his career and his 9th double-double on the season.%0A%0AThe Raptors led by one heading into the fourth quarter%2C but a 28-15 period put things away for good.%0A%0ALou Williams feasted on the carcasses of Nugget players for the second time this season%2C dropping a team-high 31 points on 18 shots.
Post Game Report Card Lowry dominates Nuggets Raptors win
When it was time to play defense%2C the Raptors did. They are coming into games against teams like Denver expecting a win%2C with the mindset that they are going to control the game and lockdown when they have to. While giving up 102 is by no means pretty%2C allowing just 15 points in the fourth is quite solid.
Lou Lowry combine for 61%3B Raptors win 116-102 in Denver
Just when the Nuggets looked like they were trading baskets and going toe-to-toe with the Raptors%2C Lou took over the game – hitting jumpers%2C getting to the line%2C and dishing a sweet assist to Amir Johnson inside to give the Raps%E2%80%99 a 104-94 lead.
Although Saturday only gave a teaser of Caboclo’s potential, it’s easy to see why the Raptors were fixated on him leading up to the draft. He still has a lot of developing to do before he can be thrusted into a complementary role but his raw tools mirror those of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has cemented his place as one of the NBA’s rising stars this season. Caboclo’s 7-foot-7 wingspan serves him well on the defensive end by being able to wreak havoc in passing lanes and isolation. His long strides help him weave his way around defenders, and his lanky arms allow him to finish over the outstretched arms of the opposing team. Combine that will guard-like fluidity and he makes for a tantalising prospect. Caboclo certainly needs to develop a better feel for the game and grow into his wiry frame to tap into his potential. He appeared lost at times on both ends of the court against the Energy, settling for questionable shots and picking up reckless fouls by getting too close to his assignment on defense. Much of that can be chalked up to inexperience, which is to be expected given his youth.
Caboclo too ‘trigger happy’ in D-League debut | Sportsnet.ca
Although he didn’t start, Caboclo was able to put up a respectable 13 points. Not bad, right? Not exactly as he was inefficient, going just 5-for-14 from the field, including 1-of-5 from distance. A big positive of Caboclo has been his unwavering confidence, however, that confidence can be a double-edged blade if his game is off a little, as it was Saturday, leading to a lot of shots being put up without a thought of surveying the situation. A big part of the Raptors’ offence is ball movement, so he’s probably going to have to get out of this apparent trigger-happy mentality he has.
Bruno Caboclo Makes NBA D-League Debut | Toronto Raptors
Unsurprisingly, the raw 19-year-old Brazilian offered a mixed bag in 20 minutes of Fort Wayne’s 111-106 defeat to the Energy. Caboclo scored 13 points but needed 14 shots to do so (he connected on five of them). He added seven rebounds and a pair of blocks but also turned the ball over four times, including a tough one late on an inbounds play. Just the first of many learning experiences for Caboclo as some actual minutes in competitive games will help him harness that intriguing skill set and work on the more underdeveloped aspects of his game.
Raptors No. 1 In Attendance But Not In All-Star Voting | Pro Bball Report
So why is the best player on the best team in the Eastern Conference with the highest attendance in the NBA after 30 games so far behind in the All-Star balloting%3F%0A%0AToronto fans are supporting their team at the Air Canada Centre and as the Cavaliers and Pistons can attest%2C the Raptors are getting boisterous support on the road as well. Raptors %2823-7%29 star point guard Kyle Lowry %28182%2C896 votes%29 trails the 14-17 HEAT%E2%80%99s 32-year-old Dwyane Wade %28265%2C917 votes%29 and John Wall %28299%2C209 votes%29. The 21-8 Wizards are legitimately fighting it out with Toronto for top spot in the East and Wall is having a great season%2C but it would take beach-sand-covered blinders to make the same comparison for Wade and Wade even leads the 18-11 Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving %28237%2C365%29 in the voting.%0A%0AIn a popularity contest like NBA All-Star voting%2C it is on the Raptors fans to get their players into the game – they need to step up and can%E2%80%99t look to TNT%2C ESPN or NBA TV to help promote their players stateside.
Is this Landry Fields’ last year as a Raptor? | /r/torontoraptors
I’m a big fan of Landry Fields. Love his hardwork and intelligence on the court and his charisma off the court. Unfortunately I don’t see him staying on the team even for a close to min contract just because him and JJ play very similar roles (Defensive SF’s who cant shoot 3’s), we also have Caboclo who will eventually be able to fill the 3rd string SF when he develops. Hope I’m wrong, he will be missed 🙁
Is Patrick Patterson Worth Owning in Standard Fantasy Leagues? | Raptors HQ
He won’t light your team on fire, but he’ll keep you afloat in many important categories and won’t hurt you in the others. If you’re concerned with the fact that he’s a bench guy and Amir still starts in front of him, don’t sleep on the fact that Patterson actually plays more minutes per game than Amir (26.3 versus 26.1). And if you’re a daily fantasy player, keep tossing Patterson in your FanDuel lineups with confidence while he’s playing this hot.
I can haz yo linkz??! rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
