It was close, and maybe if DeRozan didn’t do a Kobe-impression, we would’ve won.
 | Luis Scola, PF 20 MIN | 2-9 FG | 0-0 3FG | 6-6 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 10 PTS | +8 +/-Stuck out like a sore thumb. Couldn’t step back to defend the guard on the drive, couldn’t pressure the ball-handler, didn’t get into good rebounding position ever, and preferred hanging around at the elbow like a pass back was owed to him. Do me a favor, get a god-damned haircut. |  |
 | DeMarre Carroll, SF 26 MIN | 4-10 FG | 1-3 3FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 9 PTS | -14 +/-A study at University of Berkeley is the process of confirming whether DeMarre Carroll has the biggest heart in the world. He was immense on D, and not just checking his man but being aware of where help was needed on the court without neglecting his own man. The amount of deflections and turnovers that his play directly or indirectly caused was big. He’s clearly hurting and a bit hesitant on offense, but overall he’s the real MVP. |  |
 | Bismack Biyombo, C 14 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 3FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -15 +/-Raptors equipment manager confirmed that, due to a mixup prior to the game, Biyombo was wearing wooden shoes. That explain the lack of lift in his legs and the confused look on his face every time Ezeli got an offensive rebound while Biyombo looked on solemnly, and presumably in pain due to wood splinters wrecking his soles. Overall, bad game for him and his redeeming quality of providing rim defense wasn’t there so… |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG 38 MIN | 14-26 FG | 6-10 3FG | 7-8 FT | 3 REB | 7 AST | 4 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 41 PTS | +9 +/-This guy came to play (shot chart). He must be sick of hearing about Steph Curry and wanted to gently remind us that he’s a pretty good player in his own right. He had no issue getting to the rim whenever he wanted, worked the 1-2 game beautifully with Bebe, and was shot-ready on a lot of his threes. Defensively, he checked Curry as best he could, it’s just the the Warriors run a ton of screens and they’re all good ones. Lowry is the reason we didn’t get blown out in the first half, and why we stayed within striking distance throughout. He deserved to walk away with a W in this game, and is looking at some of his teammates and wondering where they were. Missed a big FT after the play below. |  |
https://twitter.com/raptorsrepublic/status/673298137306411008 | ||
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG 37 MIN | 5-19 FG | 0-1 3FG | 6-8 FT | 3 REB | 5 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 16 PTS | -10 +/-Really channeled his inner Kobe for this one. Every time he dribbled the ball, an otherwise fluid basketball game looked like it had been put on pause. Going up against good defenders in Iguodala and Thompson, he couldn’t find the space he needed to get the clean looks, and when he did, he missed them. He probably felt like he deserved more FTs but when everyone knows you’re looking for the FTs, then it’s tougher to get them. Tried to ‘take over’ in the fourth but wasn’t happening. Missed a big FT. |  |
 | James Johnson, PF 5 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 3FG | 1-2 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 1 PTS | -1 +/-Showed up in the third quarter for a bit and went back to the bench. I’m convinced Casey was pointing at someone else on the bench and Johnson just got up and checked in. Easier for Casey to let him have a little run than embarrassingly point out the confusion. Good show. You would think this was a game where he could be used very well given just how often Warriors goes small, but hey, what the hell do I know… |  |
 | Patrick Patterson, PF 31 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-2 3FG | 0-0 FT | 10 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | +2 +/-Played hard, man. Very active defensively, especially on the glass against a Warrior team that loves to crash them. Easily our best front-court defender on the night and even hit a step-in runner, which he hasn’t hit all season. Missed a couple open threes and passed up some looks, but he’s trending in the right direction. |  |
 | Terrence Ross, SF 13 MIN | 2-3 FG | 1-1 3FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 5 PTS | +4 +/-Got a steal and a dunk, and blew a couple rebounding assignments. With Casey intent to play CoryJo/DeMar/Lowry, there’s no room for a guy who neglects the boards. |  |
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 | Lucas Nogueira, C 25 MIN | 7-9 FG | 0-0 3FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 14 PTS | 0 +/-All the Bebe stock is now sold out. Very good game again. Superb on the pick ‘n roll, always available as a pressure-release valve, and set extremely good screens that allowed Lowry to get a lot of his points. And man, he can finish at the rim, like, reliably. He got caught against Draymond Green a few times in semi-transition face-up situations, and that’s just the price you pay for having him in the game. | |
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 | Cory Joseph, PG 30 MIN | 4-10 FG | 0-3 3FG | 1-2 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | 0 +/-If only he was a good three-point shooter…his defense was terrific (again). The Warriors snuffed out a lot of his drives forcing resets, but credit to him for running a low-turnover offense against a Warriors D that’s always putting you under pressure. |  |
 | Dwane Casey Did not agree with playing Scola, and thought James Johnson would’ve been a more natural choice instead. He’s got to find a better use of DeMar DeRozan than what we saw today – I want the point-forward DeRozan that’s focused on creating for others than sucking the soul out of the team, and it’s ultimately on Casey to instill that approach. |  |
Five Things We Saw
- The Warriors just make way too many 10-2 runs. You’re hanging with them, it’s a tight game and I go to the washroom for two minutes. I come back and we’re down 8. We fight back to tie the game, I go to make a cup of tea. I come back and we’re down 7 again. What? How? Playing them requires a 48-minute focus and the Raptors had too many 1-minute lapses where the Warriors surged ahead to create cushions. This game was there to be had.
- At least we have something with Lowry/Bebe, those two starting the offense leads to options being created, and that’s something new. Bebe is a pretty good finisher around the rim, which forces help from the weak side to come over and that’s how a lot of the Raps offense was initiated. What can you say about Lowry? Easily our best player, our heart, our soul, and I feel bad that the team wasn’t able to pull this one out for him.
- If it weren’t for iso-ball rearing its ugly head on some late possessions, a couple by DeRozan and one by Lowry, we would’ve had this.
- Despite Curry going off for 44, don’t think that was the reason we lost. It was those drives by Green against Bebe, Scola being out of sync with what’s going on generally, Biyombo ball-watching around Ezele, and of course DeRozan’s inefficiencies that cost us.
This game summed up in one sequence. pic.twitter.com/p99lGy4Pjk
— Raptors Republic (@raptorsrepublic) December 6, 2015
