 | Tyler Hansbrough, PF 22 MIN | 2-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 4 PTS | +9 +/-You get effort every time he steps on the floor and he’ll scrap for any loose ball. What he lacks in height and arm length he makes up for in determination and basketball IQ. The tandem of Hansbrough and Patterson work well together switching coverages, communicating and offering a valid option for small ball. The last few games the Raps have held teams field goal average under 40 either for the majority or entirety of the game which may be partially due to his increased minutes. |  |
 | Terrence Ross, SF 33 MIN | 5-15 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 13 PTS | +8 +/-I’ll take this Terrence Ross entering the post season over the one we saw in February prior to his demotion to the bench. He has an extra jump in his step reminiscent of when he blocked the inbound pass in last year’s fateful game 7. He’s still focusing on 3-point shots with the occasional paint drive-pull up however it looks more natural. in the first half I felt defensively he appeared to be more dialed in, quicker to cut off drives and use his length. Then I checked the box score and lo and behold he led the team with a +16 |  |
 | Jonas Valanciunas, C 27 MIN | 9-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 18 PTS | +14 +/-Someone mentioned to me the other night how uncomfortable JV has looked and whether it was a confidence issue. I do tend to think he psychs himself out however he remains one of the best at converting when the ball is in his hands as he displayed tonight especially in the 3rd quarter. To that end, JV was the biggest question mark entering the playoffs last season and came out game 1 delivering an All-Star type performance. Can we hope for a repeat of that this year and will Casey and the guards make him a pivotal piece of the offense? He had no rebounds in the second half or I’d give him the A+ |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG 37 MIN | 8-15 FG | 4-4 FT | 4 REB | 7 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 26 PTS | +5 +/-His looked fluid right out of the gate with his 3-point shot seemingly back. At the half he already had 3 steals but he got his hands on several balls tipping them and causing turnovers. Best he’s looked since his return. And his SWAGGER is back. |  |
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG 34 MIN | 8-13 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 4 TO | 16 PTS | +8 +/-Casey said post game they held DeRozan out last game based on him experiencing some tightness in his groin. Made me wonder if that was true or part of the cat and mouse game several of the playoff teams have been playing. Of note, remember when teams would just stick taller defenders on him? In my opinion he looks more confident than how he started the season when he’s guarded by a taller defender. He spun Henderson around (who has owned him previously) on a couple of occasions tonight deserving consideration for Smitty’s top 5 under the rim. Didn’t make it to the line but delivered a complete game and love the 6 assists |  |
 | Amir Johnson, PF 21 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 2 PTS | -9 +/-I remember Amir saying he runs on his tip toes. If you have the game on PVR go back and watch because you can see some occasions when he never lets the ball of his foot touch the court. That speaks to him feeling healthier which bodes well for the post season since a healthy Amir provides intangibles galore. Happy he’s back and healthy, he didn’t bring his A or his B game but that’s okay we don’t need it until Saturday. | |
 | James Johnson, PF 15 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 2 TO | 4 PTS | -3 +/-We beg for him to get more minutes, he drops awe inspiring dunks and is the best defender on the team. Just as he finally appears to be out of the DC dog house he played like he did in the first half. Silly turnovers, jumping unnecessarily past shooters leaving them wide open and made terrible decisions on the offensive end. I’m blaming the red dye for causing momentary insanity. Fortunately he returned in the second half to give us another of those jaw dropping dunks (as I breath a sigh of relief it didn’t cost him a seat in reserve obscurity) | |
 | Patrick Patterson, PF 26 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -4 +/-I’d still like to see him get more shot attempts, but I can’t complain much when JV is getting touches which is actually more important. |  |
 | Greivis Vasquez, PG 25 MIN | 2-8 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 6 PTS | -3 +/-Like Lowry his shot appears to be back and we know he never lost his swagger. Perhaps the additional minutes he had when Lowry was out got him more comfortable, but he’s actually looked even more comfortable with Lowry back akin to the chemistry the two had last season. 6 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 of 4 from three. Much better ball handling than last game out |  |
 | Dwane Casey I know Lowry needs to get his timing and rhythm back, but with 26 points, 6 of 9 from 3, up by 11 and 3 minutes remaining, I’m screaming at the TV … WHAT THE HELL IS LOWRY STILL DOING IN THE GAME DWANE? Then he takes out Lowry and puts DeRozan back in. Even though the team played great, his rotations continue to baffle | |
Five Things We Saw
- Raptors had 23 assists at the end of the third quarter which consequently was the quarter the team seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. They were hitting their 3’s and moving the ball inside and out with ease.
- Everyone seemed to think Cleveland purposely held out Irving in one game and their big 3 in the second game versus Boston in an effort to propel them into 7th. Perhaps I’m the only one, but it made more sense to me they were trying to determine the Hawks opponent as either Indy or the Nets pose size issues for Atlanta’s height challenged front court which is arguably their one weakness.
- Nice to see Damon Stoudemire (Mighty Mouse) in the house. Takes me back to the beginning when going to the Dome was an adventure in itself.
- Raptors set a new franchise record with 49 wins. No it’s not the coveted 50, but factoring in DeRozan’s absence for 20+ games and Lowry being out for a bunch it’s still a positive and an improvement.
- Chicago are trailing Atlanta by 7 as of posting. Seasons over, do you have your Toronto Raptors tickets for the playoffs?
