Phoenix Suns: Loss to Toronto first somewhat acceptable loss of the year
Granted, they fell apart in the third quarter and were never really able to get close enough to put a real scare in the Raptors, but they actually competed.
The Suns lost to a team they were supposed to lose to, but they showed that they weren’t going to go down without a fight.
These are the kinds of losses that fans can be okay with this season. They can accept a loss so long as the team showed legitimate improvement over their 2015-18 counterparts.
Plus, if the Suns are competing and staying within firing range of some of the league’s best teams, then they are going to start beating, with more regularity, those teams that are in the same stage of Purgatory as Phoenix is, giving fans more victories to celebrate – and more hope for the future.
There are many ways for them to be competitive, although the most important is making their shots: after shooting 55.9% from beyond the arc, the Suns shot an abysmal 28.2% over their next six losses, and only 44.1% from the field overall.
They actually didn’t do much better against Toronto, firing only 30.8% from 3 and an even 44.0% from the field, but still managed to hang tough long enough against a team that is much more experienced and talented.
Ayton Dominates in Paint with 18 Rebounds vs Raptors | Phoenix Suns
Although the team ultimately fell to the Raptors 107-98, Ayton still saw growth from the Suns through the effort they displayed.
“We showed a lot of effort from the jump and to end the game, Ayton said. “I think we improved a lot this game especially throughout the game in the past. We really stepped up on the defensive end, which is a great sign.”
Booker (18 points) and Canaan (19 points) led the way for the Suns on the offensive end as both played huge roles after missing time due to injury. Kokoškov said it was huge to have Canaan back on the court for his experience and that the team struggled to replace Booker throughout his absence.
“Having Book back and Canaan back, I mean that helps a lot,” Kokoškov said.
Booker said after the game that even though the team played with a sense of urgency throughout the contest, the most important thing is not just playing competitively, but winning.
Resilient Raptors show ability to turn it on when it matters most – Sportsnet.ca
“I think as we build it here, it’s a late third- and fourth-quarter defence now where we really want to amp up and do what we can do with the most energy and high level concentration we can,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. “And we want to be solid until we get to those points.
“We keep consecutive stops and I think we had a run of nine consecutive stops tonight and once we get in that mode, we kind of start to keep it cranking and go from there.”
VanVleet, in his first action since missing four games with a strained big toe, made his presence felt. He opened the fourth quarter with a three, stole the ball at half and scored a lay-up and later drove the ball deep in the lane before finding Norm Powell for a wide open three that pushed the Raptors lead to 91-75.
Then C.J. Miles chipped in with a pair of triples as part of a rapid-fire 20-8 run. Even better for Nurse, some of his team’s best play came from the bench unit which has struggled somewhat by their standards in the early going, but found its spark with VanVleet back, as he finished with eight points and six assists in 20 minutes.
Game Recap: Raptors defeat Suns 107-98 in second half eclipse – Raptors HQ
The game began innocently enough, with the Raptors and Suns trading buckets until an 11-4 run by the Suns put Nick Nurse and the Raptors on their heels. It was perhaps at that moment the team realized they have a target on their back — the kind that brings the best out of a young team looking to make a statement.
An awful shooting start (Toronto was shooting 34 percent from the field at one point in the first half) combined with uncharacteristically relaxed defense saw the Raptors struggle to take control early like they have so often in their first eight games. Another sub-par effort by the bench led to an early deficit — a truly rare occurrence this year. By the midway point of the second quarter, down by six points, the starters would return to the floor hoping to gain some momentum heading into halftime.
Kawhi Leonard did just that.
Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from W over Phoenix Suns
Fred VanVleet > Lorenzo Brown
Toronto has been forced to utilize Lorenzo Brown as the backup point guard over the past few games, since Fred VanVleet has been sidelined by a sore big toe. Thankfully, Fred returned, and played like he’d never been away. He drained a pair of long balls, and dished out six dimes in just over 20 minutes of playing time. He also managed a pair of steals, and a blocked shot (Fred, you’re incredible).Lorenzo Brown was the only Raptor not to hit the floor, a result I expect we’ll see again and again. There’s no comparison. Fred is a better shooter, defender, passer, and ball handler than Lorenzo, though Brown rocks that headband.
Thumbs Down: Even though Ayton was great scoring and providing space for others, he struggled again protecting the rim. I will say, though, he had an awesome sequence against Jonas Valanciunas in the third quarter where he stayed in his airspace, forced a shot up late, and blocked it with emphasis. Canaan ran over right after Ayton did this and hit him in the chest a few times to fire him up, but that’s exactly the type of moments you want to see out of Ayton on the defensive end.
Back to the negatives, however, as Ayton still ball watches far too often allowing his man an easy driving lane. It’s the small things with their No. 1 overall pick, but they go a long ways toward him reaching his astoundingly high ceiling.
Thumbs Up: Isaiah Canaan played with a steady hand returning to the starting lineup after suffering an ankle strain in Oklahoma City. Canaan played not only within the flow of the offense, but he was a reliable hand whenever Phoenix needed a bucket. Canaan actually finished as the Suns’ leading scorer with 19 points while hitting 66.7% of his shot opportunities. Another area I noticed is how often Canaan played off-ball, which continues to rise as Booker gets more comfortable within Kokoskov’s motion-heavy scheme.
Canaan is simply a stopgap option at this point, but he’s not being a negative out there.
Game Centre: Bench keys late charge as Raptors go to 8-1 | The Star
Ahead 77-71 after three quarters, Toronto went on a 22-8 run to start the fourth behind the subs and put the game away.
The Suns made an obligatory run but the Raptors had established more than enough cushion to stretch their franchise-best season start to 8-1.
VanVleet had a three-pointer, a steal and a basket and had another steal to ignite the Raptors. Playing in his first game after suffering a toe injury, VanVleet finished with eight points and nine assists.
There was a bit of a scare, however.
Kawhi Leonard left the game with about two minutes remaining and headed right to the locker room.
Five takeaways from the Toronto Raptors’ win against the Phoenix Suns | NBA.com
Jonas Valanciunas started against the Suns to give the Raptors more size against Deandre Ayton and he made the most of the opportunity, putting up 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 24 minutes before fouling out.
Serge Ibaka soaked up the rest of the minutes at centre off the bench – minus the one minute Greg Monroe played when Valanciunas fouled out – and was equally as productive, tallying 14 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
That means the Raptors got a combined 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks out of their centres against the Suns.
If they can continue to get that sort of out from them Valanciunas and Ibaka moving forward, Toronto is going to be incredibly difficult for any team to stop on a nightly basis.
