The Raptors move to 3-0 with another strong performance.
 | Luis Scola, PF 21 MIN | 3-9 FG | 1-2 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 7 PTS | +6 +/- More or less the same game we saw from him Friday. He’s so crafty, even on the break, that it’s difficult for even the most athletic players to bother him too much. Jumper has been a bit shaky, though. |  |
 | DeMarre Carroll, SF 31 MIN | 5-13 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 14 PTS | +6 +/- A more quiet night than his first two, he spent most of his energy focusing on Antetokounmpo. It wasn’t an entirely successful endeavor, but that’s the job description some nights. The 3-ball is so wet for him right now. |  |
 | Jonas Valanciunas, C 29 MIN | 7-12 FG | 5-8 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 19 PTS | +21 +/- The second highly encouraging offensive outing in three games. He leads the team in field-goal attempts through three games and is rewarding his teammates for the touches with scoring, improved defense, and by only occasionally telegraphing his screen slips. |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG 29 MIN | 5-10 FG | 4-4 FT | 5 REB | 7 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 15 PTS | +19 +/- The old version was great. Thew new version is faster, more aggressive, and somehow sneakier on the glass. He was the engine when things stalled early and smartly deferred as others heated up. Typical KLOE outing. | |
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG 37 MIN | 7-13 FG | 1-2 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 2 TO | 15 PTS | +25 +/- A really strong start to this one, and it was nice to see his jumper start falling some. Had some very crafty baskets. |  |
 | Anthony Bennett, PF 2 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 2 PTS | -2 +/- The bench unit got 2:22 of run together. It wasn’t much to evaluate from, but Bennett made the most, grabbing a quality D-rebound and throwing an O-rebound home with a dunk. |  |
 | James Johnson, PF 2 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -2 +/- It was two minutes. He turned the ball over once. Not much to say here. |  |
 | Patrick Patterson, PF 24 MIN | 6-9 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 16 PTS | +15 +/- What a drastic change from the preseason. He looked lost when the games didn’t count and now has a growing and obvious confidence about him. This is encouraging. | |
 | Bismack Biyombo, PF 19 MIN | 1-7 FG | 1-2 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -2 +/- The Bismack Biyombo Blown Bunny Counter is already at seven for the season. Rough night in that regard but he pounded the glass and rendered some smart Bucks’ baseline cuts useless with his interior presence. | |
 | Terrence Ross, SF 21 MIN | 4-9 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 11 PTS | +4 +/- Oh god, the extension deadline is tomorrow. Nobody overreact. I don’t care how decisive he looks attacking closeouts, or how much tighter his handle has looked. You never go all-in on Terry Ross. | |
 | Delon Wright, PG 2 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -2 +/- Like Johnson and Powell, not a lot to evaluate here. He got two minutes, missed a triple, and turned the ball over. It’s fine. | |
 | Cory Joseph, PG 19 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 6 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | +9 +/- The stat line doesn’t jump out but this was the best he’s looked operating the second unit. He really gets the ball moving, and on defense he does a great job keeping his man in front of him. | |
 | Norman Powell, SG 2 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -2 +/- Missed a wild layup attempt late and didn’t have a bench celebration worth GIFing this time. The burst on his first step is really impressive. | |
 | Dwane Casey The fanbase isn’t quick to give him a high grade often, but he earned it here. A few well-timed timeouts, he has guys cutting way more on inbound plays, and if he deserves scorn when the ball is sticking, he deserves credit when it’s zipping around. |  |
Five Things We Saw
- Save for a bump in the third quarter, the Raptors did well to scale back the turnovers. After committing 21 miscues in each of the first two games, they coughed it up 13 times Sunday. That number can get even lower, and the transition defense isn’t good enough right now to risk 15-plus.
- At the same time, this team is doing a great job poking balls free and jumping passing lanes. The Bucks had 18 turnovers, 12 of them on Toronto steals, and the Raptors had 24 points going back the other way. This is an area that stands to be a real strength for the Raps.
- The Raptors are now 3-0 for the third time in franchise history and the first time since 2008-09, when Jamario Moon and Jermaine O’Neal started and Kris Humphries and Roko Ukic were bit players off the bench.
- The Raptors rained corner threes in the second half. The ball movement was beautiful. More on that tomorrow, I think.
- Congratulations to Casey, now the winningest head coach in franchise history.
