- Kings 104, Raptors 94 – Quick Reaction, Boxscore, Grandstand
Sunday night’s battle against the Sacramento Kings, a mismatch at least on paper, offered plenty of intriguing storylines to look forward to. With yet another letdown possibility acting as its headliner.
It can happen to any squad, even to the league’s elite, but when a comedown after a high note turns into an expectation, one starts to wonder if the Raptors can achieve sustainable success when it matters most. A thought process that’s unfortunately far too familiar to this fan base.
Getting the win on any given night might be the team’s ultimate goal, but at this point in the season, if us as fans share that same sentiment, we’re doing it wrong. Though it is reassuring to hear Dwane Casey call out the situation for what it is (essentially a failure) at his post-game presser.
The subplots coming in
- A chance to manage Kyle Lowry’s minutes against a lesser opponent.
- The continuation of DeRozan rising to the occasion.
- Whether or not James Johnson would receive another extended opportunity.
- Could Terrence Ross be turning a permanent corner?
- DeMarcus Cousins vs. Bismack Biyombo.
- The overall defensive effort needed to handle a pass-first Rajon Rondo.
- A spotlight on Patrick Patterson, where faith is starting to crumble.
- Cory Joseph: see Kyle Lowry.
While these narratives eventually played out, it didn’t take long for the game to go haywire. And we can thank another slow start for the overall frustration. Let’s attempt to organize the chaos.
Did anyone bail after Sacramento opened things up on a 17-2 run? How about when the end of the first quarter hit and the Kings were shooting 65 percent, and the Raps a woeful Thirty-Three? Or perhaps it was a moment in between where Toronto’s perimeter and interior defense decided to jump ship at the same time.
Two timely timeouts were called to regroup, but it was tough to imagine Casey’s plan of attack having the same effect as the one called against the Heat that sparked the Raps’ comeback on Friday. They were merely used to stop the initial, and embarrassing bleeding.
As long as we’re talking about sluggish starts: How are lofty minutes (Lowry’s in particular) supposed to be held in check if they keep taking place. Sure, contributions from the bench, or lack thereof, have played a big role, but part of the blame should rest on the starting unit’s shoulders. They’ve inflicted a portion of the burden upon themselves when the team constantly has to play from behind.
The first quarter’s saving grace was Ross picking up the slack, and right where he left off from his last few outings. Two late threes saved the big picture some dignity. He did go 1-for-8 behind the arc the rest of the way, but considering Ross hasn’t been this engaged since before his contract was signed, any knocks on his current game will be held at a minimum.
You can now book 15 treys over his last four games. Not to mention a tidy 46 percent from the floor over his last eight. Taking into account his minutes have recently risen with the absence of Carroll, two total trips to the line do leave plenty to be desired. But hey, we’ll take his slight bump in boards and steals as baby steps in the right direction.
But while I’m handing out recognition, DeRozan should receive the most attention.
Much like Ross, DeMar unraveled a bit in the second half, but his 18 first-half points were the main reason a 30-18 second-quarter turnaround took place. DD fought to get to the line at will, compensating for Lowry trying to shoot his way out of a slump.
I, like many, tend to bash DeRozan for his ill-advised mid-range jumpers, but I don’t think one can argue over whether he’s shown immense improvement in that department. At least in regards to knowing when and when not to pull the trigger. Besides, when a player’s in such a zone, you let him freelance in the moment. Though the party does end at some point when he continuously goes through the motions on defense. Sunday was another prime example.
The Kings’ knack for dysfunction did help matters, though. And like clockwork, Cousins’ temper resulted in a headband-tossing technical foul. Only to be followed up by George Karl getting hit with one of his own. It only speaks to the problems surrounding Sacramento when both calls were made while the Kings were up by double-digits. A roster filled with plenty of talent that’s seemingly unable to get out of their own way. With another episode of trailing the entire way, the Raps happily took the free points.
With another episode of the Raps trailing the entire way, T.O. happily took the free points. Yet let’s not hold the Raps on a pedestal when it comes to the mental mistakes category, as the most memorable moment of the game can’t be forgotten.
With the Raps in the midst of clawing their way back, Lowry’s habit of chirping at the officials reared its ugly head halfway through the third quarter. You could smell something brewing considering during a previous possession K-Low selfishly neglected a transition opportunity to stop and bark at the refs. Which eventually led to back-to-back technicals followed by being ejected from the game. Which in the moment, was an unbelievable turn of events. One that should not be overlooked when looking for reasons why the Raps ultimately came up lame.
Yet a flip side did come from Lowry’s supposedly non-confrontational outburst. A blessing in disguise of sorts. It provided an opportunity for this team to play without his services. It’s no secret that this club falls back on Lowry way too much, so reinforcing what they’re made of when he’s not on the floor can only have a positive impact as the season progresses.
This team will only go as far as Lowry takes them, but they won’t go very far at all if the status quo remains intact. I’d like to think he pulled a page out of the Hoosiers’ playbook and got tossed on purpose to help send a message with Casey in on the plan, but when I realize he’s now tied with Blake Griffin for the league lead in techs, that dream scenario quickly crashes into reality. It wouldn’t be a bad way to reduce his minutes, though. Just throwing that out there.
With JV and Carroll still on the shelf, the loss of Lowry spelled doom from the start. But as I previously stated, progression is more important than a victory at this point in time.
Enter James Johnson and Patrick Patterson
Patterson overcame his missed open looks in the early going only to redeem himself with one of his best all-around games of the year. A season-high of 18 points, along with 4 threes at 50 percent shooting, 8 boards, and 3 steals. But it’s more than just his line. His tentativeness escaped him for a change while actually showing a little fight on the glass for a second-chance put-back. Something he’s more than capable of.
Is it enough to warrant sliding into the starting lineup? Well, considering his season is riddled with mishaps, even when only asked to be one-dimensional, one could argue he’s not ready. But then again, when you combine showing up on defense on the same night and the fact that he’s quietly been building his rep back up, faith can be restored that he can handle it.
JJ on the other hand never really lost the public’s confidence. Hell, next to Lowry, he might even be the most protected Raptor from any negative viewpoint.
There were instances of over pursuit on Sunday, plays that brought Casey’s “doghouse” to light. But at the same time, could he have displayed his versatility any better? He moves well defensively whether inside or out, and it’s becoming increasing clear that aside from Lowry and DeRozan, JJ is next in line when it comes to attacking the rim. Johnson’s 10 4th-quarter points will ring loud and clear for quite a while.
The hope is that Johnson remains a full-fledged member of the rotation. It’s one thing for Casey to call his name to help stop the likes of Dwayne Wade and Rudy Gay, but the game changes if he’s incorporated on a regular basis when DeMarre comes back.
As Time Expires
Pick your poison. Whether it be Rondo’s 13 assists, Gay’s 19 points, Casspi’s 11 boards and 3 threes, Cousins’ +33 clip in 32 minutes, or that six Kings reaching double-figures, the fact remains that the majority of Sacramento’s production came far too easy.
It was noted that Joseph was suffering from an illness. That does somewhat explain why the perimeter was penetrated without much of any resistance. I would then also support Casey’s decision to exclude him from the team’s crunch-time five even with Lowry out. Not to mention the notion of hitting a minutes-wall is getting too close for comfort.
Biyombo, despite another monster night on the glass, helped expose a weakness in a matchup where the opponent was well equipped to take advantage. Normally, holding Cousins to 15 points would be celebrated, but when Bismack can be ignored on the offensive end, DMC is allowed to dominantly roam elsewhere, as the Raps learned the hard way.
However, if this season (and multiple ones in the past) has taught us anything, Tuesday night in Dallas will hold a completely different set of circumstances.
Until the next episode of who knows which version will show up on any given night.
