Cavs sticking with Love at centre despite struggles vs. Valanciunas | The Star
But going into Game 2 Thursday night, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue is not giving in. He’s sticking with Love at centre for floor spacing, saying Wednesday, “Whatever is best for the team is what we’re going to do.”
Love has not taken well to Lue’s plan and it seems to have affected his performance. He’s averaging 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in eight post-season games, shooting .319 from the field and .385 from 3-point range. His scoring is down from 17.6 points in 59 regular season games, his shooting percentages have dropped from .458 and .415, respectively.
Raptors Practice: Dwane Casey – May 2, 2018 – YouTube
The Raptors are one of 17 franchises that have entered a team in the 2K League, a professional esports competition devised by the NBA in concert with 2K Sports, the makers of the popular video game. Each team selected six of the world’s best 2K players at the league’s inaugural draft at Madison Square Garden in early April. The draftees wore suits and donned team caps on stage. NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the No. 1 overall pick, a scene that emphasized just how seriously the NBA is taking this endeavour.
The league said that “given the wind up and impact” of Love’s elbow, the officials should have reviewed the play and upgraded the initial call to assess him with a flagrant 1. Had that occurred, the Raptors would have been awarded two foul shots, plus possession of the ball.
Among the other missed calls in Tuesday’s game was one that occurred immediately before Love’s elbow to DeRozan. After Love rebounded a missed shot by Serge Ibaka in traffic, the league determined that DeRozan made contact with Love’s arm when trying to make a play on the ball and should have been called for a foul. Had that foul on DeRozan been called, the play would have been stopped and the flagrant 1 would never have occurred.
Raptors Practice: Fred VanVleet – May 2, 2018 – YouTube
NBA Playoffs 2018 Raptors vs. Cavaliers Game 1 Turning Point – Raptors HQ
Toronto seemingly lost Game 1 because of some awful late-game misses, and there’s really no other blame to be placed. Rotations were solid, the team had a game plan that worked (which they forgot in the final few minutes), but a couple guys couldn’t make key plays when they had the chance to make them.
One of those players was Jonas Valanciunas, who dominated the third quarter only to find himself completely wanting in the final frame (which won’t be good for Casey’s confidence in him going forward). Valanciunas’ misses ended up being the difference in a win and a loss in the opening game of the East Semi-Finals, and while the blame isn’t solely on him, those misses were certainly the most prominent aspect of an overall limp fourth quarter performance from the entire team.
Woz Blog: On one of the most crushing defeats in Raptors history | Toronto Sun
Both teams bizarrely allowed immediate scores off of inbound passes: The Cavs gave up a three and the Raptors gave up a James alley-oop.
Everyone is piling on VanVleet for the misses, but don’t ignore the two times he ended Cleveland runs and pulled back some momentum for the home side. Once with a three-pointer, another by driving to the hoop.
Ibaka bricking a three and then Love nailing one at the other end was a big turning point. At least he hit his three free throws, but if he doesn’t show up, Toronto will be in tough.
Raptors Practice: C.J. Miles – May 2, 2018 – YouTube
Raptors eager to atone for Game 1 mistakes – Sportsnet.ca
Those teams knew on some level they were facing a superior opponent. This team now believes they can beat the Cavs – even with LeBron James – as long as they don’t beat themselves.
“I think we’re just more, just like ‘okay, we know what we did wrong’,” said Kyle Lowry. “[The] last couple years I think we played the first two on their floor and it was blowouts … but that’s in the past. I think this year we’re just equipped differently. We’re just an overall different team.”
They just need to play like it.
Raptors need to embrace the spirit of Drake | The Star
But if Drake had to be the topic, it’s important to understand that president Masai Ujiri has been unfailingly supportive of the artist’s presence around the team, whether the artist is jawing with Perkins or NBA all-stars like John Wall or James Harden. Ujiri, who tells stories about the late-night phone calls he occasionally receives when Drake is jonesing to talk hoops, appreciates the passion — even if the altercation with Perkins was unusually heated.
“I think it’s a great thing that the guy’s invested in our team like that,” Ujiri said. “You could tell he was stung (by the loss). I like that. What’s not to like about that? … I went to Drake and I said, ‘Let it go. Let it go.’ And that was it. To me, it’s done.”
Raptors Practice: DeMar DeRozan – May 2, 2018 – YouTube
“I’ve got thick skin. I’m going to take those shots every time,” he said. “If you don’t want me to take them, don’t put me out there, don’t pass it to me, because it’s going up to me if it does and it’s the right shot.”
His teammates said without a doubt, it was the right play on both occasions, and VanVleet didn’t need any consoling.
“I’m not worried about him at all. Not even a little bit. It’s the right basketball play, so I shouldn’t have to say anything to him anyway,” Raptors teammate C.J. Miles said. “In both situations, it was the right play. If he makes it, he’s sitting here right now and everybody is saying, ‘Oh, what a great play.’ Just because he missed it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great play.”
The Most You Can Do Is Keep LeBron From Feasting
After an ugly seven-game series against the Pacers, it is clear that the Cavaliers offense rests on LeBron James as heavily as it ever has. These days he prefers to dine alone. LeBron has feasted on isolations through eight postseason games, and has only increased his appetite since the regular season, ramping them up to 34 percent of his possessions from 24 percent. He isos more regularly than any postseason player besides James Harden and has produced an average of one point on those possessions. The 10.4 points per game LeBron has piled up from going one-on-one account for a hefty chunk of his 33.4 ppg playoff average. Practically anytime you glance over at the screen he’s got the ball clasped like a coconut he’s trying to crush with his bare hands, eyeing whatever sap has been tasked with containing him.
Raptors Practice: Kyle Lowry – May 2, 2018 – YouTube
One loss won’t shake Raptors rock-steady confidence | Toronto Sun
“We should have had that game, and it was more: ‘Damn, we’ve gotta wait to redeem ourselves, to get this feeling off of us,’ he said. “That was more the feeling. The confidence hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything, it’s heightened to want to get back out there. If we had the opportunity to come back and play tonight, we would have played today. That’s just how high amped we are, excited we are, to get out there and play.”
Raptors must move past bad Game 1 loss to even series – Article – TSN
Those losses weren’t easy to stomach, but they were easy to explain: the Raptors were simply outplayed, bested by a superior team and the greatest player of his generation, one of the greatest of all-time. The sting would last for a day or so, but in the end, it was what it was.
However, Tuesday’s was a game Raptors fans won’t soon forget. Given the stakes, the expectations and how things ultimately came apart, it was arguably the worst loss in franchise history.
This time they weren’t outplayed, they weren’t bested. They beat themselves, and that’s a lot harder to live with.
Toronto Raptors on Instagram: “Confidence. #BetOnYourself”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiSkTxogY6T/?hl=en&taken-by=raptors
Raps coach Casey has no issue with Drake courtside, says he loves his passion – The Globe and Mail
But the Raptors coach, who stands directly beside Drake’s courtside seat during games, insists he loves having the Toronto rapper there.
“It’s nothing. I love it,” said Casey, who always exchanges pleasantries — usually a quick hug — with Drake before tipoff. “No problem whatsoever with Drake and being excited and passionate. We all should be that passionate.”
Casey spoke the day after Drake exchanged words with Cleveland centre Kendrick Perkins twice during Toronto’s 113-112 overtime loss to the Cavaliers. Security intervened both times.
What the Raptors can do to bounce back in Game 2 against the Cavaliers
Honestly, I don’t feel like the Raptors need to make major changes. They certainly, in my mind, won’t make any lineup changes. I think they should feel good about what OG Anunoby did against LeBron James.
I’m sure in practice [Wednesday] and shootaround [Thursday] they’ll go over some of what the Cavs were doing with their spread offensive actions, to not give up so many wide-open looks and stay attached a little bit more. I don’t think it’s an X and O game with them.
Toronto Raptors on Instagram: “OG Savage”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiSVMNGAzMs/?hl=en&taken-by=raptors
The Raptors gave Cleveland hope; now they have to do the same for themselves | The Star
What you probably remember were the last shots, all of them. Fred VanVleet wide open, three offensive rebound tips, and in overtime, VanVleet again. Any of those shots go in — one flipped coin out of 91 — and the Toronto Raptors are not trying to get over the worst loss in franchise history.
“I’m going to take those shots every time,” VanVleet said Wednesday, the morning after an incomprehensibly bungled 113-112 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Raptors’ best-of-seven second-round series. “If you don’t want me to take them, don’t put me out there, don’t pass it to me, because it’s going (to be) up to me if it does, and it’s the right shot.”
