Villanova retires Lowry | Advice for Davis | COTY Talk | Bucks/Raptors aftermath
Teammates encourage Raptors rookie Terence Davis to stay calm and carry on | The Star
It wasn’t what Toronto has come to expect from the undrafted rookie. The frenetic atmosphere in Scotiabank Arena, with fans anticipating a future playoff tilt with the regular season’s best team, got to Davis. He was rushing, playing at a faster pace than normal. He had a bunch of great looks that didn’t fall. That led to frustration, and more time on the sidelines.
It was teammate Norman Powell, on the bench with a fractured finger, who set Davis straight.
“He said, ‘You’re good, man. Just calm down. Catch your breath, man … Next time you get in, just let it come to you,’ ” Davis said after the game. “I really needed to hear that. As a young guys, being in the position I am, playing against the No. 1 team in the NBA, I needed to hear that.”
Davis finished the game with 10 points, two rebounds and four assists. He didn’t play for the last seven-and-a-half minutes. Nurse thought about getting him back in after a hot 16 minutes or so to start the half, but he chose to lean on Serge Ibaka, having his first off-night in recent memory, and then it was too late.
Ibaka is one of the players to take Davis under his wing during his first NBA season, and it’s obvious that the rookie takes support from his teammates to heart. In recent weeks, Powell and Marc Gasol, sidelined with a hamstring issue, have encouraged Davis to carve out a bigger role for himself. They want him to be more aggressive. As the dutiful rookie, he is happy to oblige.
When Toronto struggled in the paint against the Bucks on Tuesday, he trusted his instincts by taking what the defence gave him. He had opportunities to get into the paint so he took them, despite strong rim protection from the likes of Brook and Robin Lopez. Touch the paint and kick it out was more the game plan, but Davis was not deterred.
Villanova retires Kyle Lowry's jersey during halftime ceremony – Sportsnet.ca
Kyle Lowry was as headstrong as any Villanova star to wear the uniform, and nearly wore out his welcome with coach Jay Wright before he ever hit the court. The two have since become extremely tight, and when Lowry returned for a night in his honour, Wright requested a picture with Lowry and his two young sons, and a trio of former Wildcats. When the fussy kids were still shooting hoops, Lowry wrangled them over for a quick picture.
“They listen way better than you did,” Wright cracked.
“They know I don’t play,” Lowry said.
The photo opp still fresh in his mind, Wright smiled as he said, “That was my favourite part of tonight.”
But No. 12 Villanova’s 70-61 survive-to-the-finish victory over St. John’s on Wednesday night was certainly a close second. The Wildcats had 13 turnovers, two offensive rebounds, and trouble shaking the Red Storm until late on a night the program saluted Lowry. Lowry, a five-time All-Star guard for the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, might have provided a dose inspiration for the young Wildcats (22-6, 11-4 Big East).
“We were commentating on his toughness and competitiveness,” Wright said. “That’s something the young guys have to learn.”
Saddiq Bey hit four 3-pointers and scored 23 points and Justin Moore had five 3s for 21 points for the Wildcats.
St. John’s came in 12 1/2-point underdogs and kept the deficit within single digits for most of the second half. Greg Williams Jr. buried a 3 for the Red Storm (14-14, 3-12) with 4:37 left that pulled them within six.
Moore, though, steadied the Wildcats with his fifth 3 of the game, a driving layup and a pull-up jumper in succession that stretched the lead to 13 and sealed another win for the perennial Big East power.
“They had guys who made plays,” St. John’s coach Mike Anderson said. “We had guys who almost made plays.”
NBA Power Rankings: Are Raptors, Mavericks real contenders?
3. Toronto Raptors (42-16)
When first we checked in with the Raptors during their hot start to this season, Fred VanVleet refused to accept an underdog tag, even if the defending champions lost their Finals MVP to free agency. He and Pascal Siakam suggested the leaps they took on the title run and over the offseason would fill the gaps left by Kawhi Leonard. It sounded wildly optimistic. It wasn’t.
At least not during the regular season. Can Toronto sustain this title defense in the playoffs?
Siakam has made the leap to a level worthy of All-NBA consideration, replacing 95 percent of Leonard’s 2018-19 production. VanVleet is practically on par with All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, giving Toronto a pair of brutish guards capable of erupting on offense and disrupting on defense. The wing group of OG Anunoby, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Terence Davis and Chris Boucher has combined to do a decent job of sliding into Siakam’s old role. Serge Ibaka has been spectacular this season, making up for Gasol’s gearing down after his long NBA and World Cup title runs.
More important, though, the Raptors have what few other teams do: An identity. They play hard, they play smart and they play together. They are out to prove Leonard was no one-man show last season, and they are succeeding, currently on pace to eclipse last year’s 58-win regular season.
The problem is that the Raptors were a one-man show at times during last year’s playoffs, as any championship team needs to be when crunch time comes down to do-or-die isolation possessions. Leonard assumed the role to a historic degree, operating like a Michael Jordan impressionist in his ability to go get a bucket. His playoff production in isolation (0.95 points per possession on 116 chances) and the clutch (58 points on 42/29/83 splits in 58 minutes) does not even do him justice. Look to his bouncing series-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers for proof of his good fortune.
The question for Toronto will be whether Siakam can also fill that role. We saw how well the Raptors performed in big moments when the focus was on Leonard, but things change when someone has to assume the reins. During the regular season, Siakam has only had slightly less success in isolation (0.90 points per possession on 198 chances) and the clutch (50 points on 46/20/79 splits in 58 minutes), but defenses get dialed up in the playoffs. How his luck changes in the playoffs will go a long way in determining just how close the Raptors actually come to a repeat this postseason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqLPHcQfqwI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y54pDrgbXto
NBA Podcast: What makes the Raptors' defense so damn special?
Host William Lou is joined by Brad Vermut of Too Much Hoops to discuss the Toronto Raptors at large.
Topics:
Extended thoughts on Raptors-Bucks
Raptors have the pieces to defend the Bucks
How can the Raptors be better on offense?
Marc Gasol and Norman Powell’s absence
What makes the Raptors so special on defense
Raptors’ loss to Bucks offers playoff-level takeaways and potential adjustments – The Athletic
It is necessary to note that Marc Gasol and Norman Powell missed the game with injuries. There is still no timeline for either, though Nick Nurse had previously mentioned targeting 8-to-12 games for Gasol, which would see him back in time for the final two meetings, and Powell is set for a check-up in about a week. (Patrick McCaw and Dewan Hernandez also missed the game with an illness and a sprained ankle, respectively, while Kyle Korver sat with back spasms for Milwaukee. The Bucks were also on the second night of a back-to-back set.)
There is still plenty to take away from this one, and the biggest might be just how important Gasol is to a series like this.
Serge Ibaka has been excellent for the bulk of the season, but this was his worst outing of the season, a disastrous 2-of-15 night that seemed to get in his own head and led to turnovers and seemed to cause his teammates to pause looking for him late. The Bucks’ defensive approach gives a centre such as Ibaka plenty of opportunity to impact a game offensively and he didn’t measure up here. As Nurse noted after the game, it’s hard to get too upset considering how Ibaka has played of late, and he’ll surely be better next time out.
At the same time, it magnified Gasol’s absence. Gasol can stretch the defence just a little more than Ibaka on an average night and his playmaking helps connect parts of possessions that are otherwise isolated resets with the clock dwindling. Gasol is also a much more deterring presence when helping to form the type of wall (or shell, if you prefer) the Raptors want to use to limit Antetokounmpo. Defence wasn’t exactly the issue here — Milwaukee posted a 104 offensive rating, below its regular mark and in line with Toronto’s normal defensive performance — but Gasol could have made life even tougher and could have theoretically contributed to greater turnover creation.
NBA Awards Race: Raptors' Nick Nurse deserves Coach of the Year honours – Sportsnet.ca
Coach of the Year – Nick Nurse
A homer pick? Sure. That doesn’t make this any less right, though.
Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse is the coach of the year and, really, it’s not even close.
The Raptors are top-five in the entire league in man-games lost, sustaining injuries to the following players this season: Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Patrick McCaw, Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson and Dewan Hernandez.
Not only is that 12 of the 15 players on the roster overall, it also comprises the team’s top-seven core players — most of whom have missed significant time this season due to injury, as opposed to just a game here or there.
The only player who hasn’t missed a game — be it because of injuries or G League assignments — is rookie Terence Davis, who by the way, is enjoying a stellar rookie season, averaging 8.2 points per game on scorching 41.5 per cent shooting from three-point range on 3.6 attempts from distance in 17.6 minutes per game.
And yet, despite all this, the Raptors boast the third-best record in the league at 42-16, went on a Canadian professional sports-best 15-game win streak and look poised to reach another Eastern Conference Finals — or beyond.
Yes, as it turns out, the Raptors are probably a lot more talented than many thought they were sans Kawhi Leonard — with Siakam, in particular, taking a huge leap this season — but the most consistent contributing factor to the Raptors’ success this season has been the steady hand of Nurse at the helm, guiding the good ship Raptors through rough weather just as deftly as he’s done through easy breezes.
The hallmark of the Raptors this season – and by proxy, Nurse – has been the team’s defence. Toronto’s buy-in and commitment on that end of the floor being ever-present — even as the team’s coach has experimented with some wacky looks by using multiple zones such as standard two-three, box-and-one and triangle-and-two, to using college basketball-style full- and half-court presses.
3 takeaways from Bucks' win over Raptors in potential ECF preview
The Raptors are legit
The Bucks may have gotten the W on the evening, but the Raptors proved they’re no pushovers. Marc Gasol, Norman Powell, and Patrick McCaw were all out with respective injuries for a shorthanded Toronto side, but they were still able to mount a serious challenge against a relatively full-strength Bucks squad.The Raptors did this despite shooting just 35.2 percent from the field to go along with 17 turnovers. Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka shot just 4-of-27 overall and 2-of-17 from 3-land combined, so it was an off night for them. Toronto stayed competitive against mighty Milwaukee thanks to its own elite defense (the Bucks shot just 38.1 percent) and 18 total 3-pointers. Pascal Siakam hit five triples himself en route to a team-high 22 points.
The Raptors have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, as they currently sit in the second spot in the East. While they may have lost this battle, staying mostly competitive despite not playing close to their best is a good sign.
The Bucks passing a big test
In the first half of this exciting matchup, the Raptors looked like they were on their way to upsetting the Bucks in this one. The home crowd was — as expected — completely into it, and some doubt was surely creeping into the collective mind of Milwaukee.It was a totally different story in the second half, though, as the Bucks showcased their fortitude after the break. They outscored Toronto 34-19 in the pivotal third quarter, silencing (somewhat) the home crowd. This was a huge test for Milwaukee, but it was one that they passed with flying colors.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t have his best scoring game (19 points on 5-of-14 shooting), Khris Middleton (22 points), Eric Bledsoe (17 points) and Brook Lopez (15 points) helped pick him up. Marvin Williams also added three triples off the bench. Getting that kind of production from the non-Giannis players is going to be crucial as Milwaukee gets deeper into the playoffs.
The Bucks are good — do not for a minute think the Raptors don’t believe that or that they are somehow pretenders unworthy of the best record in the NBA — but they are not that much better than Toronto in any aspect of the game and a stand-back look at Tuesday night bears that out.
The Raptors took more three-pointers in a game, 52, than a Toronto team ever has. The previous high, 50, came on that Sunday afternoon in San Antonio when no one wanted to play because Kobe Bryant had just died and firing up threes is the easy way to play. The 52 on Tuesday was because that’s what the Bucks give you and should the teams meet in the conference final, the Raptors are going to be just fine if they get 52 more.
The trouble with Tuesday, though, was that a plethora of Raptors threes came far too early and too quickly. They looked too often like the shots the Bucks wanted Toronto to take rather than the shots the Raptors had wanted to get. The Raptors know they have to attack the basket more than they did, if only to create repeated drive-kick-swing moves that get the defence rattled and moving.
There was maybe one time — a play that ended with Pascal Siakam corner three right in front of the Toronto bench — that came off the most desired “action” of the offence.
“Yeah, and it was a really good possession where we drove it, kicked it, swung it, drove it, kicked it, and there was Pascal standing all alone in the corner,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “We needed a few more of those type of multiple paint-touch possessions. A couple of them.”
Woz Blog: Bucks are excellent but caught Raptors on an off-night | Toronto Sun
I did learn some things about the Bucks. Playing for the third time in four nights, and 24 hours after an overtime battle in Washington, they fought hard. This was only the third time all year they have been underdogs (they are now 2-1 in those games). They overcame a slow start to take it to the Raptors. Their defence was incredible, much like Toronto’s had been against Indiana in the previous Raptors game. But the Bucks do it a little bit differently. They aren’t everywhere in the passing lanes and don’t get a finger or even a hand on the ball frequently. No, the Bucks lock down the middle with immense size and strength, daring you to try them. It usually doesn’t work. Like the Raptors, they’ll let you bomb away from three-point range, and they don’t challenge threes as well as the Raptors usually do (Toronto’s defence is a bit more mobile and less plodding, for the most part). Nevertheless, the Raptors couldn’t hit shots (a few players aside), Lowry didn’t show his usual mental toughness (he melted down a bit against old thorn in the side George Hill) and the fans went away unhappy.
I haven’t given Khris Middleton enough credit over the years. He’s got a great backstory (not quite as good as Siakam’s, but Middleton also used to toil in the G League and he even had a team give up on him). Middleton is just a legitimate all-star. An excellent two-way player with few flaws in his game. I don’t love what the Bucks have after their Top 2, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is a walking landslide and Middleton is an able sidekick. Eric Bledsoe had a Jekyll and Hyde performance (awful at times, good down the stretch) and the jury is still out on him, along with head coach Mike Budenholzer (a master of the regular season, with tough playoff results), but this team is a valid favourite to win it all. Especially with Giannis appearing more confident and at ease whenever he lets it fly (and there’s nothing you can do to bother his turnaround jumper).
Chris Boucher’s play was encouraging. He was tremendous. Boucher brought needed energy (as did Terence Davis and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) in front of some pretty bright lights on a big stage. He took a charge on Antetokounmpo, blocked him in spectacular fashion, nearly threw down a huge dunk after already completing perhaps the best Raptors jam of the season, a jaw-dropping put-back over a pair of Bucks (including the reigning MVP, who will repeat as the winner of that award).
Raptors, Bucks in a fun game with zero long-term implications | The Star
Two moments from last night:
In the last minute of the first quarter, trying to steal an offensive rebound that he probably wasn’t going to get, he smacked GIannis Antetokounmpo across the face and calmly walked away like nothing had happened. In this day and age, it probably should have at least been looked at for flagrant possibilities but it wasn’t.
In the first few minutes of the third quarter, he went right at the shotblockers who live under the Bucks basket and finished an and-one that might have been one of about three the Raptors had the entire night.
I’m not entirely sure how he’d hold up in the cauldron of a seven-game playoff series when everyone needs to pay particular attention to defensive detail – it’s still not his forte – but he seems have the right attitude that will at least give him a chance t success.
Yes, it was a tough shooting night for Serge Ibaka and i9t’s too bad it came up when it did but sometimes crap happens and nothing in the first 56 games of the season would lead anyone to believe it was anything but a one-off bad night.
What he could have done, though, is more of what he did just one time in the first quarter.
On his seventh field goal attempt of the quarter, and four of his first six were three-pointers, he actually pump faked a defender, got by him and finished at the rim.
It’s not often than anyone should suggest that more dribbling and ball-handling from Ibaka is a good thing but he should be able to get past either of the Lopi if they’re guarding him and it might be worth more than one try a game.
