Well, that sure was ugly again. At least in Game 2, the Toronto Raptors fought a little harder and fought a little longer. A 19-point defeat isn’t going to make anyone feel good, but after laying down early in a 31-point loss on Tuesday, the Raptors stuck around longer Thursday, at least learning a bit more about themselves and how they can approach Game 3 in the process. There are no good answers, of course, but at least they’re back home Saturday, and when I predicted Cavaliers in five, I figured the one win would come at home. There’s still some series left, let’s keep trying to enjoy it.
Here are some post-game notes and quotes.
Are there any positives?
I think this one only applies when you have home-court advantage, because if you didn’t lose at home as the road team, you’d still lose the series. But still, it’s just two losses, right?
Dwane Casey: "What's the old saying? The series doesn't start until you lose at home."
— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) May 20, 2016
As always, Dwane Casey isn’t going to just bow out, and he thinks the Raptors will continue to fight. I hope so, despite occasionally shaky body language in Game 2.
"Everyone can bury us and put us under, but we're not quitting," Casey said.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 20, 2016
On leaving TOR with 4:00 left in half, Kyle Lowry tells The Vertical: "I needed to decompress, reconfigure myself. Get back to the grind."
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 20, 2016
Casey: "I don't think our guys have quit. I refuse to believe that."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 20, 2016
And James Johnson ain’t hearing the series-over talk. Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists do the most damage from their backs anyway, right?
James Johnson told no team has come back from 3-0: "We ain't down 3-0 yet."
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 20, 2016
Luis Scola has your game summary
"They've got answers for everything we do," Luis Scola told me. "Everything is easy for them right now and for us, it's very hard."
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 20, 2016
Succinct. Word economy. I could learn a lesson.
This is NOT your game summary. Don’t hang a 50-point deficit over two games on the officials. Maybe don’t matador opposing ball-handlers through and you won’t have to foul recovering. (I don’t think the officiating has been perfect by any means, but the Cavs have been far more aggressive and the Raptors’ defense at the point of attack has been poor, so a foul disparity should be expected to some degree.)
Carroll mentioned the foul disparity (31-16) unprompted in his first 4 answers & once more after that, clearly not pleased with officiating
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 20, 2016
Carroll, asked about LeBron: "That's not what killed us, the free throws killed us. How many free throws did they shoot? I don't know"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 20, 2016
Naw, James was a big part of the problem. Just ask him.
"It's always difficult to deal with me," LeBron said.
— Scott Cacciola (@ScottCacciola) May 20, 2016
Did Lowry walk off the floor?
I saw people tweeting that Lowry left the bench for the locker room before the end of the half. I kind of figured he was just getting treatment or stretching out or something, but it turns out it was a quick mental breather.
On leaving TOR with 4:00 left in half, Kyle Lowry tells The Vertical: "I needed to decompress, reconfigure myself. Get back to the grind."
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 20, 2016
This is mildly concerning and really not something a team’s struggling star should be doing. I get it, from a personal standpoint and trying to put myself in his shoes and how I might feel, but a big deal is going to be made of this.
"I know I can be more effective and I will be more effective on Saturday." – Kyle Lowry
— David Zavac (@DavidZavac) May 20, 2016
Only semi-related, as poorly as Lowry’s played, the team has still been totalled without him, including at the end of quarters when he rests (first, third, and sometimes second).
It's been a lopsided series, but the #Raptors have particularly been outplayed in the final 2 minutes of a quarter pic.twitter.com/X8elfI3puP
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 20, 2016
That is insane.
Assorted
*Congratulations to Lowry’s bestie.
Lue sets an NBA record with 10th playoff win in a row to start coaching career.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 20, 2016
*I’m not sure how much they’ll lean on it in the finals, but I think the Cavs have really stumbled on something with the Dellavedova-Shumpert-Jefferson-James-Frye (James-plus-reserves, or The James Gang) group early in the second and fourth. It was that group that ran away with Game 1, and they were a plus-five in seven minutes again Thursday. It’s a weird group on paper but it’s a nice mix of offense, defense, secondary ball-handling, passing, and shooting, all around James at the four.
The Cavs starters, by the way, were a plus-17 in 18 minutes, absolutely pasting the Raptors’ new starting lineup (minus-4 in 11 minutes). Scola, by the way, was a minus-13 in 14 minutes, worst among starters in the fewest minutes. The change back didn’t work, but most of us saw that coming. The only really positive group the Raptors had was Lowry-Ross-DeRozan-Patterson-Biyombo, which went on a quick plus-five run, but they never went back to it.
*Respectfully disagree, Kyrie.
Kyrie Irving: "This is high-intensity basketball that we've all been waiting for." #cavs
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) May 20, 2016
*I could listen to Bismack Biyombo forever.
One more rallying cry
Casey: "The first game was ugly, tonight was not pretty but we're not quitting. Everybody can bury us & put us under but we're not quitting"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 20, 2016
See y’all Saturday.
