There’s a little bit of Kyle Lowry in everything the Raptors do | The Star
“There’s so many things he does that don’t show up on the stat sheet,” said Jeremy Lin, Lowry’s backup and backcourt mate. “I wish I could help everybody understand that … at the level that players who play on the same team with him do, but I can’t.
“But he’s just a winner man. That’s all he cares about.”
Case in point: Tuesday’s rout of the Boston Celtics.
Lowry didn’t score much, only seven points, as he ceded most of the scoring load to Pascal Siakam and Kawhi Leonard. He didn’t shoot often, with just six field-goal attempts and four trips to the free-throw line. But his imprint was all over the game — 11 assists, a steal and just three turnovers in more than 35 minutes, plus a defensive effort that bordered on brilliant.
He drew one charge — he’s in the top three in the NBA in that category heading into Friday’s home date with Portland — and he grabbed six rebounds despite being one of the smallest players on the court.
He knew what his team needed and he provided it.
“Regardless of whether he shoots well or not, he makes winning plays,” Danny Green said Tuesday. “That’s what’s going to get us over the edge. Making shots (or) missing shots, he’s going to scrap, rebound, get some steals, take some charges and do the little things we need him to do to win the game.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LXouG8wGps
2. Toronto Raptors
Strength of schedule: .439The East’s current No. 2 seed presumably couldn’t be happier about its final stretch of the season. The recent loss of bench leader Fred Van Fleet (left thumb) could’ve been deflating for the Raptors, but the signing of Jeremy Lin in conjunction with the second-easiest remaining schedule should have the Canada outfit confident. Among Toronto’s remaining 20 games, 15 are against teams below .500. The other five are against the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trailblazers and two clashes with the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the Raptors hope to overtake the Bucks as the top seed, the final stretch of the season plays right into those plans.
Pistons' Dwane Casey applauds Raptors' warm reception for DeMar DeRozan | KABB
DeRozan initially took the trade hard, but after months of waiting and one game against his former team in San Antonio, his highly-anticipated return to Toronto in January was spectacular.
“I thought it was great. The fans did a great job,” said Pistons head coach Dwane Casey who coached DeRozan while the pair were in Toronto. “I thought it showed the class of the fans.”
Raptors fans gave a standing ovation to welcome back their hardwood hero and the team showed a touching tribute video highlighting his best moments as a Raptor.
“They respected what DeMar [DeRozan] did for the program, where he got it,” said Casey.
Marc Gasol is transforming the Raptors’ offence from stilted to cohesive – The Athletic
“You’ve got a guy who can shoot the 3 and make some passes, score over the top, bang inside, and late-game, late-clock, if we make the right cut, he’s gonna make the right pass,” Lowry said. “It’s a lot of options he has.”
And because Gasol has a lot of options, the Raptors suddenly have a lot of options. Despite having a top-10 offence all year, there has been a constant divide between the team’s attack with the ball in Leonard’s hands and the ball in anyone else’s hands. More and more, it is looking as if Gasol might act as a bridge between the two. Through three quarters Friday, the Raptors had 27 assists on 35 baskets, and each of the four playmakers in the starting lineup — Gasol, Lowry, Siakam and Leonard — had at least four assists.
The Raptors had just two assists on their 10 fourth-quarter buckets, so there is still work to do, especially with bench-heavy lineups. Leonard had four unassisted buckets in the final quarter, including the game-winner, a baseline jumper that rattled home. Isolations are necessary sometimes — to limit turnovers, to take advantage of mismatches or both. There is a reason they are used so frequently late in close games, and it is not laziness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HDqZo2frQ0
Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam No Longer Best-Kept Secret In NBA
When Siakam is on his game, opponents can no longer ignore him. He has a very fast first step, which allows him to power to the net for highlight-reel jams. He can score mid-range, and lately, he’s added a three-ball to his arsenal.
Siakam is, in fact, making a strong case that he should be named the league’s Most Improved Player. And if his strong play isn’t enough, Siakam will impress you with his attitude.
Siakam plays like he’s having the time of his life, and this easy-going manner is a calming influence for other, more serious, teammates.
This is no knock against Leonard and Lowry, but if this team is going to prove that it is championship worthy, it’s Siakam who might be the deciding factor. “He keeps getting better and better,” head coach Nick Nurse said during an appearance Thursday on Toronto talk radio.
Siakam’s story is all the more interesting because he came out of nowhere. He was a surprise pick in the NBA draft and no one really knew much about him.
“The first thing you saw and I think what got him drafted was just a tremendous motor and energy,” Nurse said. “He was an energy player. He was long, he was bouncy. He kind of played with a smile of his face. He was up the floor first. All over the place. He played with tremendous juice.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_twf3zFlx8
Marc Gasol’s second game as a starter went much better than the first.
In 32 minutes of action, Gasol came close to his first triple-double as a member of the Raptors with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He was efficient both as a scorer and playmaker, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and committing only two turnovers.
The Raptors outscored the Blazers by 23 points when he was on the court, giving Gasol the highest +/- of the game.
Serge Ibaka, meanwhile, struggled off the bench. He scored two points on 0-for-5 shooting in 15 minutes and the Raptors were outscored by 18 points with him on the court, giving him the worst +/- of the game.
Gasol might be too good to come off the bench, but Ibaka’s skill set makes him a better fit as a starter than a reserve on this team. For that reason, it’s going to be fascinating to see how Nick Nurse manages the two down the final stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs.
Raptors' Big Three give best example yet of what they can do together – Sportsnet.ca
The two teams traded blows in a wonderfully played fourth quarter that was emblematic of the game as a whole. In the final moments alone a three by Portland’s Damian Lilliard against fantastic team defence was matched at the other end by a clutch Danny Green triple. First Leonard and then Kyle Lowry scored wild lay-ups in the final possessions only to see them off-set by rugged Jusef Nurkic finding his way to the glass for Portland.
But another fully laid out lay-up by Lowry put the Raptors up one with 35.3 seconds left, and that was followed by the rugged point guard coming down with a defensive rebound, which helped get Leonard to the line for a pair to put the Raptors up three with 17.8 seconds left.
That might have done it had Lowry not been called for a phantom foul on a Lillard three-point attempt – replays showed Lowry didn’t touch him.
The Blazers guard made all three to tie the game to set up a fading baseline game-winner by Leonard that touched every inch of the rim before falling through.
But before the end-of-game dramatics the Raptors were looking as surgical and organized as they have all season, picking up where they left off from their effort against Boston. The third quarter was a pretty good example of what this team would look like if and when Lowry, Leonard and Marc Gasol get to know each other’s names.
The opportunities have been few and far between, given Friday was just Gasol’s seventh game with the club and second start. Meanwhile, his arrival has coincided with Leonard being in and out of the lineup even more than has become the norm this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwb8mCf-3hI
Big guns step up as Raptors down pesky Trail Blazers in thriller | Toronto Sun
“That was a tough-minded win,” Gasol said. “Very gritty. It was good.”
Nurkic picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and then two more in the third, limiting his minutes drastically, but he made the most in those final five and the Trail Blazers just seemed settled with him back anchoring the team at both ends of the floor.
When Nurkic returned, the Raptors were down five. He quickly helped get the back on even terms and even up by four at one point late in the game before Leonard and Lowry regained control of this game and took it home.
First, it was Lowry hitting a runner with 35 seconds left to get the Raptors back on top.
Leonard then went to the free-throw line and hit both with 17.8 seconds remaining to put the Raps up three and seemingly home and cooled out.
Damian Lillard, as only Lillard can, then baited one of the officials into a foul on Lowry as he attempted a three. Replays seemed to show no contact at all, but the call stood and Lillard calmly drilled all three from the free-throw line to tie it up with just 13.8 seconds remaining.
Leonard, who has been money at end-of-game situations, then beat the defence to the baseline and hit a runner of his own with just over a second remaining to seal the win.
It was as loud and emotional as this building has been in some time.
Leonard finished with a team-high 38, three more than CJ McCollum, who had 35 including a career-high-tying seven three-pointers.
Leonard dagger caps dramatic Raptors win over Blazers | The Star
Two Leonard free throws with 17.8 seconds left gave the Raptors a 117-114 lead before Kyle Lowry fouled Damian Lillard on a three-point attempt with 13.8 seconds to go. Lillard made all three free throws to tie it before Leonard got to his sweet spot on the right baseline and drilled the winner, capping an exhilarating night and dramatic finish.
Leonard’s basket ended an extremely entertaining game in which the Raptors saw a 16-point second-half lead dissipate under some relentless Portland shooting. C.J. McCollum made a career-high seven three-pointers and led the Blazers with 35 points, as he and Lillard pulled the Blazers back into it when it looked like they were about to collapse.
The Raptors got a tremendous game from the newly instituted starting tandem of Lowry and Marc Gasol, who looked like they been playing together for months instead of days. Lowry finished with 19 points and 10 assists, while Gasol had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
“He was really good tonight, right?” coach Nick Nurse said of Gasol. “Like all of a sudden his rust was immediately gone, did a little bit of everything: jumpers, rolling hard, had five and-ones, five and-ones.”
Added Nurse on Lowry: “I see a twinkle in his eye a little bit. I think the Gasol thing — just unbelievable the synergy they have, the plays that they can create for each other. That’s pretty good, 19 and 10, and two blocked shots.”
It was Lillard and Leonard, however, who took over for most of the final minutes, matching big play for big play. Leonard’s three-point play tied with 90 seconds left. Lillard answered with a three-pointer of his own before Danny Green tied it with a Raptor three.
The Raptors – still second on the East – improve to 46-17. The Blazers drop to 38-24, hovering around fourth place in the West.
The Trail Blazers came into Toronto scorching hot, riding a five-game win streak that included victories over powers like Boston, Philadelphia and Golden State. They had also handed Toronto a loss earlier this season – 128-122 in Portland in December, a game that Lowry did not play because of a thigh contusion.
Like the Raptors, the Blazers are fueling up for a high-stakes post-season. Portland had an impressive regular season last year and secured a No.3 playoff seed in the West, only to flame out in the first round in a humiliating sweep by the New Orleans Pelicans. Led by the elite backcourt of McCollum and Damian Lillard, Portland is once again positioned for a good seed. But if the Blazers don’t succeed in the playoffs this time, they risk being disassembled.
To tangle with Portland’s productive 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic, the Raptors started Marc Gasol at centre instead of Serge Ibaka, the second start for the 7-foot-1 Spaniard since the Raps acquired him last month. Raptors coach Nick Nurse reiterated that he’s partial to having the two players share the starting five spot on a game-by-game basis, depending on matchups.
Nurkic committed two fast fouls in the first four minutes of the game, and without a single field goal attempt, he headed to the bench for the rest of the half. It would create a competitive advantage for Toronto, and Gasol would capitalize.
Portland was without its other powerful centre, Enes Kanter of Turkey. Kanter did not travel to Toronto due to the Red Notice the Turkish government has submitted to Interpol soliciting his arrest. Kanter reportedly fears he could be killed because of his criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Pascal Siakam’s growth as a shooter could make the Raptors tougher to solve – The Athletic
It’s not uncommon for defences to help off the weak-side corner to protect the paint, because in theory the ball is going to take longer to travel there, buying time for rotations. The treatment of Siakam in his first three years as a pro has been extreme. Defences have consistently shrugged at the idea of him shooting from beyond the arc, believing that even if the ball gets to him quickly, an open Siakam three is preferable to not helping on things like a Kyle Lowry pick-and-roll or Leonard with a mismatch.
The thinking is entirely understandable, and the Raptors will do some of this themselves against poor shooters. In the regular season, a lot of defences will stick to some core principles and adjust more slowly to specific matchups or performance trends of opponents. It’s just a lot to be changing things every day or two as opponents filter in and out. In the playoffs, though, extra preparation time and attention to detail usually see lesser shooters treated with even less respect, to where rotations sometimes tighten based on what a player can’t do than what he can. If someone is a non-threat from outside, defences can treat the rest of the floor as a 4-on-5 attack, and few players possess the offensive skill set to make up for that cramped spacing without the ball in their hands.
