Toronto Raptors Game Recap: Raptors overcome sluggish start, blow out Wolves 125-102 – Raptors HQ
After the ragged start, the last 34 minutes of game time in this one were more track meet than basketball game, meaning we saw the Raptors at their swarming best. They might be the most Slamball-inspired team in the NBA.
Toronto goaded Minnesota into 22 turnovers — a good number of which came at the iron hands of Fred VanVleet, who just might be the nastiest dude on a team literally designed to feature nasty dudes only. For VanVleet, whose clearly looked hampered by his nagging knee injury for weeks, it was a bit of a throwback performance to a healthier time — hopefully a sign of a turnaround to come.
“I thought that was as fast as Fred moved in a few games,” said Nurse when breaking down VanVleet’s 12-point, eight-assist, five-steal effort. “And his hands were unbelievable tonight, it seemed like there was a stretch where he was going and pulling it out there time and time again … Yeah, he was incredible defensively tonight.”
National media types in the know have been tossing out the Raptors as the team with the best shot at pulling a first-round upset among the Toronto-Chicago-Cleveland clump; they also seem to be the one engendering the most fear amongst the Heat, Celtics, Bucks and Sixers. If Toronto is going to stun someone in a few weeks’ time, it’ll be because they replicate the formula they used to run the Wolves outta the gym four times in seven games.
It’s pretty clear that this team has the horses to do some damage when things are humming. It all flows from Siakam, whose methods of demoltion have been diverse all season. We’ve seen this week alone that he can swing a game with his individual scoring punch, or with his wildly improved playmaking. There’ve been plenty of nights this season he’s combined the two. The playoffs are a different beast from the regular season, but Siakam’s gotten it done all year under some of the most difficult circumstances of any star in the league, from cramped spacing to the two-way hot-and-cold spells that come with life on a young and learning team. So while things do ratchet up in the post-season, it’s not crazy to think we’ve already gotten proof of concept that this version of Siakam will in fact translate to the rigours of playoff ball in a way the 2019-20 edition just didn’t.
If the guys around him hit shots and stir up mayhem the way they did against the Wolves, one of the East’s heavyweights is gonna have some problems come mid-April.
Healthy and rolling, Raptors can now focus on finding ideal lineups – Sportsnet
It was an impressive team win against a solid opponent looking to make a playoff push.
The Raptors threw a number of different coverages at Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns and most of them worked as they held Towns — who averages 24.6 points a game on the season — to 16 points and forced him into seven of Minnesota’s 23 turnovers (to 18 by Toronto) which off-set the Timberwolves’ 18-9 edge on the offensive glass.
The Raptors shot 50 per cent from the floor and 18-of-36 from three while holding Minnesota to 40.2 per cent shooting and 11-of-37 from deep.
But perhaps the most telling takeaway was that the Raptors’ best moments came when Nurse went away from his starters. The game-turning second-quarter run featured reserves Achiuwa and Young playing key roles and when the Raptors asserted themselves even further in the third quarter Nurse opted to sit rookie Barnes in favour of Achiuwa to start the half.
Coincidence or not the Raptors looked balanced at both ends of the floor with the additional spacing provided by Achiuwa’s new-found confidence in his three-point shooting (he was 3-of-7 Wednesday and continues to shoot better than 40 per cent from deep since the all-star break) giving the offence more room to breathe. The second-year big man’s nimble feet made him a capable option to guard Towns, the Minnesota big man who punishes teams from the outside-in as well as anyone in the game.
“Listen, he [Barnes] was a part of that decision too,” said Nurse. “He just thought that Precious should matchup on [Towns] and he’s like, ‘I’ll come off the bench and let Precious go guard him.’
“… We see that every now and then [where] the ball doesn’t find him [Barnes] and he can’t quite find those maneuvers in towards the rim.”
Will it be a lineup that Nurse tries again, perhaps to start games? It certainly looked good.
The Raptors’ first four baskets after halftime were assisted as Toronto jumped out to a quick 10-point lead, and they were able to push from a two-point lead at half to 15 points by the start of the fourth quarter. They eventually got contributions from Barnes who still managed to finish with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists and converted a pair of offensive rebounds to help the Raptors keep the pressure on Minnesota. A generous dose of Trent Jr. — who has shown a penchant for playing big against his hometown team — was also a big help. The Minnesota product had 30 when he led the Raptors to a win over the T-Wolves before the all-star break and had 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the third as Toronto led 97-82 to start the fourth.
It was all perfect for Siakam, who was the object of a collapsing Timberwolves defence and responded by moving the ball early and often.
Raptors 125, Wolves 102: The Toronto Blues – Canis Hoopus
Gary Trent crushed them once again this season with 29 points on 95.4% true shooting. (Apple Valley!) OG Anunoby added 22 points on 84.6% TS and the Raptors hit 18-36 from deep. They sprinted up and down the court after turnovers and misses, absolutely slayed in transition to the tune of 27 points, and Pascal Siakam, who didn’t even play that well given his standards, added a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebs, and 13 assists.
In reality, even as the Wolves went up 17 early in the second quarter and were flying around with purpose, Toronto is a place they simply never win; they haven’t beaten the Raptors there since 2004. Make that 17 consecutive losses and the Toronto blues in what is now the longest road losing streaks in one city. It’s a miserable streak that grows at the worst of times for a team that’s been determined to make the leap into the top 6 in the Western Conference playoffs. One that could not afford to take the L.
“It was really a matter of turnovers, that’s what turned the game,” said Finch. “We had so many, I mean, we had 11 in the first quarter. …. We didn’t do a very good job of reading their drives. When we collapsed, they kicked it out, they made the right play, and shot the ball extremely well.”
For those not keeping track at home, the 22 turnovers were the Wolves’ second-most in a game this season. Half were from Towns (7) and Edwards (4). It’s the type of sloppy play that will drive any coach crazy. “We had a lot of turnovers that were just dumb,” Finch honestly assessed. “Just silly turnovers, throwing the ball out of bounds off outlet passes and stuff like that.”
When asked if the team is in a little bit of a funk right now, Finch didn’t expand all that much. “Yeah, a little bit,” he said, probably still frustrated with the way they came out rather lifeless in the third. Edwards agreed when asked the same question. But even if things are tough right now, everyone knows there’s no time for them to hang their heads or fall into a funk during the homestretch of the alluring and delightful 2022 season.
“We just gotta talk to each and have more conversations with each other,” Edwards concluded. It wasn’t exactly his usual upbeat approach that often has a way of alleviating concern but his words are something the team has hung their hat on this season—having an open, honest dialogue, camaraderie, and growing with each other instead of spiraling down the standings every time the road gets a little bit rugged.
Finch and his pal—Raptors coach Nick Nurse, whose staff he was on last season before being plucked away in a rare midseason move—might not have renewed their old rivalry in this one, but the two showed a similar approach in style that adds credence to those who believe Finch is right up there in the coaching ranks with the best of them like Nurse.
“It’s amazing how similar these two teams are,” said Jim Peterson. “Both teams have the same philosophies.” It’s just that Nurse and his Raptors executed a common strategy—to crash the offensive glass, score second-chance points, create points off turnovers, run in transition, hit threes, and throw seven different shades of defense at the opponents—much better on this night.
Raptors’ starting lineup remains an issue as they cruise past Timberwolves – The Athletic
The Raptors, as we have said all year long, find a way. No matter which starters are missing, no matter how many of their shots are falling, no matter the quality of their opponent (unless the quality is really, really, low), the Raptors end up on the happy side of the scoreboard more often than not. They are a commendable bunch that way.
There is another way the Raptors overcome the odds. Their most-used starting lineup, which features their five best offensive players, has been mediocre this year. The group of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes had played nearly twice the number of minutes, 310, as any other lineup for the Raptors this year headed into their game against Minnesota on Wednesday. They had a negative net rating. It is exceedingly rare for any good team to have a starting lineup that is a net negative.
And yet, the Raptors are now 14-6 when that group plays together, following a 125-102 win in which Nick Nurse went away from the lineup to start the second half.
“The main thing is that the record is good,” Nurse said before the game. “I don’t really care how we get there, what the lineup rotations are. That’s the main thing. They just need probably to play together a little bit. It’s been surprising how little they have been available.
The Raptors keep taking care of business at the most important time of the year | The Star
That was a gem of a game from Pascal Siakam, second triple-double of his career and first this season.
All kinds of delightful plays, smart and patient plays and, sure, it helps run up the assists totals when your teammates are basically not missing from three-point range all night.
But the best pass of the night, to me, came right at the end of the second quarter.
A great determined drive was going to be taken away but he caught sight of Fred VanVleet just off to his side and delivered a perfect pass right into Fred’s up-raised hands and the three-point gave the Raptors a half time lead.
Just a wonderful on-time, on-target pass.
“I trust my teammates to make shots every time so it’s not about that,” Siakam said after the game. “But if I see somebody making shots, I look for them. I think that’s a mentality that we have as a team. If I feel like Freddy is getting hot I’m going to look for him in transition, and vice-versa.”
Raptors See Pascal Siakam Pick Apart Timberwolves in Victory – Sports Illustrated
Wolves Pay Respect to Siakam
When Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch first joined the Raptors as an assistant coach last season he said he wanted to get Siakam back to his pre-pandemic days by improving his playmaking and turning him into a do-it-all forward for Toronto.
“I think also finding new opportunities for the likes of Pascal to score, or put the ball in hands to create opportunities for his teammates,” he said in December 2020. “A little more unpredictability there, maybe some misdirection.”
Just over a year later, it’s clear Finch hasn’t forgotten just how dynamic the 27-year-old Raptors star can be. Much like Toronto’s defense against the league’s best, Finch pressured Siakam all night, forcing the ball out of his hands and making Toronto’s secondary pieces nail their shots in the half-court. It worked early, as Jarred Vanderbilt held Siakam to just 1-for-7 shooting and two points in the first half, but Siakam made the T-Wolves pay, finding three-point shooters to the tune of 14 points off assists in the first half including a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Fred VanVleet.
“It’s good to see Pascal back to his pre-Bubble form,” Finch said pre-game.
Unwilling to change their defensive strategy, Siakam kept at it, finishing the night with a career-high 13 assists, 12 points, and 10 rebounds for his second career triple-double.
“Every time I was driving there were like four or five people around me so definitely tough to get to the rim and do the things I usually do,” Siakam said. “But then it opened up things for everyone else around me. I think it’s just part of the experience of seeing teams sending bodies at me. I just used it to my advantage and got guys involved.
“It was just like pick whoever you want to pass it to because they are going to be open and then it’s up to them to make the play. I just figured it out, tried to attack in transition, and then once I get into the halfcourt whatever is open, make the play.”
It was his fifth game this season with 10-or-more assists, the most of his career.
Raptors get to know each other in rout of Timberwolves | The Star
The victory moved the Raptors into a fifth-place tie with the Chicago Bulls and gave them a two-game cushion on seventh place.
And as unlikely as it might seem, Toronto is only 2 1/2 games behind fourth-place Philadelphia and Boston. The Sixers are in Toronto next Thursday.
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, drawing a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves, had the second triple-double of his career Wednesday with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
After losing the first quarter 30-20 despite forcing 11 Minnesota turnovers in the period, the Raptors won the third quarter 35-22 to take control.
Pascal Siakam had the second triple-double of his career with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists, six of them coming in the third quarter alone.
It was hardly Siakam’s greatest scoring night but the way he methodically picked apart the Minnesota defence when they sent multiple defenders at him or tried to the ball out of his hands was impressive.
VanVleet, Trent, Anunoby, Barnes and Siakam were starting just their second game together since Valentine’s Day so unfamiliarity is a bit of an issue. But, with six games left in the regular season, Nurse really has no option but to run them out there and hope they figure it out.
“They just need probably to play together a little bit,” Nurse said. “It’s been surprising how little they have been available all year long.
“I know you guys know the exact minutes and all that stuff and the number of games (20 games and 309.5 minutes going into last night, according to NBA.com), but to me it feels like hardly any at all. I think we need to get them a little more organized and a little bit more connected.”
There’s no indication Toronto won’t go to back to Wednesday’s original five when the Raptors play in Orlando on Friday night.
Raptors shoot the lights out in victory over Timberwolves | Toronto Sun
Siakam meanwhile, who was seeing all kinds of attention as the entire Timberwolves defence seemed to collapse on him on every drive, adjusted his game and wound up putting up just his second career a triple double, and first of the year in the game with 12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
Siakam had one earlier in the year in Milwaukee but a day later the official scorers somehow rescinded two rebounds denying him of the triple double.
Barnes, for one of the few times didn’t start the second half, again at his own suggestion, but when he did get back in he went to work finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists for another tidy night.
Achiuwa was a big part of the reason the Raptors got back in the game with his three-point shooting, but it was mainly his ability to slow up Towns that made the decision for both Nurse and Barnes.
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The other huge factor was Anunoby who followed up a five-point first quarter with 13 more in the second joining Achiuwa in the locked-in department making all four of his first-half three-pointers.Anunoby, playing his fourth game after missing 15 games in a row with a finger fracture, would finish the night with 22 points.
Gary Trent Jr led the Raptors in scoring with 29. With Siakam attracting the attention he was, Trent Jr. Was given far too much space and predictably made the Timberwolves pay.
For the game the Raptors shot a cool 50% from the field and matched that from beyond the arc for one of their better shooting night’s all season.
