https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oPNEZSGv4g
It’s there, too, where the more important picture comes into focus. We’ve discussed it a lot: What’s paramount right now is that players with a future with the team are showing growth in their outsized opportunities. It’s why the Raptors would probably like to get their four developing injured players back on the court before the season ends. Anunoby, in particular, is rapidly growing with more chances. Caution is necessary to make sure late-season injuries don’t bleed into offseason injuries that derail the development program, which is an indicator of where priorities are. Lost opportunities for Anunoby and company mean more for others. Flynn’s Rookie of the Month honor, or Harris playing real minutes and looking good, or Watanabe establishing himself as a real rotation piece, or functional bench units emerging are all signs of progress.
It is hard to know what more the Raptors could be giving right now. Sure, you can nitpick. Definitely. Siakam made a mistake in transition late, continuing a pattern of tough performances in the clutch. They’re now an unspeakable 11-24 in games that are five points or closer at some point in the last five minutes; I can only mention the Raptors’ positive point differential while 28-37 before it sounds like I’m writing off a template. The Johnson minutes have been a bit much when successful and especially when unsuccessful. The Clippers are still figuring their rotations out, especially working Patrick Beverley back in off the bench for the first time.
Those things can be true while the effort is still appreciated. This was a severely undermanned Raptors team — down literally an entire unit of their rotation, including their floor general and their best option on Leonard or George — taking a healthier Clippers team with championship aspirations down to the wire. It marks a 1-3 road trip, all against good teams, all winnable games, all fun, all very shorthanded. Those near-misses can cut one of two ways — either you’re disappointed that a push to the play-in was right there and is now more or less done, or you’re thrilled that young players are progressing in competitive games without hurting the team’s lottery chances. Their spirit is commendable, at the least, and something to truly build optimism from for 2021-22 at best.
As the final buzzer sounded, the former Raptors shared words with those still around. Leonard convened with VanVleet and Siakam. Meanwhile, injured Serge Ibaka, in a truly Ibaka outfit, met his old shopping pal Anunoby and assistant coach Jama Mahlalela. Ibaka motioned for Anunoby, who has noticeably dressed down since Ibaka’s departure, to pull his mask down. Anunoby obliged for a second and revealed a wide, bright grin.
That may be where we’re at these final six games. You’ll see ex-Raptors on contending teams such as the Clippers, Lakers and 76ers, or see teams and wonder what Lowry could have looked like there. It will feel strange that the Raptors aren’t a part of that for the first time in a long time. But there is room for an Anunoby-like grin, appreciating the effort, appreciating the growth and, soon, appreciating the closure.
10 things: Raptors can’t close vs. Clippers despite gutsy performances – Yahoo!
Four — Incredible: There’s really nothing you can nitpick from VanVleet’s performance tonight. That’s not to say it was flawless, but he showed guts in leading this team from a shorthanded position and did the best he could with 27 points with 13 assists. VanVleet set the tone early, knocking down a pair of pull-up threes despite being chased around by an All-NBA level defender in George, and carried his momentum throughout the game. VanVleet drilled a 30-foot pull-up, then got all the way to the basket for a tough left-handed layup in traffic off the top of the backboard to reel the Raptors back in as they were losing hold of the rope, and he was often their only creator on the night. In the same way that Kyle Lowry set the tone in the Lakers game, VanVleet did the same with his bravery and aggressiveness.
Clippers show they still have plenty to prove as Raptors push them to limit – Sportsnet
The Raptors never trailed by more than four and never led by more than seven. They started the fourth quarter tied 82-82 and the game was never more than two possessions in either direction all the way down to the final minutes.
A three-point play by VanVleet put the Raptors up 99-97 with 2:47 left, but a quick 5-0 run gave the Clippers a three-point lead with 2:06 to go. A three-pointer by Reggie Jackson on a feed from Leonard put Los Angeles up 105-100 with 1:05 remaining. That came on the heels of an offensive foul by Siakam, who was called for a charge after going the length of the floor to convert a turnover by Leonard.
Toronto couldn’t pull any closer.
The loss dropped the Raptors to 27-39 as they went 1-3 on a difficult West Coast trip. The Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak, improved to 44-22 and, more importantly, jumped to third place in the West as they try to avoid a first-round matchup against the defending champion Lakers.
Siakam finished with 24 points and seven rebounds, while VanVleet had 27 points and a season-high 13 assists.
Toronto limited Leonard to just 13 points on six shot attempts and held George below his season average with 22 points on 16 shots.
The Raptors’ defensive scheme should be copied by potential Clippers’ playoff opponents, if they are paying attention. In broad terms, the plan was never let Leonard or George have a moment unattended, whether that meant sending double teams, crowding them in zone coverages or simply playing “box-and-one” or “triangle-and-two” and never leaving them while daring anyone else to beat them. It worked perfectly for large swaths of the game. It was mostly Stanley Johnson and VanVleet glued to the Clippers stars, but everyone had a piece.
“I watched Kawhi every day for a long time, so I know where he’s going to, but also those guys are being guarded by five guys at a time. It’s not just one guy,” said VanVleet, who spent more than his share of time on Leonard. “But obviously at my size and strength, just being able to get underneath him and speed him up, and then obviously the help was coming, so it wasn’t like I was on an island locking him down. But definitely try to make him uncomfortable, knowing that the help would be there, or should be there at least, and just try to do my part to make it tough on him.”
The Raptors were without Kyle Lowry who played 41 minutes while putting up an epic 37-point, 11-assist line in the Raptors’ win over the Lakers on Sunday. The veteran point guard’s stated plan was to celebrate by playing 36 holes of golf on the Raptors’ off-day Monday. In potentially related news, Lowry was a late scratch due to back soreness against the Clippers. Also out was OG Anunoby, who missed his second straight game due to soreness in his left calf, a problem that cost him several games earlier this season. Nurse said Anunoby was out mostly as a precaution, to prevent a minor problem from becoming a “six- or eight-week thing,” which would rob him of vital reps as the season plays out, and even eat into his off-season development program.
Malachi Flynn – who was announced as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April – got the start for Lowry, while Yuta Watanabe and Stanley Johnson filled in alongside VanVleet and Khem Birch.
LA vs. Toronto final score: Clippers hang on late to beat Raptors 105-100 win – Clips Nation
The problem was that the Clippers couldn’t connect from long range. A team that makes more than 14 3-pointers per game managed only two in the first period. Their shot volume was essentially the same as that of the Raptors, but a couple of extra triples put Toronto up four after the first frame.
Patrick Beverley rejoined the team for the first time since April 8, coming off the bench in his return game. Beverley’s wind looked great, and he immediately got into the Raptors guards, pressuring them far from the basket and actively fighting for steals and deflections despite having just returned from hand surgery! He also hit two 3-pointers and delivered a beautiful bounce-pass assist on the break to Kawhi Leonard for a thunderous slam.
The rest of the bench was something of a mixed bag. The Clippers didn’t stagger Leonard and George — perhaps because Beverley was already with the second unit — but the bench group of Beverley, Rajon Rondo, Terance Mann, Nicolas Batum, and DeMarcus Cousins was lacking something. Cousins attacked the glass and was a force in the paint, but there weren’t any other scoring threats in that lineup. That put undue offensive burden on Rondo, who ended up turning the ball over three times and forcing two late-clock threes.
The Clippers also struggled some with ball control, not altogether surprising against a Raptors team that forces turnovers more frequently than any other in the league. L.A.’s 10 turnovers led to 10 points and six-point halftime deficit even as the home team shot 54 percent from the field.
The second half had some similar themes as the starting unit played well, but the bench gave much of it back. As a result, Lue tried to settle the second unit by playing Leonard in Mann’s place. However, there were still miscommunications within a unit that hadn’t played together much. Turnovers almost undid the Clippers in the fourth quarter, as the Raptors reeled off a 10-0 run to go up six with six minutes to play.
But the Clippers had their energy late, and the Raptors didn’t. Triples by Marcus Morris Sr., George, and Reggie Jackson gave L.A. a five-point lead with under two minutes to play, and Toronto had no answers. It was a tough win, and good to see the Clippers respond to a high-pressure situation to end their losing streak.
Game Recap: Toronto Raptors 100, Los Angeles Clippers 105 – Raptors HQ
The source of controversy tonight, though, will be the play of Siakam. He was really good again(!), scoring 24 points, grabbing seven boards, and adding three steals. In the clutch, though, he missed a free throw and forced the action without numbers on a critical fast break in the last two minutes — a play that was challenged but ended in one of his team-high four turnovers. It’s unfair that Siakam will once again be dealing with criticism about his play when the games are close at the end, but tonight certainly won’t help the bias that some have on that subject.
On the Clippers side, Leonard’s struggles (3-for-6, 13 points) meant opportunities for others, as the Raptors dialed in on their former player. Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr. tied for a team high with 22 points, both making critical jumpers in the game’s closing moments. Reggie Jackson added 18 points.
Toronto was up for the tap in this one, as VanVleet hit a pair of threes in the early going and set the tone with his defense on Reggie Jackson. Alongside Siakam, the two combined for ten of the Raptors’ first 15 points, nearly mirroring what Pascal and Kyle Lowry did to the other L.A. team two nights ago.
With their stars pulling weight, the rest of the Raptors came in tow. Johnson and Yuta Watanabe were the replacement starters for Lowry and Anunoby tonight and both played well in expanded roles. Watanabe hit one of his two threes in the first to help extend Toronto’s lead. Siakam would go on to score 11 in the frame to put the Raptors up 30-26.
Again, the Raptors would go with an obscure bench lineup to start the second, but it paid off. Malachi Flynn, DeAndre’ Bembry, and Freddie Gillespie joined Yuta and Harris, with the latter quickly becoming the star of the lineup with five quick points. Gillespie was excellent too in earning the Raptors possessions. One notable series saw New Fred draw a foul on a screen, then shortly after throw down a vicious reverse put back dunk.
Able to win both of the first two quarters, the Raptors went into the break up by six.
The Clippers would chip away in the third quarter, though. After a 5-0 spurt of points for Siakam, an L.A. timeout would be followed by an 8-0 run — with a Kawhi three in the middle — as the Clippers would come back to tie the game at 82 before the fourth.
The Raptors offense really stymied from there, as the individual defenses of Rajon Rondo, George and Leonard came together to make life difficult for VanVleet and Siakam. Though the former would get a few crazy shots to fall, it clearly became a struggle of talent with the game winding down. At a key juncture, George would block a three-pointer and come back to make one of his own, proving to be the difference in a tight contest.
It’s make or break time now for Toronto. They need a win against the Wizards on Thursday to keep any hope of the play in tournament alive. It’s fun to see them play as intensely as they did tonight, but the general thought now is that the season is on its last gasp — we’ll see if they can keep the hope alive later this week.
“They made more shots, obviously,” VanVleet said. ”I know that’s a cliche thing to say, they made some big plays. I thought they had a couple whistles they got that kind of changed the momentum a little bit.
“Some good looks that we didn’t make, and they just kind of outlasted us. It was back and forth all night, obviously, but they won the quarter by five, they won the game by five. That’s really what it boiled down to.”
Close. Not close enough.
“I think we had our chances again,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Really executed the game plan really well, I thought, turned them over, I think 18 times so the defence was pretty good
“I think they hit some big shots, some of the guys that we probably would have wanted them taking those shots. I thought Marcus Morris was excellent tonight for them, and Reggie Jackson hit some big shots, too.”
VanVleet had one of his best all around games of the season, pouring in 27 points to go along with a season high 13 assists.
“I think he played very, very, very well … if he banged in a couple of those threes late we would throw him in the great game category, but he played really well and I loved his explosiveness in getting to the rim,” Nurse said. “Again, doesn’t really get many calls down there, seems like, I can’t believe he’s getting knocked down and some of those aren’t free throws once in a while but he was good.”
Siakam added 24 for the Raptors and Khem Birch had 13.
