![]() | PHX Suns | 101 | Final Box Score | 118 | TOR Raptors | ![]() |
![]() A+ | P. Siakam38 MIN, 37 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 12-19 FG, 5-9 3FG, 8-8 FT, 3 BLK, 2 TO, 16 +/- He started the game on fire on defense, closing out onto Devin Booker and rejecting what seemed to be an open jumper. Got a lot of looks in isolation, and he was still a killer, especially from deep. There was a stretch where he hit everything, and he all but ended the game in the second quarter. He did the little stuff too, helping around the rim and on the glass, passing well, and playing elite defense. Cooled off at the end of the 2nd quarter and into the second half, when Phoenix sent double-teams and Siakam didn’t make them pay. Then dunked the Suns into oblivion to end the game. | ||||||||
![]() A- | O. Anunoby39 MIN, 12 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 5-9 FG, 0-2 3FG, 2-2 FT, 4 BLK, 4 TO, 19 +/- A strong drive in the first that saw him blocked by the rim, but got the last laugh with a loud reverse dunk later. Good on him to not take any guff from the rim. Played exceptional defense. He turned it over trying to make a nifty pass handling in the pick-and-roll. Finished with four turnovers, which is too many. The defense made it all a positive, and he shot well from the floor. | ||||||||
![]() A | S. Ibaka26 MIN, 16 PTS, 6 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 6-10 FG, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 13 +/- Protected the rim well, opening the game with a highlight block. Even when he wasn’t blocking shots, he moved his feet well and walled off drives from guards before recovering to Ayton. Hit the offensive glass and generally made great choices on the offensive end. That he has become perhaps Toronto’s most consistent player this year is unbelievable. Foul trouble kept him out of the game for most of the second half, but he was dominant when playing. Banked in a game-sealing triple. | ||||||||
![]() B+ | K. Lowry34 MIN, 13 PTS, 5 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL, 4-10 FG, 3-8 3FG, 2-2 FT, 0 BLK, 6 TO, 4 +/- Some uncharacteristic turnovers throughout, driving and looking for an entry pass, and it got Phoenix going in transition. Otherwise, he was his usual try-hard self. He recognized Pascal was hot and just fit in instead of trying to take over. Got extremely ornery after Nurse was whistled for a tech and took over, drawing a charge, hitting a triple, cherry-picking, and even getting called for his own technical in solidarity. He put the game back away when it looked like Phoenix might make a run. | ||||||||
![]() A- | F. VanVleet36 MIN, 14 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 6-13 FG, 2-7 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 18 +/- Missed a few shots early but played his usual exceptional defense. Got going in transition, hit a middy, and was really steady from there on out on offense. Up and down in the second half, keeping Toronto afloat for stretches, but also committing simple mistakes like forgetting the time left on the shot clock. Shot well, and boxed out Baynes at one point. | ||||||||
![]() A | T. Davis25 MIN, 14 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 6-11 FG, 2-5 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 12 +/- Very early in the game he got extremely lost on a defensive possession and was swatted by Aron Baynes at the rim. Got going in transition after that and turned into an absolute volcano. Almost more impressive that he caught fire after a few mistakes early, because rookies often just fall off and get in their own heads. He cut exceptionally well to get some layups, too. Shot well, ran in transition, and was an offensive dynamo. | ||||||||
![]() B+ | R. Hollis-Jefferson24 MIN, 10 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2-5 FG, 0-1 3FG, 6-8 FT, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 8 +/- Wore his hair out, which was awesome. Even better, he came up with a ton of loose balls. Extremely active hands, as always. He was great guarding centers, and he took a real shot from Ayton after stripping him under the rim. He ran plenty in transition, and was altogether important as Toronto’s back-up center. Yes, the team made its runs with Ibaka playing, not Hollis-Jefferson, but his job was to hold the fort, and he did that well. | ||||||||
![]() B | C. Boucher14 MIN, 2 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 4 BLK, 0 TO, -5 +/- Got in the fun and swatted a triple attempt from Dario Saric. Continued wreaking havoc with his length, getting steals and blocks and just being frenetic. Did airball a triple, but that’ll happen. Nice putback at the start of the fourth, and he followed that up with an unbelievable block. | ||||||||
![]() Inc | M. Thomas2 MIN, 0 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 +/- Checked in at the end of the third quarter and stood still while Lowry missed a side-step three. Also garbage time. | ||||||||
![]() Inc | O. Brissett1 MIN, 0 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 +/- Garbage time. | ||||||||
![]() Inc | S. Johnson1 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 +/- Garbage time. | ||||||||
![]() Inc | M. Miller1 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 +/- Garbage time. | ||||||||
![]() A- | Nick Nurse Other than a really slow start in the third quarter from his troops, Nurse was quite solid. He didn’t have a ton of options for rotations, with McCaw, Gasol, and Powell out. Some great small decisions, though, like choosing to put RHJ on Ayton and Boucher on Saric. In the third quarter, he lost his mind and really, truly earned a T when he wasn’t allowed to challenge Ibaka’s fifth foul because of confusion about the rule. But got Toronto going and had them lead practically wire to wire. |
Things We Saw
- Defense: The defensive energy was exceptional. Rotations were on a string, effort was incredible. Toronto blocked three three-pointers in just the first quarter, which is pretty good evidence of things working well. Phoenix scored some in transition, especially when Toronto got the turnover bug, and they hit a few tough jumpers, but points were not easy to find for Phoenix in the half-court. Toronto finished with 13 blocks, a season high.
- Turnovers: Toronto’s turnovers were a real problem. They finished with more than 20, which brings them to a bizarro 4-1 when they finished with 20 or more. Lowry had some strange ones, Siakam bobbled the ball on the catch a few times, and Anunoby really pressed despite his small role. It’s not a serious long-term concern, because Toronto seems to have had the turnover thing under control for a time, but it’s ugly basketball and we know the team has a propensity for turnovers. Something to keep an eye on towards the playoffs.
- Pascal: Pascal was molten fire for a time, hitting everything he threw at the rim. The team really went out of its way to get him the ball in the second quarter, and Siakam responded. Then the team went away from him in the third quarter, and that’s when Toronto let Phoenix back in the game. After playing egalitarian basketball for most of the season, Toronto needs to learn to feed Siakam double helpings, especially in preparation for the playoffs. They did it for much of the game, and he finished with 35 points, but he could have reached 50 tonight with the way he started. An unbelievable game, regardless.