What is it about Game 5s? There wasn’t one last year, but in 2014 against the Nets, Game 5 broke the internet. In some ways, last night’s game 5 was similar in intensity. But this time, the script was flipped.
Much was made the past 48 hours in the Raptors’ media availability about how this game was to be started. The past 3 games of this series have been decided by the way the teams have started – if you started well, you would finish well. In Games 2 and 3, the Raptors started out firing, leading to decisive victories over the Pacers, who couldn’t seem to execute after those poor starts. The Raptors followed in Game 4 with a poor start, getting in a 7-0 hole within the first 2 minutes, and the rest was history. The narrative coming into last night’s game was, naturally, to get off to a strong start. And of course, the Raptors did exactly the opposite.
The First Half – Same Old Song
The aura around the ACC was electric as usual, but different. It didn’t feel like Game 1. It didn’t feel like Game 5 two years ago. It really just felt…nervous. Maple Leaf Square was no different. Even with the excitement of the thousands of fans enjoying the game outside in colder than seasonal weather, the nervousness couldn’t be denied. Most games in the playoffs are “must-wins”, but this one was really was. Game 2 was a must-win that felt winnable; this one just wasn’t the same.
The storyline at the start of the game was Patrick Patterson, who made his first appearance in the starting lineup in over 70 games for the Raptors. The need for the “adjustment” was as loud of a message from the fans and beat writers as it possibly could be, and this time, Casey listened. Scola has stuck out like a sore thumb in the starting lineup, and Patterson, who’s been dominant for the majority of the series, seemed like the obvious choice for Casey. That’s especially considering Casey being under the microscope following Frank Vogel’s insertion of Myles Turner into the Pacers’ starting lineup for Game 4, which worked like a charm. And low and behold, it really didn’t matter.
The Raps showed those same nerves to start the game. Two of the first three possessions for the Raps led to turnovers (JV was responsible for 4 in the first quarter alone). The easy pass wasn’t being made, pick-and-rolls were in shambles, and the Pacers capitalized quickly. I mean QUICKLY. Three-pointer after three-pointer, George Hill, Solomon Hill, and Paul George made the Raptors perimeter defense look silly. The Pacers closed out the first quarter with 7 three-pointers. The air was out of the ACC, the nerves kicked in, the first-round memories of the past 2 years settled in, and the sheer disappointment could be felt in the building. It felt like the Raptors had been punched in the gut. And the fans felt every bit of it.
After finishing the first quarter -15, the second quarter was mildly better, but not much different. The Pacers “cooled off” to 52% from the field, but all the collective cylinders seemed to be firing. Paul George was on fire, and absolutely nothing seemed like it could stop him. The Raps threw a few different looks at George, mostly consisting of DeMarre Carroll. While Carroll was all over George like a cheap suit, it really didn’t seem to make a difference. George went 7/10 from the field and 4/6 from 3 to close out the first half with 22 points. Simply put, you could’ve put ‘96 Scottie Pippen on this guy, and it probably wouldn’t have made a difference.
The Third Quarter – the end seems near
The third quarter was the one that probably confused us all the most (or so we thought at the time). The Pacers stuck with their core guys for most of the quarter, and while the defense for the Raps improved (the Pacers shot 44% for the quarter), the 9-point lead at halftime grew to 13. Probably the only bright spot for the Raptors, who sorely missed Kyle Lowry’s contribution, was the play of DeMar. After being the single most counter-productive player on the court through the first 4 games of the series, DeRozan put his footprint on this game. Even with DeMar’s contributions, the Raps brought the lead to as close as 3, but the Pacers seemed firmly in control, with a steady diet of Paul George touches that still couldn’t be denied. George proved every bit of his superstar status – hitting 3’s, driving to the basket, getting fouled, and dishing to open teammates. The game, and basically the series, flashed before every Raptor fan’s eyes. The season hinged on the final 12 minutes.
The Fourth Quarter – the comeback begins
With the score at 90-77, the Raps began the fourth quarter on a quick 4-0 run. The best sign was the first shot of the quarter, coming from Lowry, drifting to his left, cleanly stroking an 18-footer. Frank Vogel opted to start the quarter with Paul George and George Hill on the bench, a decision that could’ve cost his team the game. The Pacers came out flat with Ty Lawson and Rodney Stuckey leading the charge in the backcourt – both seemed to be no match for the defense played by Cory Joseph and Kyle Lowry who started the quarter for the Raptors.
Team Defensive Intensity
The fourth quarter defense was simply insane. In what was easily the best single playoff quarter for the Raptors in franchise history, they held Indiana to just 9 points on 4/15 shooting and also forced 6 turnovers. It was a complete meltdown on the part of the Pacers, combined with ultra-active defense from the Raptors. Coach Casey went with an interesting finishing lineup that sealed it – Lowry, Joseph, DeRozan, Powell and Biyombo. Going very small, and with 3 bench guys in a game of that magnitude shows this team’s depth and capability once the defense is locked in and the home crowd is behind them. It also goes to really show how experimental Casey was forced to be with the lineups, to find one that finally worked. Getting 16 rebounds from Bismack Biyombo was incredible, especially considering how JV started this series. JV seemed to have cement himself a spot in the core rotation, but similar to Game 2, credit has to go to Casey for riding the hot lineup regardless of regular season habits and the previous playoff games.
How Rodney Stuckey Lost the Game for the Pacers
I’m really not one to put the entire game on one guy, but not only did Stuckey have a terrible night from the field, in a crucial (really really crucial) juncture of the game mid-fourth quarter, Stuckey made a series of mistakes that cost his team dearly and set the tone for the Raptor avalanche that soon ensued. Throughout the early second half, the Raptors continuously got the lead down to 7, 5, and in one case 3, but the Pacers always had the answer. This time, following a Kyle Lowry duck-in and dish to Biyombo for a huge dunk to cut the Pacer lead to just 7 points at 90-83, Stuckey got fouled. And after the TV timeout that followed, Stuckey toed the line for 2 free throws…and he missed both.
The Raptors’ confidence was growing. Despite a missed 3-pointer, Kyle Lowry ran back on defense, tried to draw a charge on Paul George (something he was trying all night, to no avail), and this time, it led to a key turnover. After Norman Powell capitalized with a quick layup on the other end, the Pacers responded with a CJ Miles Jumper to extend the lead back to 7. And after Cory Joseph scooped in a layup to bring the lead back to within 5, the closest it had been since the third-quarter, Stuckey mishandled the ball at the point of attack and lost it out of bounds – that was the turning point. Drake knew it.
Stuckey was immediately relegated to the bench, but it was too late. The ACC was ready to explode – this game was the Raptors’ to take.
Norman Powell Saves the Day
With two HUGE transition buckets off of forced turnovers, Norman Powell showed absolutely no signs of nerves in this one. The UCLA rook played like a 10-year vet (what else is new), bringing an unprecedented level of energy on defense, shutting down Paul George in the final minutes. After DeRozan and Carroll could do nothing on George for much of the game, Dwane Casey opted for Powell down the stretch on George, a move that was both gutsy, and low-risk at the same time. Gutsy in the sense that you’re opting for a rookie over a guy you’re paying $15M a year for these exact scenarios. And low-risk in the sense that the Raptors, oddly enough, were in all-out desperation mode going into the fourth quarter. Anything that seemed to be working to even the slightest extent, was worth a shot. And with the way Powell was playing coming into the playoffs, it was hard to argue with Casey’s decision. And boy did it pay off – George was held to just 2 points in the final frame on just 1/3 shooting. And that’s not because the Pacers didn’t run plays through PG. Powell’s ball-denial was simply awesome.
Powell played all 12 minutes in the fourth and was a team-high +16 in his time on the floor. His 2 steals and 10 points in the stat sheet may not have showed it – but the 46th overall draft selection in the 2015 NBA draft was a key cog in the Raptors’ biggest quarter of the season. Norman Powell saved us all.
DeMar DeRozan’s Return
After 4 forgettable games for DeRozan, he was finally back in the post-season. Dropping 34 points on 22 shots, this game was by far his best of the series, and probably the best of his playoff career thus far. DeMar was slightly better on defense, but was much better on offense. I wouldn’t say the shot selection really changed, but there were no more fadeaways in the corner with George and a couple of other Pacers draped all over him. Not to mention, DeRozan was able to get to the line 13 times (made 12 of them), and even went 2/4 from 3 (he hadn’t hit one all series).
Probably the biggest sequence of events of the night was with the score tied at 92. After 3 consecutive Terrence Ross missed three-pointers, DeRozan confidently took another 3 (just barely confirmed to be a 3 after review) to put the Raptors ahead 95-92. And in the immediately following possession, DeRozan drove hard to the basket and dished to Cory Joseph for another massive three-pointer to put the Raptors ahead 98-92, sinking the Pacers hopes from that point onward. Not that it was over, but Raptor fans could breathe easy.
That’s the part that stood out to me in DeMar’s game last night – it wasn’t just the shot making and free-throw inducing ability; it was the ability to see the floor and not be the ball-stopper that he was for the first 4 games (DeMar only had 2 assists, but shot much more efficiently and was actually net positive for the first time in the series). Part of that was also recognizing when to shoot (i.e. not when Paul George is guarding him).
The Final Minute
Though the Raptors have had the advantage on the glass for the majority of this series, in the 2 losses, offensive rebounds have been an issue for the Raptors to stop. And in the final few possessions of the game, the issue reared its ugly head once again. With the Raps up 100-96, Paul George pulled up in transition for a 3 with about 20 seconds left, but the Raps failed to grab the offensive rebound, leading to an open Solomon Hill 3-pointer. And in spite of the 2 made DeRozan free throws that followed to put the Raps up by 3, the Pacers got the ball back, and had a shot to tie it. With 2 seconds left, Hill tried once again.
Lookahead to Game 6
I’ll refrain from making any rash judgments about game 6 given the emotional roller coaster that was game 5, but there are a few things we can take from the game that will help going into a potential close-out game for the Raps. First, starting Patterson may not be the (permanent) answer. While it’s worth another shot, it certainly may not have the impact that we’d like it to have. Myles Turner is still a rookie, so banking on Patterson exploiting that match-up is a safe bet, but may not be the full answer.
Another takeaway would be utilizing Norman Powell more on Paul George, especially once he gets going. Powell has shown a clear ability to get under George’s skin, given his short stature but unreal length and athleticism.
I would say the Raps have the momentum and edge going into game 6, but if there’s one thing this series has taught us all at Raptors Republic, it’s that over-analyzing this thing may really just mean nothing. It’s going to come down to the Raptors’ ability to execute in a half-court (that means ball-security), contain Paul George, keep the advantage on the glass, and get Lowry and/or DeRozan going. If any 3 or all of those things happen, I’m confident going into game 6. If they don’t happen, we’ll see you on Sunday (hopefully evening) for game 7.
