The Raptors come out of Milwaukee with just about everything they could have hoped for. Greatly improved defensive intensity, some of the best ball movement they’ve had in weeks, a breakout performance by Norman Powell, only 28 minutes played for Kyle Lowry, a game of rest for DeMar DeRozan and, oh yeah, they won too. Neat!
The Raptors didn’t exactly impress out of the gate, falling behind 6 points in the first quarter. That’s not exactly a surprise considering that the team was playing without DeMar DeRozan, who sat out to get some rest after averaging 36.2 minutes in every game played so far this season, and Jonas Valanciunas, who sat as a precaution with a bruised hand. The team was playing short handed, with an irregular starting lineup, on the road for their third game in four nights. It looked like the team might put up a stinker at first sight, but Kyle Lowry was having none of it. Lowry put up 20 first half points (on his way to 25 points, 11 assists and 4 rebounds), pushing the ball in the fast break, moving the ball around, taking charges and shooting 4 for 6 from behind the arc.
The three-ball was a theme for the game. The Raptors had a tremendous shooting night from deep, hitting 14 of their 29 attempts from deep. That 48% mark is a testament to how good their ball movement was. A plurality of those 29 attempts were wide open shots that resulted from the ball moving rapidly from the strong side all the way around to the weak side into repeated drive and kicks that completely broke down the young Bucks aggressive defense and gave Ross, Lowry, Powell and Patterson repeatedly wide open looks. One play in particular stands out, when with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, the Raptors executed a near perfect possession, when Lowry, Joseph and Powell each drove the ball to the basket quickly after a pass, collapsed the defense and then kicked the ball back out, swung it around and repeated until Lowry found Powell standing without anyone near him in the corner for a three that easily dropped. It was a positively Spursian possession. Some of the improved ball movement was no doubt a result of the Raptors feeling the need to play better team ball without their leading scorer, but some of it also came from the ball being freed up to move faster without the sometimes sticky hands of both DeRozan and Valanciunas. If the team can incorporate more of this pace and ball movement with DeRozan, which they have been able to do this season, they can score on anybody in the league.
You’re never sure what you’re going to get defensively from this Raptors team post all-star break. Their fall down the defensive efficiency standings has been precipitous. However, despite the short rest, the team was extremely active on the defensive end of the floor. Milwaukee’s dire lack of shooting allowed the Raptors to shade off of anyone not named Bayless or Middleton, the team rotated very well and Biyombo was an absolute force inside, turning away several drives to the hoop in highlight fashion. After looking aggressive but sometimes unsure of playing in the team scheme defensively in some recent games, Norman Powell had his best defensive game of the season by far. He looked much more comfortable angling his man into the right side for help, fighting through screens and being downright smothering at times on the ball. He repeatedly battled Giannis Antekokounmpo, blocking his shot once and forcing multiple turnovers. Powell then had his shot impressively blocked twice by Giannis in transition on the other end, but it’s hard for anyone to be held accountable for getting their shot blocked by the Greek Freak; reach and athleticism like his aren’t supposed to exist.
It was a quality win the Raptors, who had the game wrapped up and well in hand enough to rest Lowry through the entire 4th quarter. The team stepped up their play on both ends in response to the loss in Chicago and that intensity should wipe a clean slate as they head into a tough game against the Pacers.
