Raptors 91, Heat 103 – Series Tied 3-3 | Quick Reaction | Boxscore | Preview
Well, it turned out that we can still bank on one thing: The Raptors are undoubtedly consistent when it comes to providing playoff drama. With Miami crashing the party on Friday night, not to mention adding themselves to the list of opponents who staved off elimination in Game 6 — which you can now book in three out of Toronto’s last four playoff series — what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than to send your stress level into overdrive with yet another do-or-die scenario? And since I’m only being about 60 percent sarcastic, try to consider that the bright side.
It really is a damn shame, though — at least on the surface — especially considering the checklist of accomplishments that could have taken place:
- The Obvious: Advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Though on many levels, taking into account the battle against Indiana didn’t exactly satisfy our appetite for achievement, the second round essentially represents the 1st round scorecard we were all looking for in the first place. And in the grand scheme of things, owning something more tangible than the 2001 series with Philly acting as this club’s claim to fame is truly the next step.
- The Satisfaction: A chance for this squad to silence the mainstream. Along with giving this fan base some much-desired ammunition to dish back at the Raps’ critics. Should the team and fans alike even care about outside noise? Perhaps not. But when attempts at mockery and naysaying, in terms of whether the Raps even deserve to enter the ring with Cleveland, hit a level as high as it currently sits, fighting back is warranted.
- Less Mileage: Limiting the amount of wear and tear, chiefly among the walking wounded, would have been highly beneficial as Cleveland is simply waiting in the wings ready to feast on either team’s battered and bruised. Instead, to go along with uncertainty, the Raps have to once again scratch and claw to even get to that point.
If we were to go beneath the surface, however, a flip side to that list does exist:
While I disagree with the notion that the Cavs would run through the Raps with relative ease, it’s fair to say T.O. will need all hands on deck to withstand the weapons LeBron and company would throw at them.
Game 1 of that series would have been set for Sunday — the same day Jonas Valanciunas has been more or less declared unlikely available for.
It could very well turn out to be a blessing in disguise that this series with the Heat has now reached a seventh game. Granted, giving JV a fighting chance to hit the ground running in the Conference Finals may not have been the way it was drawn up, but neither the Raps or any of us would be against an impromptu silver lining.
Am I getting ahead of myself? Yes and no. I don’t expect the Raps to beat the Cavs (if that matchup were to transpire) but at the same time I don’t expect the Raps to lose, either. My expectations end with a victory over Miami and then figuring it out from there. Though a conscious effort to stifle the Cavs’ 3-point shooting attack would be a great place to start.
And in case your anger over Game 6 has spun you in a different direction, keep these tweets handy to make sure your rooting interest doesn’t go with it.
Sorry, Toronto: Heat vs. Cavaliers is the Eastern Conference finals we all still want https://t.co/BnTjGWijeR pic.twitter.com/PuJiMYFL9v
— Sporting News NBA (@sn_nba) May 13, 2016
Raptors, bless their Jurassic Park hearts, would not take the Cavs past 5 games. Heat can go 6 or 7 with Cleveland.
— Mike Wise (@MikeWiseguy) May 12, 2016
Still, I can’t sit here and think the Raps aren’t in any potential danger of letting this series slip through their fingers if they don’t learn from, and react to, their positives and negatives throughout the postseason. And Game 6 had plenty of both.
Notables and Takeaways
- What do you get when foul trouble (Lowry and DeRozan) leads to uninspired help defense that only furthers the fact that this overall unit already underwhelms when it comes to sticking to their assignments? You get a point guard, who for Game 6 purposes can be referred to as Dragic Johnson, being able to not only get his shooting rhythm back, but also allowed free passes to the lane to either get to the rim or find open shooters with ease. Dragic finished with a playoff career-high 30 points and a +25 rating (which was light years above everyone else on the court).
- What do you get when Erik Spoelstra tweaks his lineup to go small — specifically referring to Justice Winslow and Luol Deng patrolling the Heat’s frontcourt? One might think that there was going to be a significant rebounding edge that the Raps could take advantage of. Well, considering they didn’t record their first offensive board until the 2nd quarter, and just one overall from the man (Biyombo) who was expected to be the prime beneficiary, things didn’t exactly go as planned. With Miami relentlessly pushing the pace into the paint, the Raps became bewildered and flat-footed. With Dragic operating in his wheelhouse, that only makes Dwayne Wade’s slashing ability that much more lethal. And we all know it doesn’t take much for Wade to be awarded free-throw chances.
It does get better. Until it gets worse, I mean.
- K-Low and DeMar deserve significant kudos for the second straight game. Lowry for putting this team on his back in an attempt to spark a comeback, and DeRozan for taking some of the pressure off with clutch jumpers in the 4th while getting to the line. When DD picks his spots correctly instead of going rogue, his mid-rangers are a welcome sight. But as always, that’s a BIG WHEN. The Duo’s upward trend bodes well for Game 7.
- I’d even put the supporting cast’s lack of production in the same thought. Throughout the postseason they’ve answered the call time and time again. So a repeat performance is highly unlikely.
- But here’s where it gets tricky. Was Carroll’s absence in the 4th quarter due to an injury or was it a decision made by Casey? Updates are likely going to be slim until late Sunday morning… Still, what’s the Game 7 rotation going to look like? More Powell on the perimeter? It would help. More James Johnson backing up at the Five? JJ did show rust but he also reminded people just how much disruption he can cause in the blink of an eye. How about Bebe and Thompson? Are they even in the discussion anymore? Something tells me we won’t see them until next season. Or, will Casey attempt to shift Patterson back and forth from responsibilities? Sunday will be a quality examination of what Casey’s adjustment game truly has become.
The Playoffs as a whole have been a chaotic roller-coaster. Monumental moments mixed frustrating inconsistencies. Whether we’re talking Norman Powell’s steal on Paul George, Lowry’s jumper over Wade, the rise of Valanciunas, or the deflating and gut-wrenching Game 6 in Indiana.
However, there hasn’t been a moment yet that can match the potential of Sunday — at either end of the spectrum. This series went from the battle between dominant bigs, to a defensive struggle, to the fight for guard supremacy. And no matter the small-ball turn it’s currently taken, anything goes in a game seven: All of the above applies. It’s now left up to a game of chess.
Are the Raps the “Go get sh*t done piece”? … If not, they better be “some smart-ass pawns”.
