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Raptors finally get over the first-round hump, and other post-game notes

They finally did it. This feels good.

This is gonna be a bit messy because there was a ton going on post-game.

Masai Ujiri interupted Dwane Casey’s post-game press conference to kiss him on the top of the head. Seriously. It was the greatest. Drake, Marcus Stroman, and P.K. Subban were among those behind the scenes after the game. This is a big freaking deal – the first time the Raptors have ever wona s even-game playoff series, and just the second time they’ve ever reached the second round of the playoffs. What a time.


They didn’t make it easy on the fans, though, nearly letting a 14-point fourth-quarter lead slip away with a historic fourth quarter.

That’s as much a credit to their defense as it is an indictment of their offense. And, and I’ll rarely say things like this, who cares? They won. It’s Game 7, and the win is all that matters in a game like that.

“We stunk it up in the fourth quarter,” Casey admitted. “I don’t know if we ran out of gas. The guys were so jacked up emotionally to start.”

So was the crowd, which everyone was sure to verbally dap up. Casey even credited the Air Canada Centre for carrying a drained team in the fourth quarter. And the collective exhale at the buzzer was beautiful.

Finally.

A video posted by Blake Murphy (@eblakemurphy) on


“I do think they were a factor,” Frank Vogel said after showing a great deal of respect for Casey and congratulating the Raptors. “I just have great respect for their whole organization.”

Raptors play nobody believed in us card

“First of all, I wanna see everybody’s story that they wrote before the game,” Casey opened during his availability. If you poke it, you better make sure it’s dead. I think everybody wrote the Raptors off.”

I’m not sure if that’s entirely the case, though things were mostly ramping up the pressure and narrative. He’s welcome to read my pre-game stuff, though. In any case, whatever the Raptors need to use as motivation, go for it – they got the job done, and that’s all that matters. If they need doubters to fuel them in round two, I’m sure they’ll have more.

“I read some of the stuff,” Casey said. “I love that, because I think our guys used that as motivation, used that as fuel to fight, to scrap…I hope everyone continues to doubt us.”

As for DeRozan’s high-usage, high-scoring night in a big game, the Raptors were behind him the whole way.

“He was going to empty the clip. That’s what he did tonight,” Lowry said, echoing the earlier ride-or-die sentiments of the team around their stars. “We gonna ride with him emptying that…My man emptied that clip.”

Happy to have the monkey off their back

Casey is hoping that getting the first playoff victory out of the way might loosen up the team a bit, not to the point of being too at ease, but at least to free them from any tightness they showed in round one.

“I don’t know if relax is the word I would use, but play freer,” he said. “Not worry about the history and everything…I think guys will be freer now. I don’t want them to be relaxed.”

George spoke incredibly highly of DeRozan and the challenge of that matchup. He did a masterful job. George also said he pulled aside Norman Powell to give some words of encouragement.

“Every last man in that locker room, we put it all on the line,” Lowry said.

DeRozan revealed that he and Lowry were at the ACC late last night, with nobody else here, getting up shots, thinking of exactly this moment.

They don’t have teammates, they have family.

A photo posted by Blake Murphy (@eblakemurphy) on

Assorted

“I will say this, they’re a tough team. That young man Myles Turner is gonna be a player. I wanna congratulate them…Paul George is back.” – Casey

 


I normally suck with photos, but pretty proud of this one.

Game 7.

A photo posted by Blake Murphy (@eblakemurphy) on


Paul George seemed at peace with things, calling the season a “heck of a run.” Given where he came from with the injury, and having to figure out “five different guys, five different defenders,” while carrying a huge load at both ends, “I probably would have laughed.” It’s really unbelievable just how good he was, and I’m really excited to see 2016-17 Paul George and this new-ish Pacers core with a little more development and another offseason to solidify. (He also complained about the officiating a bit, and also admitted he “ran out of gas a little bit.”)

There was a lot of Norman Powell love from both sides. More on that tomorrow or Tuesday. He could play a big role next round.

Heat are up next

There were some quotes about the upcoming second-round (!!) series with the Heat, too, but we’ll save the Heat focus for tomorrow. The Raptors aren’t, though.

A note to all of you

Thank you. I can’t imagine living through a playoff series this trying, this emotional, and this up-and-down without the great community of Raptors fans here, in the city, on Twitter, and everywhere. This team is far more enjoyable because we get to share them together. Whatever disagreements about players or rotations or schemes or anything else, I love that it feels like I’m experiencing this victory with thousands rather than on my own or in a tight group.

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