Magic 112, Raptors 131 | Boxscore | Quick Reaction | Reaction Podcast
As far back as I can remember, whether the knock came from an outsider or even a local, Toronto’s had an “event city” reputation. And in many respects, that description has been bang on. I mean, I get that ticket prices are what they are, but the average crowd at a Leafs game is just now steering away from its annual corporate identity, the Blue Jays absolutely had to start winning again to bring half the fans back, and when was the last time you went to a music venue where more than 25 percent of the audience actually acted like they were excited to see a live show?
However, the Raps and their fan base are the exception to Toronto’s past. Now, there’s always going to be people who simply latch on to whatever’s trending in an effort to keep up appearances, but for the most part, four winning seasons in this franchise’s first 19 years of existence didn’t provide the same opportunities to jump on and off any kind of bandwagon. Better yet: Even with the momentary successes of the Vince Carter and Chris Bosh eras, and the Raps’ recent ascension up the NBA ladder, that feeling fans attach themselves to when a team builds towards a specific goal has essentially never left. Simply put: A connection will always be present when something to prove is always the theme.
Speaking of connections, the matchup with Orlando had plenty. To a lesser extent, Serge Ibaka had his first taste of facing his former teammates, while Bismack Biyombo, well, this city’s fondness for him will justifiably never end. But of course, we all know who the headliner was: The return of one of the most polarizing players in Raptors’ history, Terrence Ross. Which reminds me, look no further than T-Ross’s recent words for The Players’ Tribune as an example of why being a fan of this team, even after all these years, is still in its organic stage. And last night, T.O. was an “event city” for all the right reasons.
With that said, he deserves his own section:
The Ross Column:
A long-tenured Raptor playing for an inferior squad: If there was ever a moment during this stretch run to just sit back and enjoy the show, this was it. But it also speaks to an underrated aspect of the trade: Even if Ross reaches the ceiling we all thought he was capable of sooner rather than later, the chances of it coming back to haunt this franchise are slim to none — even if this team’s win-now window ultimately falls short. Orlando is just too far removed from the East’s equation, no matter how “game-changing” the upcoming draft may be.
Still, for what it’s worth, Terry brought his A-game. He had an immediate impact at both ends of the floor — highlighted by initially stifling DeRozan’s mid-range game and taking advantage of his late/nonchalant defense (more on DeMar in a bit). He also put on a show throughout the game when it came to losing his man and dropping the hammer on a few uninterrupted and emphatic alley-oops dunks. His confidence was apparent at every turn.
If you had him in your DFS lineup, you were off to great start. Problem was: Frank Vogel’s rotations, along with some early foul trouble, didn’t exactly allow for Ross to truly capitalize on his early momentum. Yes, 17 points, 4 steals, and a highly efficient 8-14 from the field left behind a tidy boxscore, but even with what I stated above, one couldn’t help but question why Ross wasn’t on the floor when the Magic were in desperate need of cooling off the Raps’ (at times) relentless attack.
All in all, even if you resided in the camp that couldn’t ship him out of town fast enough, it’s hard to argue that his services to this city didn’t deserve the ovation and video tribute he received — the Pros did outweigh the cons. What can I say, that goodbye letter got to me.
What you won’t find in that Players’ Tribune piece, however, is something I’m sure Ross is well aware of: While this city and country may be loyal, we also suffer from a self-inflicted multiple personality disorder — also known as the knack for turning on a player in the blink of an eye…even more so than the Media can. So in the spirit of T-Ross’ time in a Raptors’ uniform, the moment calls for a balancing act:
The Win Column:
On the surface, one has to be impressed with the Raps shooting 59 percent from the field (66% from deep) to go along with 24 assists (well above their dead last average of 18.3). The offense was buzzing all night.
Beneath the surface, though, is just how much the defense pulled a u-turn on its previous and encouraging progress. Since the All-Star break, the Raps are among the top five in opponents points, FG%, 3-pt FG% and points in the paint per game, so this isn’t a callout like the first half of the season warranted. Not to mention the fact that they’ve seemingly reached the point where there’s more to their improved defense than just Ibaka and Tucker’s influence. They’ve simply have no choice considering Lowry has been sidelined — and they’ve literally been a suffocating unit because of it.
But, Monday also reinstalled the fear of bad habits eventually rearing their ugly head when it matters most, especially when it happens against a squad they should be sharpening their skills against instead.
Let’s not go overboard, though, cause individual shoutouts are in order:
Ibaka: To start the game, it was the first time I’ve ever seen Serge completely out of sorts for an extended stretch. But once he snapped out of it, he slowly but surely lived to what you can pretty much expect each and every night: 16 and 7, contributions from downtown, and a shot-altering presence in the paint.
DeRozan: After being upstaged early on, DeMar took matters into his own hands and reeled off 18 first quarter points (36 for the game) — on 21 attempts no less. And with just two free-throw attempts against the Mavs, even though he uncharacteristically missed five of them, he was back to his double-digit self (14). But perhaps the biggest takeaway is just how much he’s borderline-perfected what role he needs to play in any given quarter: The alpha dog or the bait. Next stop: late-game possessions… Wait, he’s kinda been doing that as well.
Powell: It’s basically true for any player, but with Powell recently having the tendency to start things off a little discombobulated, the more action he gets the more sound he becomes. DeMarre Carroll being out (sore back) certainly contributed to Norm’s four threes and numerous/successful drives to the rim.
JV: Other than a monster block from behind on Ross, Valaciunas had a “quiet” 17-point, 9-board and nearly 80% from the field night. Also notable: Out of Nikola Vucevic’s 15 rebounds, only three were offensive. Not worth a full page ad, but not worth poking holes in, either. A rare occasion.
Cojo and Delon: I’ll lump these two together since they each provided what the other lacked. Joseph registered his first career double-double (and career-high in dimes, 13) as he kept weaving in and out of tight seams to create open looks for others. Wright on the other hand, helped orchestrate one the only extended stretches of defense the Raps could muster. He also gave another glimpse into the future of just how much impact (3 steals and 2 blocks in 19 minutes) his vision and reach are going to have. Or, should I say: more so than they already are.
Last but not least, it doesn’t hurt to be able to capitalize on a little luck:
Turning Point: In the dying moments of the third quarter, the Raps were up 94-87. Mario Hezonja proceeded to drain a three to make it a 4-point game. Well, at least everybody thought he did…
Patterson actually fouled Bismack before the shot went up. It did send Biyombo to the line where he hit both free throws but the same momentum didn’t carry over. DeMar then quickly moved the ball up the court to hit a driving mid-range floater…
Seconds later, Bismack carelessly inbounded the ball which resulted in a Delon Wright steal and ultimately a buzzer-beating three.
This game may have been a schoolyard shoot-around but at least it was entertaining. And with the Celtics overtaking the East’s No.1 seed last night, it looks like we’re just getting started in that department.
