Quick Reaction: Raptors 93, Cavaliers 118

Gave little on offense. Well, he did have a buzzer-beating triple. And one great move along the baseline with calm, confident footwork to outwait his defenders for a hook. Even if his offense hasn’t picked up since returning, he remains such a defensive menace. Really on-balance when he’s helping in the lanes, and he’s got arms and hands equal to any defender in the league. Mitchell burned him once or twice when he gambled.

Some unforced dribbling errors, some misses on his patented midrangers, but it can all look a whole lot better when he hits his triples. Deus ex machina tonight. At least, he was in the first and third quarters, and then when the triples fell off, the turnovers looked a lot worse. The margin for error without VanVleet is a lot thinner, and as the only ballhandler in some units, he has to both create advantages and make sure there’s no risk. Really tough ask, but Toronto’s offense is walking the edge of a knife with personnel out.

Hard to find fault with him in any real area. With him on the court, Toronto’s defense really held up. He ate glass. He finished on the other end. Survived on switches against Cleveland’s speedster guards, which is nice, but not really what the Raptors needed. Remains finding Siakam on back cuts. He’s just a whole lot of cherries on top since arriving in town.

Opened himself up to blocks here and there on the offensive end, which is unusual for him. He had some picturesque passes to Boucher, who cut like a maniac. His pick and rolls with Poeltl are really shaping up, and he’s getting better at using all that space. He missed a lot right at the rim, which happens against this Cavs’ frontline. Hard to blame him, as he wasn’t the only one who suffered.

In the first half, I liked his process working his way into little floaters and creating easier looks, but they weren’t falling. He even chased his own misses. Started forcing it in the third quarter, which led to Cleveland fast breaks. Poor combo. His defense was not good.

On the defensive end he got bullied at the rim by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, which isn’t totally his fault, but you’d like to see him exercise his strength more to keep size out of the lane. He can’t meet those guys in midair unless he’s coming from behind, so he has to do his work earlier. As with Siakam, when he hits his triples, a few of other sins are more or less forgivable.

Outhustled four Cavs on one possession — without any help from teammates. Hot on the glass, then kept it alive, then dove on the ground before anyone else, then won the tip. Dowtin splashed the triple on the possession, too. Great end-of-quarter closeout to force a shot clock violation. Putback. He did his job, at least.

The offense is really, really popping right now. Hit some tough jumpers, some good finishes too. Nifty passing for layups.

Set a nice back screen in a Spain set for Dowtin, who missed the floater. Very good defense, too, with an under-control closeout. Good contest at the rim, too. Airballed his triples, so none of the rest of it really matters — he’s in there for one reason and one reason only.

Garbage time.

Tried to do too much, and why wouldn’t he? Lost his rotation spot to Dowtin, who played awesome offensively.

Garbage time.

Garbage time.

Garbage time.

Garbage time.

Left the starters in too late. Didn’t know where else he was supposed to turn. Went to Weezy, after all!?