DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Cory Joseph scored 13 and Kyle Lowry added 12 to carry the Raptors to an easy (and still, tougher than it needed to be) victory against the Milwaukee Bucks last night at the Air Canada Centre. And while the balanced backcourt scoring and tough defense we saw last night wasn’t exactly the biggest surprise against a reeling Bucks squad, it’s these “hold-of-serve” type victories that are going to keep the Raptors confident and afloat in an increasingly tough Eastern Conference (don’t look now, but here come the Charlotte Hornets).
After the first 5 minutes of the game, there were probably a lot of nervous stomachs in the ACC crowd – was this going to be yet another let-down game at home? Was it going to be like Denver last week, or Pheonix a couple of weeks ago? God, please no.
The fans quickly got their answer, as the Raptors outscored the Bucks by 25 points, raced to a halftime lead of 18, and aside from a few scares from the Bucks in the fourth quarter, the Raps firmly held their grip on the win. Some pluses and minuses for sure, but an overall solid win for Dwane Casey’s squad who have now won 3 in a row, and 8 of their last 11. Not bad at all for the team that just some weeks ago, appeared to be on the verge of a major slide. It’s really too bad Greivis Vasquez couldn’t join in on the fun. A couple of three-point shimmies might have made this game even more interesting.
Notables of the Night
DeMar DeRozan: After another solid outing from DeMar who scored his 27 points on just 17 shots along with 12 trips to the line, Raptor fans continue to hope that this can become something we can expect every night. Even if we see this DeMar 80% of the time, this Raptors squad can be pretty dangerous. When DeMar is on his game from mid-range and is getting the calls he needs driving to the cup, the complexion of the entire team changes, and as seen in the impressive performance against the Spurs and a solid win against the Bucks last night, it usually points to a win. Keep on rolling DD.
Joseph/Lowry Backcourt: We’ll be banging this drum all season, and I’ll gladly continue. Cory Joseph has been simply awesome in his brief stint with the Raptors so far, proving to be the reliable bench threat that can play starter minutes, finish ball games and alongside Kyle Lowry, gives the Raptors a dynamic punch late in games with a small but crafty backcourt. With some minor fourth quarter scares, Dwane Casey couldn’t resist but go back to the ever steady Lowry at the 6 minute mark in the 4th quarter (about 2-3 minutes later than if this game was closer or against a better team), to put the finishing touches on the Bucks.
Defense: Granted the Bucks are a struggling team and in the bottom third of the league in offensive efficiency, but the Raptors were once again clearly on their defensive toes. After holding Milwaukee to only 31 first half points and 41% shooting overall, even the late-game runs seemed inconsequential as the Raptors were in overall control of the game with their defense. Aside from a couple of crafty out-of-timeout plays for the Bucks and some individual plays from Khris Middleton, the Bucks’ offense was mostly out of sync all night long. For the Raptors who remained without the services of Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll, that’s still an accomplishment against a young, athletic and relatively talented squad coached by Jason Kidd.
Avoiding the Slow Start: With the alarming trend we’ve seen in recent weeks of slow, lethargic starts to ball games from the Raptors, it was nice to see that this time, things were nipped at the bud. After the first 6 minutes of the ball game, the Raptors responded strong and never looked back. And while some of that might have had to do with the labouring Bucks offense, it was a confidence-builder nonetheless that will hopefully carry over to the next game.
Lookahead
The Raptors look to finish their 6-game homestand at 4-2, and close out a 16-9 record overall on Sunday evening as the lowly Sixers come into town. Fresh off of signing a new 2-year contract, Sixers head coach Brett Brown will hope to rally his squad who are looking for just their second win of the season. While it’s expected to be nothing more than a warm-up game for the Raptors, who can hopefully get some well-deserved rest for Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, a strong start will once again be the key. The Raptors then embark on a 3-game road trip that will feature tough games against the rising Pacers, Hornets and the always-tough Miami Heat next Friday.
