It’s become a welcome and familiar sight to see the Raptors open games against opponents with a special vigor defensively. A lot of teams script the first handful of their opening sets, and the Raptors have made it their business to pay special attention to those – and blow them up. Scottie Barnes is the most important instrument, maybe even weapon, in allowing the Raptors to do this. The Pistons did score on their opening possession, but did it in the fashion of a broken, busted up play. Barnes quickly identified where the Pistons were sending the ball, and how, and mucked everything up. The Raptors held Detroit to a paltry 5 points across the first 4 minutes of game play, and Barnes held his check, Cade Cunningham, scoreless. Barnes subbed out and the defense immediately lost the thread for a short time, but you get the point.
This is a focus of the Raptors, and it’s why they’re able to clamp down so early in games, and so late – where they possess the best clutch time defense in the league.
“Our coaching staff is doing a really good job in preparing for our opponents. We’re really trying to be locked in.” Darko told me. “For every game we’re approaching it with a special intention, almost like playoff prep. A lot of times we’re doing different things, what works against one team won’t work against another. Over the course of the year we’re introducing coverages — some attention to detail — that I think really helps our guys in the bigger picture. We have more in our arsenal. We have more when it comes to playing big time games. Over the course of 82 games we’re really trying to improve on identifying those sorts of things.”
When I asked if this was a more detailed and specific approach than what Coach Darko had experienced with other coaching staffs, he said yes. “When somebody has a championship level team it’s kind of easier to do whatever you’re doing. For us, it’s really about growing through that experience, and for us, we’re doing a bit more for sure.”
The teams played fairly even through the first half. The Raptors creating extra possessions through the offensive glass (they were up 16-4 in second chance points at the 2 minute mark of the second quarter) while relying on some brilliant mid-range shot making from Ingram that had carried over from last game, but as a team, struggling immensely to get the ball drop in from downtown. A consistent and almost insurmountable problem their offense has been dealing with for months at this point. Far more accurate from downtown in this game (although hardly on the season) the Pistons were able to charge up their efficiency while Jalen Duren, big as hell and with spunk, pursued all things inside the arc. Ultimately though, the Raptors trailed by 5 heading into the second half.
If you’re ever in a tough spot, having a large, physical, Austrian is terrifically helpful. The Raptors recruited theirs to help them power through the early portion of the third quarter and into the lead. A blistering 21-8 run that was fueled offensively by Poeltl’s willingness to pursue loose balls and rebounds, and defensively, largely, by Poeltl & Barnes looming large in the paint and refusing to vacate it – ever present and problematic for the Pistons as they had trouble navigating the size. Gunky, gunky stuff. Last season, when Poeltl was running roughshod against a lot of teams and Joe Mazzulla referred to him as a “bear” and “one of the most underrated players in the league” – this run of play was reminiscent of that.
A huge bucket, and only the Raptors 4th made triple of the game, was a slick set involving the Raptors’ two point guards, a Poeltl screen, and a Barrett triple to end it off. A ghost screen from Quickley to send him off a flare, catch, wiggle downhill, and kick out to Star-J. A nice design from the coaching staff and well executed by the players. It was soon followed by a big defensive stop, a run out, and a little back and forth between Shead & Ingram that put the ball in the All-Star’s hands for a straight on triple, points 23, 24, and 25, and a 12-point lead on the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Barrett had also, quietly churned his legs to be a huge motivator and undercurrent in the Raptors’ offensive success.
Frustration was bubbling up for the Pistons and their star. Ja’Kobe Walter had just hit a triple after a swing by Barnes, and the next trip down the floor, as I scanned looking for why the whistle was blown and saw Walter pantomiming a ref handing out a technical. Cunningham had been barking at the official up and down the court for some time. The Raptors went into the fourth with a 14-point lead.
The Raptors opened the 4th quarter with a continuation of their smash mouth basketball. Basically every question lobbied at Bickerstaff before the game from media was concerning the Pistons physicality, and the Raptors had met and exceeded it in many ways in this one. As we approached the 5 minute mark of the final quarter the Raptors had won by some measure in terms of the offensive glass, the free throw battle, and has mostly equalized the shot making. A foul on a 3-point shot allowed the Pistons within 9 to set the stage, 104-95.
For the second game in a row, Ingram brought his clutch time toolkit. The Raptors had several defensive breakdowns, but Ingram hit a couple massive shots to keep the Pistons at bay. Howevery, it wasn’t done as the sole offensive operator. Barrett had opportunities to create, and so did Barnes. Both rumbled to the paint to create for others. Cunningham was a maelstrom of driving chaos, steamrolling the Raptors down the stretch. It wasn’t easy to stay out front, but the Raptors did manage it. Their best win of the season.
I had to think back to what Coach Darko told me a couple weeks ago.
“I feel awesome about it. I think that’s a great opportunity for us. I think that we as an organization have made significant strides this season and for us the next big step is that.” Coach Darko told me of the Raptors poor record vs. the best teams in the league. “Playing a high level against the best teams in the league. We’ve had games where we were very competitive, some of those games went our way some of them did not, but all of those games are just amazing for us. I’m so excited to play against the best teams in the league because I think there is always learning for us, and there is always that competitive spirit that we want to bring and we want to find a way to win those games.”
I’m sure they’ll find a couple learning opportunities from tonight, despite the win.
Have a blessed day.
