Raps Week Review !!

So, I just wanted to do a quick little Raptors week recap, to keep my Raptor of the Season votes rolling. This was a solid, yet not amazing week from the Raptors; while a 2-1 week is nothing to worry about, losing in the ugly fashion they did to the struggling Boston Celtics does raise a number of questions.


vs Milwaukee-  RAPTORS 116, BUCKS 94

Just a regulation win for Toronto, in which the Ersan Ilyasova- lead Bucks showed exactly why they hold a 7-30 record. In yet another sign of this Raptors resurgence, the Raptors demolished the Bucks in the second half; consider past seasons, where the Raps would often let teams back into games they had dominated.

3 votes- KYLE LOWRY (23pts, 6/8FGs, 4/5 3PTs, 5asts). Money from distance, dropped 23 points off 8 shots. Continues to lead the team on both ends. 

2 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (19pts, 8/16FGs, 7rebs, 7asts). Filled up the stat sheet. Two Raptor All-Stars....what a ridiculous concept...

1 vote- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (17pts, 5/10FGs, 10rebs). Did his thing.



vs Boston-  CELTICS 88, RAPTORS 83

You could take this loss in a number of ways; an unacceptable performance against a team that hadn't won in 9 games, or just a mere blip on the radar, a flat performance where a basic lack of fundamentals killed the Raptors. While I give a lot of credit to Jared Sullinger for his 25 point, 20 rebound night, this was an awful game from Valanciunas and Johnson, who were only able to combine for 13 rebounds in their time on the court. We all consistently praise Amir for his heart and hustle, but I didn't see any of that on this night. I think Tyler Hansbrough would have made a difference in this game, but there's no excuse for this performance either way. 13 missed free throws killed any chance of a heroic late comeback. Don't stress Raptors fans, we hadn't had a horror night like this since December 18 against Charlotte.

3 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (23pts, 9/22FGs, 8rebs, 3asts). So what he took 22 shots, Demar made play after play to fight the team's way back into the game. 

2 votes- KYLE LOWRY (18pts, 6/17FGs, 12asts, 7rebs). Not one of Kyle's better games, but there wasn't much to choose from here. The Boston defense was actually noticeably decent which culled a lot of his usual playmaking. 

1 vote- JOHN SALMONS (13pts, 5/9FGs). I've got to admit, I love having a reliable veteran on the bench who you know is going to come into the game and provide a solid offensive option, to go along with tight defense.  



vs Minnesota- RAPTORS 94, WOLVES 89

Toronto needed to respond from the Boston performance, and did so with a quick early start, and then leading the game all the way after. The Wolves helped our cause by shooting a poor 3/18 from 3 point range, but credit must be given for another tough defensive night from the Raptors. 

3 votes- KYLE LOWRY (24pts, 7/12FGs, 6/9 3PTs, 6asts, 5rebs). His six 3-pointers were the difference between the two sides in the end. Limited Rubio's offensive input to the point where Barea closed the game in his place.

2 votes- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (4pts, 2/6FGs, 11rebs). Only 4 points, but his work on the glass was a massive factor in this Toronto victory. Pekovic and Love's input and ability to dominate the boards was not very apparent, and when you consider Amir only pulled in 2 rebounds, we've got to thank Jonas for keeping them at bay (shout out to my boy Chuck Hayes for his 9 rebounds, too). Surely earned more than 23 minutes, Coach.

1 vote- TERRENCE ROSS (16pts, 6/14FGs, 4rebs, 2stls). Didn't need the three-ball to be dropping to contribute, showed off his ability to score off the dribble. 


NEXT- DECEMBER 19 vs LA LAKERS

Looking ahead, we should comfortably handle the Lakers at the ACC, then travel to Charlotte for a rematch with a team we just keep losing to. The rest of the sees Dallas come to Toronto, a quick trip to Philly to battle the Sixers, then home to take on the Clippers. I'll call we'll finish with a 4-1 record; if we keep up the form from the Minnesota game rather than the Boston one, we'll pinch one of the home games against Dallas and the Clippers. 

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