 | L. Scola 15 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-2 3FG | 1-1 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 5 PTS | +8 +/-In a continuing trend he played limited minutes (just 7 in 1H, 8 in 2H). Had 2 points, no rebounds and was 1 of 3 in 1H with 3 points and 1 rebound in 2H. Talk about the old man battle….. Scola on Jefferson actually made me laugh out loud. He gets the grade for making me laugh and posting a +8 |  | |||||||
 | J. Valanciunas 28 MIN | 5-8 FG | 0-0 3FG | 2-3 FT | 12 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 3 BLK | 3 TO | 12 PTS | +15 +/-JV caused fits for Zeller under the basket and even gave old man Al Jefferson some trouble (maybe the sore quad factored). JV has been playing with confidence on both ends of the court of late. I’m specifically loving his compete level on the boards and noticeable improvements on defense and passing. It’s a great time for JV to be building confidence heading into the post season! Of note, I saw JV do something I can’t remember him ever doing (though I’m sure he has). On a Raptor turnover – as he was running down court he swiveled his head to spot the opponent and determine which teammates were with him. Maybe that sounds irrelevant, but those are the fundamental skills that will make him a better defender. |  | |||||||
 | K. Lowry 40 MIN | 8-16 FG | 3-8 3FG | 2-3 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 4 TO | 21 PTS | -1 +/-Thought his shot looked a little off early, but he still managed to shoot 50% and hit key three’s at pivotal moments in the game. For the most part he let DeRozan take the starring offensive role. That said, his imprint was still on the game. To wit, he blocked a shot, dove for balls and helped with interior paint defense. Basically he was the typical bulldog leader we’ve become accustomed to. I’d still like to see Casey rest him more, but there is something to be said for maintaining offensive flow … I guess. | | |||||||
 | D. DeRozan 36 MIN | 7-19 FG | 1-2 3FG | 11-12 FT | 7 REB | 6 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 26 PTS | +16 +/-Huge first half: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists a steal and plus 20. No Nic Batum meant he was free to operate with more freedom. I’d rank this as one of his better efforts on both ends since Lee only scored 11 points |  | |||||||
 | N. Powell 23 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-4 3FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 4 PTS | +7 +/-I’m sure there are players who are faster end to end in the NBA, but is anyone as exciting to watch as Powell? He struggled a little early with Lin’s size and seemed to be pressing early. Picked up 2 quick fouls, so he was moved onto Lee where he fared better. Sweet dish to Joseph for the 3 point score at 1:39 – 1:32 of 2Q. He’s a rookie and therefore still learning, but these minutes are going to prove beneficial come mid April. |  | |||||||
 | J. Thompson 5 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 3FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +8 +/-He offers solid back up minutes up front and plays with toughness. Since he only played 5 minutes there isn’t much to grade. His plus 8 in those 5 minutes garners him a passing grade. |  | |||||||
 | P. Patterson 28 MIN | 4-10 FG | 1-4 3FG | 1-1 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 10 PTS | -7 +/-Was much better in the first half on both ends. Perhaps that’s a factor of the big lead. Like to see a few more rebounds. Gets a bit extra for the 3 assists and 2 steals. |  | |||||||
 | T. Ross 21 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-1 3FG | 2-3 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 4 PTS | -3 +/-Though Lin drew some fouls on Powell early it was the defense (or lack thereof) from Ross and Joseph that allowed Lin to score 15 first half points. I like the 4 boards, but felt it wasn’t a very strong game from him on a whole. |  | |||||||
 | B. Biyombo 20 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-0 3FG | 1-6 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 3 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -9 +/-You know this is a game Biyombo has circled on his calendar. Perhaps he took a few ill advised shot attempts. However his constant energy which results in rebounds (7), blocks (3) and altered shots (copious) makes a few extra shots forgivable. Back to back blocks in 4Q when Hornets were on a run were key. | | |||||||
 | C. Joseph 25 MIN | 4-6 FG | 1-2 3FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 11 PTS | -4 +/-No assist in the first half, but 7 points registered. Normally his defense is his calling card, but like Ross he had no answer for Lin when guarding him. As a team defender he performed better posting the best bench plus-minus in the half (+9). Stopped the bleeding in the 4Q after the team went 0 for 7 to begin the frame. He filled up the stat sheet with solid contributions. That said, I’d like to see him focus on ball movement and strong defense in preparation for the post season. | | |||||||
 | Dwane CaseyHad the team well prepped to play the Hornets. Case in point (no pun intended) … the fact the Raptors held the Hornets to 36.4% from the field is impressive. Sure they made a run in the fourth quarter, but the Raptors closed the game with the victory. Given the number of weird wins the Hornets have eeked out (read: bad calls) I’m sure a few fans held their breath when Lowry picked up a non existent foul and the refs almost gave the ball to Charlotte with 11 seconds remaining before correcting the call. I’m also impressed he continues to limit Scola’s minutes and is utilizing Thompson, Patterson and Valanciunas more. STILL… I’ll continue my rant to rest Lowry and DeRozan and/or limit their minutes. See point 2 below (Casey earns respect for that stat) |  | |||||||
Four Things We Saw
- Nicolas Batum’s absence was a huge factor as it erased the Hornets ability to put a lengthy defender on DeRozan. Moreover Charlotte look disjointed without Batum, especially on the offensive end. Make no mistake these Hornets are much more dangerous with him in the line-up Batum (15.2pt, 6.2 reb, 5.8 assts) is one of only 5 players averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists (James, Harden, Durant, Westbrook). Of note: Lowry with 4.8 rebounds falls just shy of this mark.
- Arguably the most impressive stat of the season: Raptors hold a 17-6 record versus the top 7 Eastern Conference seeds with season series wins against 6 teams: Cleveland (2-1), Atlanta (3-0), Boston (3-1), Miami (3-1), Detroit (2-1) and Charlotte (2-1). They are up 2-1 on Indy so if they win Friday they’ll have the advantage versus all top East playoff seeds.
- The win tonight also gives the Raptors the best Eastern Conference home record over the past three seasons 83-38 (Atlanta is second with 82-37)
- DeMar DeRozan is 37 points (9383) away from tying Vince Carter on the all-time scoring list second place record of 9,420. Chris Bosh is first 10,275 so if DeRozan returns next season he’ll likely surpass Bosh mid way through next season
