The Raptors fought to the end, making noise in Loud City. But you can now book 8 of their last 9 games in the loss column.
 | Amir Johnson, PF 19 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 2 PTS | -8 +/-AJ may never wow us with smooth fundamentals, or rid himself of his inconsistencies, but we all should realize to never take his hard-working mentality for granted. Tonight, his flaws overshadowed his mindset. A non-factor on the boards, little help in the pick-and-roll, and an overall minus -8. The most hesitant I’ve seen Johnson in quite a while. |  |
 | Terrence Ross, SF 26 MIN | 7-12 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 20 PTS | +2 +/-One would have thought his spot with the first-unit was a thing of the past, but Sunday marked his second straight start. Whether this will be the norm going forward is worthy of endless discussion and multiple hot takes. Acrobatic fast-break dunks and at-times timely production from outside is more than welcome, but tonight a little of the Ross we all knew and loved rose to the surface. Driving the lane, aiding the extra pass, and a confident swagger. A rebirth? Let’s move on to Valanciunas. |  |
 | Jonas Valanciunas, C 30 MIN | 4-11 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 2 TO | 10 PTS | -2 +/-The physical and emotional side of JV is once again brewing. The now infamous LBJ-takedown mixed with his technical-foul attitude in Charlotte were welcome sites. The problem is, and what might always be, is his mis-allocation of minutes, and being ignored far too many times in this offense. Did a trip to OKC restore any faith? Well, being eaten alive by Enes Kanter early on didn’t do him any favours. But this game shouldn’t be treated in a bubble. JV should be allowed to play through his struggles, especially on the defensive end. He’s got to learn sometime. 30 minutes were handed out, but was a semi no-show in crunch-time yet again. |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG 41 MIN | 5-15 FG | 3-3 FT | 2 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 14 PTS | +1 +/-The return from a 3-game absence vs. the Hornets provided a snapshot of Lowry’s season. A mixed bag of initiating ball-movement combined with forcing stagnant situations (posting up opponents should not be your fallback option K-Low!). Working your way back into the swing of things after being out is somewhat justified, so slack will be given. K-Low’s rust was shaken off tonight, though. Setting the example for lane penetration, and limiting not only his ill-advised attempts, but also his gambler mentality. The nightmare notion of checking history in making, otherwise known as Russell Westbrook, proved to be the daunting task it was made out to be. |  |
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG 36 MIN | 11-22 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 9 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 24 PTS | -9 +/-The streak of improved shot-selection continued. His one-on-one, self-made isolations will almost never come to an end, but it’s more than just a matter of shots all of a sudden falling, rather the decision making on when to act on his own is what has grown leaps and bounds from not too long ago. DeRozan’s recent play has not only kept the Raps within striking distance in much of their previous losses, but it has also brought him back into the fan’s good graces. (Most of us, that is.) The post-injury version of DD’s playmaking also made an appearance. His unusual minuscule 2 trips to the line were made up for with 9 assists. |  |
 | James Johnson, PF 15 MIN | 2-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | -3 +/-15 measly minutes for JJ. That simply won’t cut it for this fan base. Going 2-10 from the field gives some credit to Casey’s benching, but in such a back and forth tilt, it was a major disappointment witnessing Johnson toil away on the pine. | |
 | Patrick Patterson, PF 32 MIN | 4-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | +3 +/-The correlation between the Raps recent struggles and Patterson losing touch with his game is apparent. His fantasy owners might be shaking their heads when surveying his final line, but Raps’ fans were privy to those intangibles that don’t reach the forefront. Moments of clutch and timely help on the boards were present. He’s not where he needs to be but he’s on the right path. | |
 | Greivis Vasquez, PG 20 MIN | 3-7 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 10 PTS | +2 +/-The underrated contributor. It’s not always pretty, especially on the defensive end, but GV – in flashes – picked up where he left off during K-Low’s absence. His specialty is now restarting a stagnant offence, playing different roles on each possession. The lack of playmaking assistance was made up for in the hustle department. | |
 | Louis Williams, SG 22 MIN | 5-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 11 PTS | -6 +/-We’re just going to have to live with Lou-Will’s number being called at the end of particular quarters in isolation attempts, it will seemingly never go away. But hey, the bottom of the bucket was found tonight, so I’ll lay off that fact until the next one kicks rocks. However, that’s were the negativity will stop. A blessing from Lowry being out for an extended stretch was allowing for Williams to gain more responsibility; his role has since shifted back to that of secondary scorer, but the structure needed to fill in during those three games spilled over in this one. An under control Lou is a Sweet Lou, indeed. |  |
 | Dwane Casey The switch back to T-Ross at the Small Forward position paid off in a big way for Casey on this night. But one has to question if Casey is tinkering in the wrong places. Progression as a unit isn’t exactly taking place even with the team’s above-par showing. The offensive outburst tonight is where the Raps already should be. As for in-game adjustments, Casey’s deserves that “C”. Unimaginative as per usual. |  |
Three Things We Saw
- You’ll never see Hansbrough take issue with what’s asked of him, regardless of the limited playing time given. Help on the boards, physicality, and an all-out effort are almost never in question. Tonight, Psycho-T was completely taken out of the rotation where every bit of that physicality was needed. At the very least, ten minutes of burn should have been allotted.
- Westbrook deserves every bit of acclaim he has recently been awarded. It’s not that far of a stretch to think he has leaped the likes of Harden and Curry in the race for MVP. He’s simply unstoppable in the open floor. He has seemingly stolen the team’s identity from Kevin Durant in the process.
- That was the most chilled-out Tom Sterner halftime interview, like ever. Not cool!
