 | TOR Raptors | 119 | Final Box Score | 116 | ATL Hawks |  |
 A+ | P. Siakam40 MIN, 34 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 11-18 FG, 4-6 3FG, 8-9 FT, 2 BLK, 2 TO, 6 +/- This didn’t feel like an efficient 34-point game, watching it, for Siakam. He was quiet for long stretches, and wasn’t pressing to create his own offense at all, but somehow delivered the big offensive night the team needed for the win anyways. His defense wasn’t great all night, but had some really good moments, especially with him at center in the second half. | ||||||||
 B | O. Anunoby26 MIN, 7 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 3-10 FG, 0-2 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 2 +/- Didn’t feel like he was having an off night, despite sitting for the closing minutes, but Rondae simply was bringing more energy and the team needed that. I thought they could’ve looked to OG again to close the game, but what they did got the victory. | ||||||||
 B | M. Gasol31 MIN, 3 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1-5 FG, 1-3 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 BLK, 1 TO, 7 +/- Marc was helping too much in this game, which created some holes in the Raptors’ interior defense that the Hawks were able to exploit at various points during the game. He was good in rim protection and had some nice offensive moments, and showed really good energy early on, but that waned as the game went on. | ||||||||
 B | F. VanVleet43 MIN, 25 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST, 1 STL, 7-21 FG, 2-9 3FG, 9-9 FT, 0 BLK, 5 TO, 11 +/- I thought Fred was great in the opening stretch of the game, and got the better of Trae Young in the first quarter, but that didn’t sustain and he was trying to do too much, often, tonight on offense. He’s so much better when he’s playing in the flow of the team offense, and he sometimes can derail things when he tries to do too much, which definitely happened tonight sometimes. | ||||||||
 B | N. Powell34 MIN, 20 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 8-15 FG, 3-8 3FG, 1-1 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, -11 +/- Norm hitting his shots was big for the Raptors in this one, and it was necessary tonight. His defense was really hit or miss though, and he needs to remain engaged more at that end of the floor. | ||||||||
 A | R. Hollis-Jefferson24 MIN, 7 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3FG, 3-4 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, -5 +/- Rondae continues to be the best kind of chaos for the Raptors. He creates havoc on the offensive boards, works hard defensively, and finds ways to constantly contribute, and tonight was no different. Exactly what the Raptors needed from him. | ||||||||
 B+ | T. Davis17 MIN, 6 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 2-6 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-1 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 1 +/- A quiet box score line in this one from Davis, but his comfort level continues to impress and it’s easy to forget that he is an undrafted rookie. The three he hit was a big one, and he had a pick and roll with SIakam for his lone assist in a huge moment as well. | ||||||||
 A | C. Boucher15 MIN, 13 PTS, 8 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 5-7 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-2 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, -5 +/- Big game from Boucher off the bench, who was active on the boards and offensively and helped the team overcome a lack of first half energy to keep things within range. | ||||||||
 B | M. Thomas10 MIN, 4 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1-3 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 9 +/- Opposing defenses have really started to pick up on how much of a threat Thomas’ shooting is, and that creates a lot of space for everyone else in the Raptors offense when he’s out there. Continues to provide value, even if he’s not scoring that much himself. | ||||||||
 B+ | Nick Nurse Maybe you could nitpick that the Raptors’ energy should’ve been better against a team on the second night of a back-to-back with the Raptors on two days rest, and sometimes the play was definitely sloppy, but the Raptors found a way to pull out the win, and it’s easy to forget they’re still missing critical rotation players with how they’ve been finding wins. His rotations at the end of the night got the right guys out there, and despite some great shot-making by the Hawks late, got the win. | ||||||||
Things We Saw
- As much as the numbers aren’t pretty for the Raptors defense in this one and there were some stretches you could definitely criticize, some of it was just Atlanta making tough shots, too. That’s going to happen some nights, and you still have to find a way to get it done, and the Raptors did.
- De’Andre Hunter, in particular, was fantastic for the Hawks in this one. Not only did a solid job limiting Siakam when he was on him, but also provided some great shooting for Atlanta and was a huge part of making this win tough for the Raptors.
- Big game in Toronto on Monday with the Sixers coming into town after blowing out the Miami Heat tonight. Philadelphia will undoubtedly be energized after losing the second round series to Toronto last spring, and that should be a fun game to watch, although it might be a tough one for Toronto with them likely still shorthanded.
