The Toronto Raptors have made it five in a row, beating the Dallas Mavericks 93-86, in what is becoming a familiar storyline.
DeMarre Carroll sat with a sore lower back but the Raptors didn’t miss a step. P.J. Tucker filled the spot and DeMar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka led the offence to get past the middling Mavericks squad. We watch sports for the drama, but there’s something comforting in the lack of drama surrounding the team right now. Toronto’s plays damn good defence — second-best in the league since the All-Star break — and the bench has shined, playing with confidence and a clear identity. All of that was on display in Dallas.
Toronto came out with a purpose, starting the game 17-4 run powered by a variety of scorers. DeRozan seemed intent on making quick work of the Mavs, dropping seven points with four assists to lead the offence. Wes Matthews is a solid defender but Dallas doesn’t have the horses to keep everyone in check. Defensively, the Raptors took care of business by forcing outside shots.
The second quarter was a good test and a great showing from a bench unit that is increasingly desperate for a nickname. They pushed the lead to nearly 20 early in the period, forcing Rick Carlisle to call the timeout. Norm Powell was effective, albeit briefly, slashing to the rim and occasionally creating open looks for others. He’s been inconsistent since the Terrence Ross trade and tonight’s line of six points (all in the second quarter), no rebounds, one assist and three turnovers in 14 minutes will count as a disappointment. Against soft wing defenders, Powell should have done more tonight.
Toronto seemed primed to run away with the game before Harrison Barnes bullied his team back in the game. He scored 11 straight points for his team, most coming at the free throw, to salvage the half. Toronto held a 54-44 advantage heading into the locker room. The Raptors held Dallas to 1-11 from beyond the arc at half.
The second half was chaotic, especially the fourth quarter. Any halftime conversation from Dwane Casey must have been brief, given that the first half had provided a clear blueprint for success. Dallas struggled to get the requisite stops necessary to put together any kind of run, and the squads really just traded baskets for the whole quarter. Toronto had no problem getting to the rim, but they did have a problem getting calls. DeRozan’s first free throws came with 32.7 seconds left in the third quarter. J.J. Barea cashed in a deep three off a broken play at the buzzer to restore the 10-point deficit and give the Mavs a bit of momentum heading into the final quarter.
What transpired in the fourth quarter was closer to intramural basketball than NBA basketball. Toronto kicked the oddness off with a wonky start to the period. Delon Wright, who has been played well above expectations since the All-Star break, struggled. He had a series of bad plays, picking up charges or turning the ball over after getting too deep in the lane and picking up his dribble. But give Wright this: he can put plays behind him and continues to play hard. After a turnover, Wright jetted back to block a wide-open lay-up that would have given energy to a Dallas squad that was desperate for it.
Neither team seemed intent on running much offence, though. The pace was incredible — a welcome style for late March basketball — but it was hideous because of the missed shots and turnovers.
Teams traded buckets until Dallas steadied just enough to threaten. Yogi Ferrell was left alone for a wide-open three, and Dallas was within six with four and a half to go. No one picked Ferrell up, and the play was the end result of a frustrating few minutes for the team. The Raptors were going hard to the rim and playing through contact but couldn’t get a whistle. Casey didn’t call timeout, opting to let the team play through it.
It turned out to be the right call as Toronto held Dallas scoreless for two and a half minutes to put the game away. Ibaka got some important buckets out of the post and through some clever pump fakes. Patterson — who was great all game — put the nail in coffin by hitting a corner three in front of the Mavericks, punctuating the make by immediately turning around and saying something to the bench.
The win is the latest chapter in the post-Lowry run. The Raptors defence was solid, neutralizing Dirk Nowitzki by having Ibaka or Patterson stay with him in pick and rolls. Barnes got his, but I think you can live with one guy scoring 23 points if he’s not really setting up others and his team doesn’t even score 90. It isn’t always the most enjoyable nor effective brand of offence, but the pace suits this roster’s style and has upside.
With the Washington Wizards surging and dropping 127 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the five-game winning streak hasn’t done a ton for Toronto in the standings. Maybe that’s fine. Seeing the team put together quality wins with a large margin of victory is a welcome sight during a period where many teams go into cruise control.
