Nets 102, Raptors 100.
So, the Raptors played a horrible game (aside from sinking an absurd number of threes..), then randomly cut the Brooklyn Nets' fifteen-point lead to one in the space of ninety seconds.
Unfortunately, mastermind Coach Casey drew up a play that had Amir Johnson camped in the corner to shoot a game-winning three, and the Raptors' bizarre fightback was killed.
POSITIVES- The backcourt Raptors brought it tonight, and this game would have been truly ugly without them. Demar DeRozan continues to score efficiently (27 points from 15 shots) and carry the Raptors consistently. Unfortunately, Demar only took two shots in the last quarter when he had every right to, and needed to, continue his top shooting and attempt to win the Raptors the game. Kyle Lowry (24 points and 6 assists), too, was instrumental to what success the Raptors were able to have tonight.
Importantly, it was Lowry's continued intensity on both ends late in the game that caused the Raptors' late charge. Lowry picked off two passes leading to buckets in the last 90 seconds, without which the Raptors would have faded away to a dismal loss. While it is always easy to criticize Toronto, the team has shown resilience this season with a number of late fightbacks.
NEGATIVES- Andray Blatche dominated on the inside tonight, and we can put that down to the Raptors' bigs' defense. This is not a player that should be dropping 24 points, and, again, the Raptors overall defense lacked commitment.
Toronto was extremely lucky in the first half to be anywhere near the Nets. The offense lacked the ball-movement and energy that had been apparent in the previous two wins, and while this may be put down to the 4 day break of the Raptors, the inconsistency on offense is becoming extremely frustrating. Without the eight first half threes, the Raps would have been blown out before the break.
I don't like the idea of calling for coaches to be fired in the wake of losses, because I find it extremely reactionary and not actually a solid way to fix a team's problems. Dwane Casey, however, is really starting to get to me. Firstly, do you not see Jonas Valanciunas' potential, Mr. Casey? Sure, Jonas is inconsistent and often invisible on both ends, but how do you expect him to grow when you park him on the bench for more than half the game? Nobody ever passes the ball to him, so I find it weird that Jonas is then benched for not doing enough.
And then, as if Raptor fans weren't already fed up enough with Casey, the attempted game-winning play had Amir shoot a three and Steve Novak crash the boards. See anything wrong with that, Coach? Yes, we were extremely lucky to be in the game anyway, but Toronto needs to start taking half-chances like tonight if we really do want to push into the playoffs this season.
PLAYER VOTES-
3 votes- DeRozan (27pts, 9/15FGs, 6rebs). Man, Demar is making efficient scoring look easy right now. When he pulls up mid-range, I genuinely know the ball is going to drop. Sure, he's hot right now and might be brought back down to earth in the next few games, but DeRozan is making this type of game very common right now. Pumped for Demar, hope he keeps rolling. Without him tonight, the Raptors lose by 30.
2 votes- Lowry (24pts, 8/15FGs, 6asts). I think Kyle is a real fighter. Never seems to quit on games, like other Raptors could be accused of. Pulled us back into the game when it was well and truly over. The sort of player fans should be proud of, for fighting until the end.
1 vote- Novak (12pts, 3/6FGs). Look, no other Raptor was very good tonight, so Steve sneaks in for his first vote of the season. It's quite fun having a sniper from distance who just gets to ping threes whenever he feels like it. I don't like that he played more minutes than Jonas, however.
NEXT- 29 November vs Miami.
Tuesday 26 November 2013
Thursday 21 November 2013
Game Thoughts- Raptors @ Sixers
Raptors 108, Sixers 98.
Despite what has been a truly inconsistent start to the season, the Raptors moved to the top of the Atlantic Division with a comfortable win over Philadelphia.
It was as if the Raptors had reviewed their defensive performance from the loss against Portland, and realized that Portland's crisp ball movement leading to open jump shots was something lacking from their own offense. While an excellent three-point shooting performance against the Sixers means little (Sixers ranked last in defending three-point shooting), the ball movement on offense was extremely encouraging.
In particular, the much criticized Rudy Gay seemed to be playing with the thought of passing much more on his mind than what we have come to expect. While he still launched sixteen shots, a number of which as questionable as usual, Rudy threw a career-high eight assists, and passed up a number of shots he would usually take. While maybe I'm just being optimistic, Rudy seemed to take the Houston game (37 shots attempted) to heart, and since then has looked to share the ball at least a bit more.
Demar DeRozan was the architect behind the victory, dropping another 33 points on 10/19 shooting. Demar was red-hot from mid-range, and also hit three 3's. Averaging 33.0 points on just under 51% shooting over the last three games, Demar continues to show his ability to lead this basketball team.
Terrence Ross, too, was exceptional, delivering another performances highlighting his tremendous potential. Ross is becoming a very solid bench option; his shot is terrific and his athletic ability leads to plays on both ends of the floor.
The most troubling aspect of the win was Jonas Valanciunas' lack of involvement on offense. Jonas was constantly in deep post position demanding the ball, yet the ball would never be delivered to him. This was troubling as it has become a continuing theme throughout the opening twelve games of the season. How can we expect Jonas to fulfil his immense potential if the team isn't even going to let him beat-up on the weaker teams?
All in all, the Raptors showed another glimpse of the the potential this team has. While Raptors fans compared this game to the win against Memphis, this reminded me more of the Utah game; the Raptors are a cut above the teams whose goal for the season is to draft Andrew Wiggins, and this should not come as a surprise to any of us.
PLAYER VOTES
3 votes- Demar DeRozan (33pts, 10/19FGs, 3/5 3PTs). Carried the team again, took appropriate shots, made them count. In the middle of a fantastic run of form.
2 votes- Terrence Ross (17pts, 7/11FGs, 7rebs). He and Tyler Hansbrough are the only players bringing anything off the bench. Ross is looking a lot better this season though. Brings a lot of energy on defense, too.
1 vote- Rudy Gay (18pts, 6/16FGs, 8asts, 8rebs). Maybe a bit harsh to only get one vote. Rudy did it all in this game. His passing was fantastic and even his shot-selection is improving.
NEXT- 22 November vs Washington.
Despite what has been a truly inconsistent start to the season, the Raptors moved to the top of the Atlantic Division with a comfortable win over Philadelphia.
It was as if the Raptors had reviewed their defensive performance from the loss against Portland, and realized that Portland's crisp ball movement leading to open jump shots was something lacking from their own offense. While an excellent three-point shooting performance against the Sixers means little (Sixers ranked last in defending three-point shooting), the ball movement on offense was extremely encouraging.
In particular, the much criticized Rudy Gay seemed to be playing with the thought of passing much more on his mind than what we have come to expect. While he still launched sixteen shots, a number of which as questionable as usual, Rudy threw a career-high eight assists, and passed up a number of shots he would usually take. While maybe I'm just being optimistic, Rudy seemed to take the Houston game (37 shots attempted) to heart, and since then has looked to share the ball at least a bit more.
Demar DeRozan was the architect behind the victory, dropping another 33 points on 10/19 shooting. Demar was red-hot from mid-range, and also hit three 3's. Averaging 33.0 points on just under 51% shooting over the last three games, Demar continues to show his ability to lead this basketball team.
Terrence Ross, too, was exceptional, delivering another performances highlighting his tremendous potential. Ross is becoming a very solid bench option; his shot is terrific and his athletic ability leads to plays on both ends of the floor.
The most troubling aspect of the win was Jonas Valanciunas' lack of involvement on offense. Jonas was constantly in deep post position demanding the ball, yet the ball would never be delivered to him. This was troubling as it has become a continuing theme throughout the opening twelve games of the season. How can we expect Jonas to fulfil his immense potential if the team isn't even going to let him beat-up on the weaker teams?
All in all, the Raptors showed another glimpse of the the potential this team has. While Raptors fans compared this game to the win against Memphis, this reminded me more of the Utah game; the Raptors are a cut above the teams whose goal for the season is to draft Andrew Wiggins, and this should not come as a surprise to any of us.
PLAYER VOTES
3 votes- Demar DeRozan (33pts, 10/19FGs, 3/5 3PTs). Carried the team again, took appropriate shots, made them count. In the middle of a fantastic run of form.
2 votes- Terrence Ross (17pts, 7/11FGs, 7rebs). He and Tyler Hansbrough are the only players bringing anything off the bench. Ross is looking a lot better this season though. Brings a lot of energy on defense, too.
1 vote- Rudy Gay (18pts, 6/16FGs, 8asts, 8rebs). Maybe a bit harsh to only get one vote. Rudy did it all in this game. His passing was fantastic and even his shot-selection is improving.
NEXT- 22 November vs Washington.
Sunday 17 November 2013
Game Report- Blazers @ Raptors
Blazers 118, Raptors 110.
The Portland Trailblazers withstood a strong late-fightback from the Toronto, riding their exceptional three-point shooting to an overtime victory inside the Air Canada Centre. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damien Lillard both posted strong 25-point performances, but it was the Blazers' 15/32 shooting from deep that separated the two sides.
Both teams opened the game extremely efficiently on offense, with Jonas Valanciunas, in particular, making a number of big plays, including a strong alley-oop off of a Kyle Lowry assist. Portland's ball movement on offense created an array of open looks for the visitors, opportunities which were buried by shooters Nicholas Batum and Wes Matthews. Rudy Gay and Valanciunas both posted double-digit point first quarters, but, despite Toronto's efficient offense, Portland took an early lead. 31-29 Blazers.
The second period was similar from the Raptors, with the team really failing to make the defensive adjustments to close down the talented Blazers. A spinning 360-layup from Demar DeRozan provided the highlight of the half, and Toronto were able to close an 8-point to deficit back to 3. A fun half with limited defense, 57-54 Blazers.
Portland came out firing in the second half, however, with Damien Lillard and Aldridge taking control of the game. Valanciunas continued to impress on offense, working his post game on Robin Lopez extremely effectively. With Toronto turnovers continuing to pile-up, with 14 through three period, Portland were able to limit the Raptors to just 15 points for the quarter. 79-69 Blazers.
Lillard began the final period burning-hot, sinking two three-pointers and an and-one to blow the lead out to 17. DeRozan (29 points), while visibly upset with his team's performance, was able to, in conjunction with Gay (30 points), bring the Raptors back from the dead, with a buzzer-beating layup scored by Gay to send the game to overtime. For the first time in the game, the Raptors played with immense energy on both ends of the floor, and rightfully attacked the rim (62 points in the paint), particularly when Robin Lopez had fouled out. 102-102.
While Toronto took an early lead in overtime, the Blazers, lead by Lillard (25 points) tore away, with back-to-back threes from Batum sealing the road win. 118-110 Blazers.
Again, Toronto dug in and fought when faced with a large deficit, but the failure to adjust and cover the multiple Portland shooters must, again, ask questions about the coaching of Dwane Casey.
The Portland Trailblazers withstood a strong late-fightback from the Toronto, riding their exceptional three-point shooting to an overtime victory inside the Air Canada Centre. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damien Lillard both posted strong 25-point performances, but it was the Blazers' 15/32 shooting from deep that separated the two sides.
Both teams opened the game extremely efficiently on offense, with Jonas Valanciunas, in particular, making a number of big plays, including a strong alley-oop off of a Kyle Lowry assist. Portland's ball movement on offense created an array of open looks for the visitors, opportunities which were buried by shooters Nicholas Batum and Wes Matthews. Rudy Gay and Valanciunas both posted double-digit point first quarters, but, despite Toronto's efficient offense, Portland took an early lead. 31-29 Blazers.
The second period was similar from the Raptors, with the team really failing to make the defensive adjustments to close down the talented Blazers. A spinning 360-layup from Demar DeRozan provided the highlight of the half, and Toronto were able to close an 8-point to deficit back to 3. A fun half with limited defense, 57-54 Blazers.
Portland came out firing in the second half, however, with Damien Lillard and Aldridge taking control of the game. Valanciunas continued to impress on offense, working his post game on Robin Lopez extremely effectively. With Toronto turnovers continuing to pile-up, with 14 through three period, Portland were able to limit the Raptors to just 15 points for the quarter. 79-69 Blazers.
Lillard began the final period burning-hot, sinking two three-pointers and an and-one to blow the lead out to 17. DeRozan (29 points), while visibly upset with his team's performance, was able to, in conjunction with Gay (30 points), bring the Raptors back from the dead, with a buzzer-beating layup scored by Gay to send the game to overtime. For the first time in the game, the Raptors played with immense energy on both ends of the floor, and rightfully attacked the rim (62 points in the paint), particularly when Robin Lopez had fouled out. 102-102.
While Toronto took an early lead in overtime, the Blazers, lead by Lillard (25 points) tore away, with back-to-back threes from Batum sealing the road win. 118-110 Blazers.
Again, Toronto dug in and fought when faced with a large deficit, but the failure to adjust and cover the multiple Portland shooters must, again, ask questions about the coaching of Dwane Casey.
Saturday 16 November 2013
Game Report- Bulls @ Raptors
Bulls 96, Raptors 80.
The Raptors missed an opportunity to move to .500 through 10 games for the first time since the 2009-2010 season, dropping to a 96-80 defeat to the Chicago. In yet another piece of compelling evidence to suggest that the Raptors are the most inconsistent team in the NBA, the Bulls suffocating defense limited the Raps to 29/82 shooting from the field, as the Raptors lacked the same energy that saw them crush the Grizzlies.
The Chicago big men of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer were always likely to be a class above their Raptors opponents, and showed this early on both ends of the floor. The tight Chicago D, combined with their crisp mid-range shooting allowed the Bulls to race to a double-digit lead. Off the back of his efficient 23 points against Memphis, Rudy Gay was constantly targeted with the double-team, and this highlighted Toronto's early offensive struggles. 27-16 Bulls.
Dwane Casey, clearly fed up with his starters, turned to an all-sub lineup to start the second, including seemingly rare minutes for Steve Novak. The Chicago lead ballooned out to 19, with Toronto flat on both ends. While Toronto had started the game as slight betting favourites, the well-drilled Bulls showed, again, that the Raptors are not at a playoff level of ball. Rudy Gay and Jonas Valanciunas both made dunks in the late in the half, and, combined with a lift on the defensive end, cut the lead to 12, highlighting that when switched on defensively, the Raptors can take it to top teams for periods of time. 45-31 Bulls.
The offensive struggles continued to start the third, and Chicago quickly killed the game, racing to a 25 point advantage. With the turnover count soaring (15 for the game), bench players Tyler Hansbrough and Quincy Acy brought their usual fight and energy, and along with Demar DeRozan, were the only players who looked desperate to fight their way back into the game. DeRozan hit a pair of three-pointers late, bringing his tally to 15 for the quarter. 74-54 Bulls.
At this point, the only entertainment left in the game was a red-hot DeRozan, who kept rolling in the final quarter, sinking another two three-pointers to provide a tiny ray of hope to the large Air Canada Centre crowd. While unable to make inroads on the defensive end, with all Bulls' starters scoring double-figure points, DeRozan continued to entertain, making a number of impressive plays, including a nasty jam over Joakim Noah. While DeRozan finished with 37 point, from 13/22 shooting, the Raptors couldn't pull the Bulls lead back, with Luol Deng's 19 points and Noah's 18 carrying the Bulls to the victory. 96-80 Bulls.
The Raptors came out with a point to prove two nights before against the Grizzlies, but lacked the same passion and energy against Chicago. A well-drilled, professional team such as the Bulls will always punish a team that thinks they can have a night off and still get the victory.
PLAYER VOTES
3 votes- Demar DeRozan (37pts, 13/22FGs). An entertaining performance from DeRozan, who highlighted that when his shots are falling, he can be a dynamic offensive threat. This type of game is unfortunately rare from Demar currently, but credit where it's due, he was sensational in a game where essentially nobody else seemed to bother trying.
2 votes- Tyler Hansbrough (6pts, 5rebs). This is truly by default, but just on sheer effort, Tyler was the second best Raptor tonight. While only given twenty minutes, Tyler brought his usual fight to the glass on both ends.
1 vote- Rudy Gay (20pts, 7/15FGs, 9rebs). Rudy's numbers flattered him tonight, with him making no real impact on the ballgame. As highlighted on the coverage by Jack Armstrong, opposition teams know to get hands on the ball to halt Rudy's drives to the basket, and combined with 4 turnovers, this was what tainted Rudy's performance tonight.
Next- Blazers @ Raptors, 17th November.
The Raptors missed an opportunity to move to .500 through 10 games for the first time since the 2009-2010 season, dropping to a 96-80 defeat to the Chicago. In yet another piece of compelling evidence to suggest that the Raptors are the most inconsistent team in the NBA, the Bulls suffocating defense limited the Raps to 29/82 shooting from the field, as the Raptors lacked the same energy that saw them crush the Grizzlies.
The Chicago big men of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer were always likely to be a class above their Raptors opponents, and showed this early on both ends of the floor. The tight Chicago D, combined with their crisp mid-range shooting allowed the Bulls to race to a double-digit lead. Off the back of his efficient 23 points against Memphis, Rudy Gay was constantly targeted with the double-team, and this highlighted Toronto's early offensive struggles. 27-16 Bulls.
Dwane Casey, clearly fed up with his starters, turned to an all-sub lineup to start the second, including seemingly rare minutes for Steve Novak. The Chicago lead ballooned out to 19, with Toronto flat on both ends. While Toronto had started the game as slight betting favourites, the well-drilled Bulls showed, again, that the Raptors are not at a playoff level of ball. Rudy Gay and Jonas Valanciunas both made dunks in the late in the half, and, combined with a lift on the defensive end, cut the lead to 12, highlighting that when switched on defensively, the Raptors can take it to top teams for periods of time. 45-31 Bulls.
The offensive struggles continued to start the third, and Chicago quickly killed the game, racing to a 25 point advantage. With the turnover count soaring (15 for the game), bench players Tyler Hansbrough and Quincy Acy brought their usual fight and energy, and along with Demar DeRozan, were the only players who looked desperate to fight their way back into the game. DeRozan hit a pair of three-pointers late, bringing his tally to 15 for the quarter. 74-54 Bulls.
At this point, the only entertainment left in the game was a red-hot DeRozan, who kept rolling in the final quarter, sinking another two three-pointers to provide a tiny ray of hope to the large Air Canada Centre crowd. While unable to make inroads on the defensive end, with all Bulls' starters scoring double-figure points, DeRozan continued to entertain, making a number of impressive plays, including a nasty jam over Joakim Noah. While DeRozan finished with 37 point, from 13/22 shooting, the Raptors couldn't pull the Bulls lead back, with Luol Deng's 19 points and Noah's 18 carrying the Bulls to the victory. 96-80 Bulls.
The Raptors came out with a point to prove two nights before against the Grizzlies, but lacked the same passion and energy against Chicago. A well-drilled, professional team such as the Bulls will always punish a team that thinks they can have a night off and still get the victory.
PLAYER VOTES
3 votes- Demar DeRozan (37pts, 13/22FGs). An entertaining performance from DeRozan, who highlighted that when his shots are falling, he can be a dynamic offensive threat. This type of game is unfortunately rare from Demar currently, but credit where it's due, he was sensational in a game where essentially nobody else seemed to bother trying.
2 votes- Tyler Hansbrough (6pts, 5rebs). This is truly by default, but just on sheer effort, Tyler was the second best Raptor tonight. While only given twenty minutes, Tyler brought his usual fight to the glass on both ends.
1 vote- Rudy Gay (20pts, 7/15FGs, 9rebs). Rudy's numbers flattered him tonight, with him making no real impact on the ballgame. As highlighted on the coverage by Jack Armstrong, opposition teams know to get hands on the ball to halt Rudy's drives to the basket, and combined with 4 turnovers, this was what tainted Rudy's performance tonight.
Next- Blazers @ Raptors, 17th November.
Thursday 14 November 2013
Game Report- Raptors @ Grizzlies
Raptors 103, Grizzlies 87.
Man, I wish every road trip could be like that.
The Raptors earned the 1-1 split on the tough Houston-Memphis road trip with what turned out to be a comfortable 103-87 win over the Grizzlies.
Just like in the Houston game, the Raptors brought the kind of defensive energy that makes us question why they can't do it every game. Rudy Gay led the way on D with 5 steals, but the effort across the whole team was what got us the W.
After the criticism in the wake of the Houston loss (Gay 11-37 FG, DeRozan 6-25 FG), the first quarter was perfect. Rudy Gay turned down his usual poor shots and threw a number of lovely passes, including a highlight reel dime to a cutting DeRozan. The sharing on offense was the perfect response to a team that had been accused of being fundamentally selfish. DeRozan had 13 points in the first, consisting mainly of buckets on the inside. The team threw 7 assists in the quarter, and forced 5 turnovers. Perfect. 26-20 Raps.
The tight defense rolled on into the second, lead by a hustling Terrence Ross and Amir Johnson. The ball movement on offense was sweet, again, with the Raptors shooting 7/9 from deep in the first half. Unlike the Houston game, where the three-pointers were forced or late in the clock, tonight's threes were open looks and in rhythm. Marc Gasol lead the Grizzlies fight with some lovely mid-range game; the Grizzlies bigs were always likely to be the problem, but the Raps stood up to them on D. Another positive quarter, 55-44 Raps.
The Griz were always going to make a run and they made it pretty hard at the start of the third. Conley lit it up from deep, and, combined with Rudy gay converting back to his old forced long-two game, Memphis were able to tie it up at 70. However, this was the last time Memphis were in the ballgame, with the Raptors closing the quarter on a 8-1 run, behind some mid-range work from Kyle Lowry and DeRozan. The six turnovers for the quarter were clearly down to the increase in defensive pressure from Memphis, but it is definitely safe to say that Memphis are not the same defensive powerhouse they were under Lionel Hollins. 78-71 Raps.
The real positive sign I took from the start of the fourth was the Raptors getting to the line (39 FTAs for the night). With all the Raptors athletic-type players (Gay, DeRozan, Ross) there is really no excuse for not taking the ball to the rim and drawing the foul, and that was exactly what happened to start the last and burn off the chasing Grizzlies. The clear highlight was Gay picking off a loose Grizzlies pass and sharing the ball to Terrence Ross for the jam. Gay buried a jumper with four minutes to play, extending the lead to 19 and sending the Memphis fans to the exits. Raps win.
If Toronto brings the defensive energy and ball movement on offense that has clearly been emphasised over the two-game road trip, there is no reason why the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference is not attainable.
PLAYER VOTES
3 votes- Kyle Lowry (21pts, 6/10FG, 6asts, 2stls). When Kyle brings his energy like he did tonight, he's a terrific leader of this basketball team. Continued to find his range from beyond the arc, and lead the defensive pressure with Rudy.
2 votes- Rudy Gay (23pts, 8/18FG, 5stls, 4asts). Perfect response after the Houston game, where he did have the right idea, but just took too many shots. Chose his shots well, but also shared the ball particularly well too. His defense won us the game, unlucky not to get the 3 votes.
1 vote- Demar DeRozan (18pts, 7/13FG, 4asts, 2stls). Avoided criticism against Houston because Rudy took 37 shots. Great response from Demar too. His first quarter, consisting of good inside work as well as open jumpers, set the tone for the whole night.
Next- Bulls @ Raptors, 15th November.
Man, I wish every road trip could be like that.
The Raptors earned the 1-1 split on the tough Houston-Memphis road trip with what turned out to be a comfortable 103-87 win over the Grizzlies.
Just like in the Houston game, the Raptors brought the kind of defensive energy that makes us question why they can't do it every game. Rudy Gay led the way on D with 5 steals, but the effort across the whole team was what got us the W.
After the criticism in the wake of the Houston loss (Gay 11-37 FG, DeRozan 6-25 FG), the first quarter was perfect. Rudy Gay turned down his usual poor shots and threw a number of lovely passes, including a highlight reel dime to a cutting DeRozan. The sharing on offense was the perfect response to a team that had been accused of being fundamentally selfish. DeRozan had 13 points in the first, consisting mainly of buckets on the inside. The team threw 7 assists in the quarter, and forced 5 turnovers. Perfect. 26-20 Raps.
The tight defense rolled on into the second, lead by a hustling Terrence Ross and Amir Johnson. The ball movement on offense was sweet, again, with the Raptors shooting 7/9 from deep in the first half. Unlike the Houston game, where the three-pointers were forced or late in the clock, tonight's threes were open looks and in rhythm. Marc Gasol lead the Grizzlies fight with some lovely mid-range game; the Grizzlies bigs were always likely to be the problem, but the Raps stood up to them on D. Another positive quarter, 55-44 Raps.
The Griz were always going to make a run and they made it pretty hard at the start of the third. Conley lit it up from deep, and, combined with Rudy gay converting back to his old forced long-two game, Memphis were able to tie it up at 70. However, this was the last time Memphis were in the ballgame, with the Raptors closing the quarter on a 8-1 run, behind some mid-range work from Kyle Lowry and DeRozan. The six turnovers for the quarter were clearly down to the increase in defensive pressure from Memphis, but it is definitely safe to say that Memphis are not the same defensive powerhouse they were under Lionel Hollins. 78-71 Raps.
The real positive sign I took from the start of the fourth was the Raptors getting to the line (39 FTAs for the night). With all the Raptors athletic-type players (Gay, DeRozan, Ross) there is really no excuse for not taking the ball to the rim and drawing the foul, and that was exactly what happened to start the last and burn off the chasing Grizzlies. The clear highlight was Gay picking off a loose Grizzlies pass and sharing the ball to Terrence Ross for the jam. Gay buried a jumper with four minutes to play, extending the lead to 19 and sending the Memphis fans to the exits. Raps win.
If Toronto brings the defensive energy and ball movement on offense that has clearly been emphasised over the two-game road trip, there is no reason why the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference is not attainable.
PLAYER VOTES
3 votes- Kyle Lowry (21pts, 6/10FG, 6asts, 2stls). When Kyle brings his energy like he did tonight, he's a terrific leader of this basketball team. Continued to find his range from beyond the arc, and lead the defensive pressure with Rudy.
2 votes- Rudy Gay (23pts, 8/18FG, 5stls, 4asts). Perfect response after the Houston game, where he did have the right idea, but just took too many shots. Chose his shots well, but also shared the ball particularly well too. His defense won us the game, unlucky not to get the 3 votes.
1 vote- Demar DeRozan (18pts, 7/13FG, 4asts, 2stls). Avoided criticism against Houston because Rudy took 37 shots. Great response from Demar too. His first quarter, consisting of good inside work as well as open jumpers, set the tone for the whole night.
Next- Bulls @ Raptors, 15th November.
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Helloooo
SO I'm starting this blog so I can actually share my Sport-related thoughts, without the 140-character limits of Twitter. I'm a big time Toronto Raptors fan, but also love my AFL, EPL and UFC. I'm a university student from Melbourne, Australia, hoping to maybe one day find a career in the media, so it's probably time I start getting some writing out there, even if no one reads it :)
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