 | TOR Raptors | 117 | Final Box Score | 92 | BKN Nets |  |
 B+ | O. Anunoby33 MIN, 8 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 4-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 23 +/- Anunoby played his usual stellar defense, consistently keeping his man in front of him and digging in while on the help side. He wasn’t overly aggressive offensively, but that’s fine given how his teammates were playing. | ||||||||
 A+ | P. Siakam33 MIN, 26 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 11-23 FG, 2-6 3FG, 2-4 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 23 +/- Siakam was the best player on the floor in this one, pouring in a game-high 26 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Siakam stopped settling for long-range shots and found his rhythm attacking the basket and passing out of the post to set up his teammates. Most importantly, his defense was superb as he constantly challenged the Nets 3-point shots. | ||||||||
 C- | M. Gasol21 MIN, 3 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 0 STL, 1-7 FG, 1-4 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 BLK, 0 TO, 16 +/- Gasol struggled to score inside, going 1-7 on the night with his one basket coming behind the arc. Gasol is always going to play well defensively and he will be needed against elite centers, but this series has been unimpressive for Gasol. | ||||||||
 B | K. Lowry35 MIN, 11 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 3-7 FG, 2-5 3FG, 3-4 FT, 1 BLK, 4 TO, 27 +/- We have high expectations for Lowry, who wasn’t his usual self tonight. Lowry was extremely passive offensively, which was fine given that he reads the floor and facilitates, deciding when to take shots and when not to, but he also had 4 bad turnovers and only got to the line 4 times. | ||||||||
 A | F. VanVleet32 MIN, 22 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 8-13 FG, 6-10 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 18 +/- What can I even say about VanVleet? He has been arguably the best Raptor in the playoffs and looks so comfortable with the ball in his hands. VanVleet has always been good at taking big-men off the dribble, but he has taken his game to the next level by increasing his shooting range and finishing at the basket. | ||||||||
 B+ | N. Powell23 MIN, 11 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 4-8 FG, 2-4 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 12 +/- Powell played really well on both sides of the floor, becoming a dependable scorer and defender. He has a lethal first-step and the Brooklyn guards failed to contain him. | ||||||||
 A | S. Ibaka23 MIN, 20 PTS, 13 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 8-12 FG, 3-3 3FG, 1-1 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 12 +/- If I were Nick Nurse I would be reconsidering my center rotation due to how well Ibaka has played. Not that he should start, but Ibaka adds an offensive punch as a willing 3-point shooter and rim-runner that Gasol doesn’t. He also made some really nice passes (to OG and Siakam under the bucket) and played great defense. | ||||||||
 B | T. Davis17 MIN, 9 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 4-5 FG, 1-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 15 +/- Davis was a great spark-plug off the bench, impressing me with his defense. We all know Davis is capable of scoring at a high level, but if he is going to play in the playoffs he needs to be a reliable defender, which he was today. He kept his man in front of him and quickly switched matchups to effectively defend the perimiter. | ||||||||
 A | Nick Nurse Nurse pushed all the right buttons, mainly by giving Davis room to play through a couple early mistakes. Most importantly, though, Nurse had his players ready to start right off the bat. The Raptors played amazing defense from start to finish and won all four quarters. | ||||||||
Things We Saw
- The Raptors put on a defensive masterclass in this one, holding the Nets to just 92 points on 33 percent shooting from the field. A lot of that came down to the Raptors contesting outside shots, which depends on players quickly switching coverages and getting out to contest without wasting time thinking. The Nets shot just 16/51 from three.
- The Raptors, on the other hand, picked their spots very well, shooting 18/38 from three. They were led by VanVleet (6/10) and Ibaka (3/3). The Raptors do a good job of passing up good shots for great ones, and that was on display tonight as the team moved the ball extremely well to assist on 35 of their 46 made baskets.
- The Raptors took it to the Nets all game, but it became truly disrespectful towards the end of the fourth quarter with back to back threes, including a 29-footer from VanVleet followed up by a 28-footer from Lowry. I would be very surprised if the Nets put up a real fight in game 4, as the Raptors handed them a debilitating loss that will be hard to bounce back from.
