The Toronto Raptors extended their win streak to ten games on Friday night, defeating the Detroit Pistons 105-92 on the second night of a back-to-back.
The win solidifies the Raptors place in the Eastern Conference standings, giving the Raptors a 2.0 game cushion ahead of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat for the No. 2 seed. That is enough to send Nick Nurse and his coaching staff to the All-Star Game in Chicago where they will coach Team Giannis, which includes Raptors’ Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry.
Several Raptors talked about wanting to help get their coaching staff to the All-Star Game, and the team certainly played like it from the get-go, bringing energy and defensive toughness for the full 48-minutes. Maybe that energy did come from the Raptors desire to get their coaches to the ALS, as Leo Rautins surmised during the broadcast, but it felt to me like the Raptors treated it like just another game in which their will to win was stronger than the other team’s.
Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors. He scored 30 points on 12/18 field goals along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists, and he was the best player on the floor from start to finish. Siakam let the game come to him, showing the perfect balance of aggressiveness and patience to work within the framework of the offense but also get his. He had game-highs in points (30), minutes (36), and +/- (+26).
Serge Ibaka was great again in this one, scoring 21 points (9/14) with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He looks as locked in as I’ve seen him as a Raptor, hitting everyone that runs past him on the defensive end to let his presence be felt. He is also shooting the ball extremely well from deep this season, hitting 39.4 percent of his threes.
As Matt Devlin said during the broadcast, Ibaka came the first player in NBA history to total 1500 blocks along with 500 made three-pointers.
The Raptors showcased their depth again in this one. Fred VanVleet was a steadying factor throughout. It wasn’t just his 16/8/9 stat line, but VanVleet ran the pick-and-roll with Siakam, Ibaka, and Boucher throughout the game, always seeming to make the right read whether it was shooting off the screen, driving himself, or hitting the roller in stride.
Norman Powell was super aggressive in this one. Although his shot wasn’t falling (0-4 from three), Powell adjusted and started attacking the rim relentlessly, picking up three poster dunks by my count.
https://twitter.com/YahooCASports/status/1223426697183342593
Above all else, it was the Raptors defense that was key in this one. The team sprinkled in a healthy amount of zone and the Pistons had a hard time getting open shots. The Raptors also double-teamed the post, usually Andre Drummond, whenever the Pistons got good positioning down there, and their intensity caused 12 turnovers. Plus, the Raptors help-defense was spectacular, collapsing into the paint and swarming Detroit players inside. Detroit was outscored 66-28 in the paint.
Toronto held Detroit to just 35.4 percent from the field, including 30.6 percent from three.
As a quick aside, people will use games like this as an argument against Kyle Lowry the All-Star. Lowry was just 2/9 for 7 points. However, Lowry let his teammates go to work in this one, a game the Raptors led by at least 10 from the first quarter onwards and was never really close. Instead of finding his own shot, Lowry facilitated (6 assists) and still let it be known that he could score at will if needed.
here’s more proof of why kyle lowry is a six-time all star for those who never watch the raptors pic.twitter.com/8NgD6v1SeZ
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) February 1, 2020
Although the Raptors have had a relatively easy schedule of late, it is hard to win any night in the NBA. Considering how emotional of a week it has been, too, the Raptors should get a lot of credit for winning 10-straight and solidifying themselves as the No. 2 seed in the East. Who would have thought?
The Raptors host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon for a chance to make it 11-straight wins.
