This is more like it. This is what I was expecting before the series when I predicted the Raptors sweep. This game was only in doubt in our imaginations because we’ve all seen too many Raptors games to ever be fully comfortable with any lead – a condition that probably gets more severe with each Toronto team you root for – but in the real world there was no chance that they were going to lose this one. They’re just too much for the Pacers to handle. They’re more talented at the top, deeper, bigger, more athletic and the coaching matchup is a lot more even this year than it has been in the past.
After taking a beating inside the Pacers adjusted, sending more help to the paint on the pick and roll and making a more concerted effort to keep Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo off the glass. The result? Instead of getting completely dominated inside they just took a convincing beating inside and seemed to give up open three pointers every other possession. This is the problem that the Raptors present when they’re at their best: you either get dominated inside or you give up three pointers because it’s not possible to help in the paint and then rotate faster than they move the ball. As long as the Raptors continue to pick and roll the Pacers to death instead of launching contested midrange jumpers there doesn’t seem to be a lot that can be done to stop them. They’ve tried playing it straight up and got dominated inside. They tried crashing the paint and gave up a lot of open threes.
On the other end of the floor, the Pacers entire offense was Paul George again and a surprisingly spry DeMarre Carroll made sure that he worked for everything he got. Myles Turner’s size and versatility are proving to be a small problem but the rest of the Pacers team has been noticeably absent for the bulk of the series, with individual players making contributions for short stretches but not generating any kind of consistent offense. George Hill just had his best game of the series, but he only contributed 13 points and 2 assists while Monta Ellis disappeared after a strong showing in Toronto and nobody else can reasonably be expected to contribute much. The Pacers are going to need more than George and Turner to win another game in this series, but if Carroll/Turner/whoever are keeping George mostly in check and the Raptors continue to stick with the few shooters the Pacers have there may not be many opportunities for the supporting cast to break out. At this point the Pacers only hope is George exploding for a huge 45+ point game or Monta Ellis recapturing some of his past glory – against this Raptors defense it’s doubtful that either one could sustain that level of brilliance long enough for it alter the outcome of the series much.
This is why the Raptors got off to a quick start and never really looked back. Halfway through the first quarter they held a 6 point lead and by the time they got to the middle of the 2nd quarter that lead had already grown to 18. The Pacers never got the game within single digits again because they couldn’t sustain anything – they’d score a couple of baskets and get a couple of stops but then immediately give back any ground they gained.
That $@#! I Like
JV & BB Putting in Work – It must be so demoralizing to have all these aches and pains from getting beat up by Jonas Valanciunas in the paint, only to have him check out and be replaced by a fresh and energetic Bismack Biyombo. Kyle Lowry is undoubtedly the engine of this team but almost everything the Raptors have done well this series has started with their center rotation. They’re wearing the Pacers guards down with brutal screens while frustrating their big men with their physical defense and relentless pursuit of the basketball on the offensive glass. Even with the extra help the Pacers were trying to give inside the Raptors got 15 offensive rebounds – 7 of them from this dynamic duo and the rest of them likely created by the attention they garner from the Pacers big men. They’ve really set the tone for the series.
The Return of DeMarre Carroll – This is the DeMarre Carroll from opening night, the one who frustrated Paul George while contributing valuable hustle plays and timely points. I’m not convinced that he can keep this up – though the amount of time off between games definitely helps – but considering it was uncertain if he would be able to contribute anything at all he’s already exceeded expectations. Carroll spotting up in that corner as the Pacers collapse on a rolling Valanciunas has to scare opposing defenses because Lowry is clearly good enough to deliver the ball to Valanciunas where he needs it, Valanciunas is clearly good enough to finish and if you help in the paint you’re leaving Carroll open for three. This is the kind of conundrum that great teams create for opponents to solve. It may not always be there for the Raptors but certain lineups are proving to be almost unguardable because of it.
Everything About Patrick Patterson – Yes, his shot could stand to be a little more consistent but the threat of his shot is still enough to keep defenses spread out and he’s gotten better at scoring inside the three point line so the inconsistency matters less now than it did when he first got to Toronto. He’s done everything in this series: spaced the floor, attacked the rim, set effective screens, boxed out, protected the rim, switched onto guards and blown up pick and roll sets. He’s probably the first to arrive on game day, preparing the pregame meal and laying out all of the uniforms(probably with some kind of thoughtful personalized note for each player) before chopping up some last minute pregame film clips for each player and preparing the talking points for Coach Casey’s pregame speech. The term “glue guy” doesn’t do really do Patterson justice and I can’t imagine how this Raptors team would function without him.
DeMar DeRozan Kind of Getting It Going – He was still pretty bad overall but at least he had moments. The Pacers decided to give George a break from sticking to DeRozan and the struggling all-star guard responded by getting some of his cleanest looks of the series against non-George defenders. He still wasn’t able to get any daylight when George decided to shut him down and is still overwhelmed by that matchup but he’s found some confidence in his ability to attack other defenders. It’s not enough to justify the amount of possessions or clock he gets to use on offense but it’s enough to lessen the negative impact that he’s had and it puts him a little bit closer to being a positive contributor. Now it’s on Coach Casey to find some way to get DeRozan to the rim while George is on him.
Cory Joseph vs. the lesser Pacers – if Cory Joseph could just play against Ty Lawson, Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey all the time he’d be an all-star. Right now it’s looking like the only Pacers who may be able to contain him are George Hill and Paul George and they’re occupied on more important players so Cory Joseph may continue to get inside the Pacers defense at will. This series is really showing where Joseph excels: he’s not going to be your full-time starting point guard who generates offense when the defense is focused on him, but when their attention is on somebody else or you try to hide a weak defender on him he’ll find ways to punish you. At worst you get underwhelming but mistake-free offense with great defense, at best you get someone adept at finding seams in the offense as it strains in other directions to stop his more accomplished teammates. This series is really showcasing the ways that Joseph has turned himself into the perfect bench player.
Raptors Fans on the Road – I often say that I think the Raptors fanbase is among the best in the league, and I swear I’m not pandering when I say that. The Raptors were among the league leaders in attendance as a perpetual lottery team and now that they’re a consistently good team it’s moved past that. Fans watch from outside in all weather during the playoffs and when the team travels it’s not uncommon to have enough fans at the game that they can make themselves heard – even in the playoffs. The Raptors representation in Indiana wasn’t overwhelming but it seems like it was a larger road crowd than any other team has gotten in the postseason and they stayed and chanted for their team even after the final buzzer sounded. Whether these are Raptors fans who travel to see them play or Canadian expats living in America it’s awesome to see them at the games and hear them on the broadcast.
I’m not even going to talk about the things that I don’t like because the Raptors have won consecutive playoff games in convincing fashion. They have Friday off and then look to take a commanding lead in the series on Saturday afternoon.
