Raptors prepare for potential Bucks adjustments in Game 6 – Sportsnet.ca
Part of the reason the Raptors were able to move the ball so effectively in Game 5 — and why the scoring was so spread out with six players in double digits — was Toronto’s primary ball-handlers merely getting used to playing against that pressure.
DeRozan and Lowry passed effectively out of traps, the man who received that pass moved the ball quickly to an open teammate, and 57.7 per cent of the shots the Raptors took fell in as they capitalized on open looks.
Still, the Raptors will be expecting the Bucks to make some changes on defence Thursday night. Their backs are against the wall — if they’re not going to try something different now, then when?
But it might not be dramatic. The Bucks could keep their schemes relatively the same, and bet on the Raptors not shooting as well as they did in Game 5. If Powell doesn’t go 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, and Serge Ibaka doesn’t hit eight of the 10 shots he took, and DeMarre Carroll doesn’t shoot 67 per cent from the floor, that game would have been a lot closer than it was.
And that could translate to the offensive end for the Bucks as well. Toronto’s effective shooting on Monday helped limit Milwaukee’s opportunities in transition — after a made shot, the ball comes up the floor slower, and your defence has the ability to better set itself up for the ensuing attack.
But if the Raptors don’t shoot as well, the Bucks will have more opportunities to push the pace, more chances to get Giannis Antetokounmpo the ball in transition, and more looks against a scrambling, ad-libbed Raptors defence playing on its heels. That’s when the Bucks have been at their offensive best in this series.
It’s high time the Raptors get over the Game 6 hump | Toronto Sun
The historical element of these Game 6 letdowns is one the Raptors spent the past two days dismissing.
“Every season is different,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “Every year is different. Every team is different. I think our team now is more mature, battle ready. I think the only guy who hasn’t played in the playoffs is P.J. (Tucker) probably but he has played in some big games over in Europe.
“Again, mentally you can’t go into Game 6 thinking we still have Game 7 if need be,” Casey said. “We got a game in our pocket. You can’t approach it that way. It is the hardest thing in the NBA to do is to close out a series whatever that game is. We have to go in knowing that and not banking on a Game 7. We want to approach this like it’s Game 7.”
There it is again, ‘Make this our Game 7’ which sounds great but can the Raptors actually take the approach.
Obviously the Bucks are going to have something to say about that. For them this really is Game 7. The Raptors can talk desperation. The Bucks are already there for real.”
The point is talk is cheap and from Casey on down the team knows it.
Bucks aiming to make Game 6 nightmares a thing of the past – Journal Sentinel
One reason for optimism is the way the Bucks have played against favored Toronto, twice taking leads in the series before losing the last two games.
And the Raptors have never won three consecutive games in a playoff series.
Toronto is known for taking the most difficult route, something forward DeMarre Carroll spoke about after the Raptors practice Tuesday.
“If we don’t understand it now, we’re never going to understand it,” Carroll said of winning Game 6.
The Raptors gained confidence with their rousing 118-93 victory in Game 5 on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre.
It was the first time they controlled an entire game in the series. Serge Ibaka set the tone with some early blocks and baskets. Kyle Lowry played well despite nursing an aching back and DeMar DeRozan had 18 points and six assists.
Court Squeaks: Breaking the Game 6 curse – Video – TSN
At this point the Raptors’ struggles in previous Game 6s are well known: They’re 0-3 and they typically don’t play well. So how do they go about exorcising their demons? Well outside of ‘treating Game 6 like Game 7’, Josh Lewenberg and Matthew Scianitti try and figure what the Raps can do to come away with the win on the latest edition of Court Squeaks.
Carroll loves seeing Raptors pass the ball more | Toronto Sun
DeRozan has never played smarter in the playoffs over the past two games. He’s made the right reads, set the right example and engineered better shots for both himself and for his teammates.
Only three teams have assisted on more of their buckets than the Raptors have vs. the Bucks.
Carrroll’s loving it.
“I felt like the ball was moving crazy,” Carroll said earlier this week.
“Everything was in rhythm. Swing, swing, you know you’re gonna get the shot rather than jump up in the air and throw a last-second shot to somebody and they gotta throw it up,” he said.
“It was more swing, swing, get off the ball, double-team, a lot of movement, and that’s how we gotta play. I always learned growing up that the ball moved way faster than your dribbling. So that’s how we gotta play. We can’t convert back to that pound, pound the ball. We gotta kinda move it around.”
Can they keep it up? We’ve never seen it consistently in the past, but maybe, just maybe something has clicked.
Getting Lowry going offensively vital to Raptors’ playoff run | Toronto Sun
But, as much as this series has been one about the typical back-and-forth of adjustments, with the Raptors taking a punch and then responding and now the Bucks with a chance to swing back, all of that would become moot if Lowry, finally, steps up with the playoff game that Toronto fans have been waiting to see.
Not the Playoff Lowry whose scoring numbers are a sharp drop from his norms, but the Fourth Quarter Kyle and the Kyle Lowry Over Everything and whatever other nicknames and memes have been created as he has become an all-star and an Olympian and one of the most reliable crunch-time players in the NBA.
If that guy shows up, the guy who shoots 41% from distance instead of 28%, who takes over the game in key moments, then the Raptors almost certainly win a Game 6 for once in their playoff lives.
Lowry, when he wasn’t blowing off questions about his health on Wednesday, admitted that he would have to be some kind of hobbled to not play. He talked about watching the playoffs as a kid, the Jordan years, and how these were the games in which he always wanted to play.
The Raptors don’t need Lowry to be the playoff hero to win this series.
But it sure wouldn’t hurt.
Notes: Aggressive posture required in Game 6, Bucks’ Jason Terry says – Journal Sentinel
“The more physical, aggressive team has won each game in this series,” Bucks guard Jason Terry said after practice Wednesday.
“I expect us to be physical and I wouldn’t expect them to change, either, because they’ve had success.”
The Raptors have won the last two games to swing the series in their favor, and now the Bucks will attempt another swing. Game 7 would be played Saturday night in Toronto if the Bucks can even the series.
Milwaukee limited its turnovers early in the series but committed 20 miscues in its Game 4 loss at home and had 15 turnovers leading to 28 Raptors points in Game 5, a 118-93 Toronto romp.
“That’s the physicality part,” Terry said. “Because it’s the playoffs, because it’s more intense, you get away with slaps, holds, grabs.
“And that’s a trick of the trade if you haven’t gone through that, you don’t know it until you face it. I think for us being a young team, now that we’ve seen it four or five games consecutively, now we can adjust.
Milwaukee Bucks: Reliance on Malcolm Brogdon Leads To Mixed Playoff Results – Behind the Bucks Pass
In five games, Brogdon’s PER (8.8) is down considerably from his season score of 14.9. Brogdon has averaged 32 minutes per games (160 total) — an increase from his 26.4 minutes per game during the regular season — but it’s unfair to blame only minutes for Brogdon’s play this series.
Kyle Lowry is a really tough matchup. When you see Brogdon on the defensive side of the ball, he is chest-to-chest with Lowry, shadowing him across the court, and in Game 5, he was often helping to trap DeRozan. That’s quite a backcourt tandem to deal with as a rookie with an increased workload.
And let’s not forget about the rookie’s back injury that kept him sidelined for five games down the stretch in the regular season.
There are a few things that jump out from Brogdon’s play in the playoffs so far: no free throws, no steals and too many turnovers.
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MacKenzie: Powell Emerges As An X-Factor | Toronto Raptors
Powell’s Game 4 performance was key in Toronto pulling away for the road win. His Game 5 performance was a career-one, as the 24-year-old scored a postseason career-high 25 points on 8-for-11 field goals. He was perfect from beyond the arc (4-for-4) and free throw line (5-for-5). Toronto was a +23 when Powell was on the floor. While Powell himself shrugs off talk about performing under pressure, his veteran teammates have plenty of praise for the poise he has shown in the postseason.
“Norm is a pesky player,” DeMarre Carroll said. “He plays hard, he works hard. He works at his craft every day. He understands being a professional, might play some games, might not play some games. It’s the growing pain of being a rookie and a second-year player. He understands that. The sky is the limit for the kid. He’s been playing really well for us. He had a big game for us last night and he understands that in this series, we need his athleticism, his driving to the basket, and that’s why he’s so good, because he understands, he’s a professional, and he don’t take a day for granted.”
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NBA Playoffs: This is the best version of DeMar DeRozan – Raptors HQ
When teams like the Bucks load up on DeRozan, it also makes life easier for Kyle Lowry. These two obviously work best in tandem, and the push-pull of providing each other opportunities continues to be the backbone of the Raptors’ success. Lowry had a glitzier line than DeRozan in Game 5, with 16 points and ten assists being the veneer on an offensive rating of 134.6 and a true shooting percentage of 68.7 percent. While none of his shots were directly set up by DeRozan in Game 5, Lowry has more space when teams try to take away the Compton kid.
As a team, the Raptors go as Lowry and DeRozan do, but Lowry has always been the steadier of the pairing. He’s more able defensively and makes more hustle plays. This does more to impact the team, and the numbers bear that out. Save the rare outlier like Game 1, you can rely on Lowry to bring his intangibles through offensive droughts. With DeRozan, we’re programmed to be more skeptical.
There were a lot of years in Toronto where DeRozan was a mid-range chucker. He messed around in the musecage too often — narrowing his vision and trying to take over games by himself. Now, the script is flipped. When DeRozan starts assisting, it’s like a contagion for the Raptors.
Since Monday, everyone has been talking about the team’s 28 assists on 41 made baskets. Rightfully so, it’s a percentage that’s truly foreign to the iso-loving Raptors. Even without the stat line to back it up, a lot of credit for this unselfishness deserves to go to DeRozan. He’s giving up his own opportunities to help the team win, creating the best version of himself for Toronto’s success.
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Five thoughts on Game 6 and the looming Cavs – Article – TSN
DEMAR DEROZAN AND KYLE LOWRY (Raptors): When both of these guys are prepared and emotionally invested their 13 teammates respond. I’ve seen this duo lead the Raptors by example so many times over the years. Looking at Game 6 in Milwaukee on Thursday, we all know it will be a very difficult place to close out the series. With that being said, DeRozan and Lowry have been in this situation three times in the past and have failed to close the deal in a road Game 6. The two all-time Raptors have sharp basketball minds and a good sense of the moment. I think they realize the need to get it done on Thursday with the defending champion Cavaliers looming on Monday night in the East semis. Their leadership and approach will set the tone. Your best players not only have to produce – they also have to lead and inspire the others. Game 6 can be the next step in their growth and development as players.
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Bucks’ mental toughness to be tested in Game 6 | Toronto Sun
In the series-shifting Game 4, Powell scored five consecutive points in the fourth as Toronto opened a 10-point lead.
“Being a young team, we were in that position in Game 3,” Kidd said. “We have to understand what took place so we know what we have to do come Game 6.
“There are going to be some swings emotionally throughout a series and it’s who can keep their composure and their discipline. That’s the team that will win and, hopefully, we can do that come Thursday.”
Whether it’s a quick start, keeping the crowd engaged, being more physical on the boards, locking down defensively and making shots when the ball is being shared, there are obvious areas the Bucks must dominate.
What one can’t measure is Milwaukee’s trust level and confidence. If the ball isn’t moving, it’s a bad sign, an indication the Bucks are playing too much hero ball at the expense of a team game.
For a player such as Malcolm Brogdon, a rookie point guard who played well offensively in Game 5, every game is a valuable learning tool.
“It’s more of a grind than the regular season even,” Brogdon said. “The regular season is long, there are ups and downs. But the playoffs are harder. They’re more intense. Every game counts for more. You’re playing the same team over and over. That team figures you out. They learn what you do individually and as a team. You’ve got to make sure you’re locked-in mentally and making adjustments between the games.”
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Raptors take the path of maximum resistance: Feschuk | Toronto Star
“Every series is different. Every year is different. Every team is different,” Casey was saying on Wednesday.
Which was to say: Every Game 6 is different.
“I think our team now is more mature, battle ready,” Casey said.
Now, Casey wasn’t about to guarantee a Game 6 win in the same way Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock spoke matter-of-factly about his “heart” and “mind” telling him to plan for that Game 7 that never came. And maybe that’s because Casey has seen his own team play enough to know what he doesn’t know.
“There’s no magic wand that you can wave over players and be able to tell how they’re going to react,” he said.
Still, Casey made a point about slow, steady progress. The Lowry-DeRozan Raptors had to get to the playoffs three times before they finally won a best-of-seven playoff series last spring. They followed that up by winning another one, then taking the Cavaliers to six games in the Eastern final. They made their bit-by-bit advances through the NBA tournament with their signature method, for sure, taking 3-2 series leads into Indianapolis and Miami and losing badly both times, this a couple of years after they took a 3-2 series advantage into Brooklyn and got beaten soundly.
But then, last year’s run proved they could carry the weight of the franchise’s history of futility and win when it counted. And now they’ve got the best roster they’ve ever had, even if hiccups in Games 1 and 3 made everyone wonder if that’s even true.
“We’ve had a lot of firsts here,” Casey said. “There’s a lot of other things we’ve changed. So why not change this?”
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Rautins: ‘I want turmoil, I want craziness’ in my locker room – Video – TSN
With a chance to eliminate the Bucks staring them in the face, Leo Rautins says that the Raptors shouldn’t be calm and relaxed heading into Game 6, but a little bit on edge because it helps them play better. While history isn’t on their side when it comes to closing out a series in six games, Rautins also believes that if Toronto starts fast, they should be able to close things out.
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JV keeps it the same coming off the bench – Video – TSN
After the Raptors were blown out in Game 3, Dwane Casey took Jonas Valanciunas out of the starting lineup and inserted Norman Powell. The move has paid off, as Powell has been a star in Games 4 and 5, and Valanciunas’ size and energy has been a welcome addition off the bench.
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Raptors’ Norman Powell finds his place in the playoffs – The Globe and Mail
“He’s been coming in and getting his looks, with the attention that me and DeMar [DeRozan] were getting is giving him an opportunity to show what he can do. It’s pretty fun to watch,” Lowry said. “It’s kinda hard for [the Bucks] – you can’t put your attention on three guys, so someone’s gonna get a chance to be free and roam a little bit. I think he fits in well with what me and DeMar do and what they have done to us, trying to double-team us, put more arms on us. Norm has an ability to get to the basket, finish, get out in transition. But he’s doing it defensively also. Let’s not take that lightly.”
A small smile broke across Powell’s face when he was told what the all-star point guard had said about him.
“When your veteran leader sees the work you put in, how hard you’re playing, how much you’re trying to affect the series – that really means a lot to me,” said Powell, sitting in a corner of the Raptors practice gym as his teammates packed for Milwaukee. “Kyle talks to me a lot during the season, keeping me motivated and keeping me going. I was starting games when DeMar was out, and then not playing, then playing for [DeMarre Carroll] earlier in the season, then sitting again. DeMar and Kyle have really helped me find my way in the league.”
Powell was the Milwaukee Bucks’ second-round draft pick in 2015 – 46th overall – but they traded his rights to Toronto, along with a future first-round draft pick, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez.
“It’s inspirational. Any guy who can go second round, all the odds he had to face coming out of college – couldn’t shoot, undersized – anything you could put against Norm, he’s fighting against all odds,” DeRozan said. “I’m a big fan of the type of players that stick through it, push, put in the work every single time, and it shows every time your name is called. For him to be up and down, not knowing if he’s going to play in a game, start a game, to step up in big moments like that is just a credit to the type of player he is.”
D-League experiment’s worked at every level for Raptors905 | Toronto Star
In case you missed it – or ICYMI in the parlance of the day, the 905ers beat the Rio Grande Valley Vipers at the Hershey Center on Tuesday to tie the best-of-three final 1-1 and set up a winner-take-all game out here in Hazelville on Thursday night.
It will culminate a solid two year journey that’s provided precisely the kind of growth in player development, coach development, back-of-house development that Masai Ujiri and GM Dan Tolzman hoped for from the start.
There’s no doubt the players have benefitted – Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet were dominant at times on Tuesday, Delon Wright’s time there last year was invaluable, Jakob Poeltl benefitted and Bruno Capoclo is closer to being an NBA player solely because the Raptors have been to keep tabs on him and keep teaching what they need him to be.
Jesse Murmuys turned one season on the bench into an assistant coach’s job with the L.A. Lakers; I guarantee Jerry Stackhouse’s name will come up in conversations about NBA vacancies this summer (how’d he look in Charlotte?) off is one year as the team’s head coach.
Axel Toupane has an NBA job, so does Edy Tavares and I would bet a handful of guys on this team wind up with good Summer League looks and partial guaranteed NBA camp deals in the fall.
And they’ve won, which is grand but in some ways secondary to the development that’s gone on top to bottom.
Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors related link to rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
