Raptors Stifle Magic, Even Series at 1-1
Man, I never thought I'd ever write that "even series at 1-1" part against the Magic. I'd fully expected them to come out strong but not so much that they'd steal Game 1 in Toronto and force us to try to win Game 2 at home just to knot the series.
Well, we didn't just win Game 2. We did it convincingly, 111-82, in a complete effort on both ends.
There were flashes of "Playoff Kawhi," as Leonard went off for 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting. Kyle upped his points total from Game 1 by 22 points, meaning, um, he scored 22 in this one. Siakam chipped in 19-10. Gasol made three treys and had an impact on both ends that was far larger than his line in the box score.
Green was held without a point but hey, when your starting shooting guard gives you six rebounds and plays awesome defense, and you still win by almost 30 points, you can live with zilch.
My recap.
Not Messing Around
Game 1 really could have gone either way, but I think it ultimately came down to our inability to maintain intensity on defense. Some sloppy possessions cost us a chance to put away the Magic when we were up by a few points.
With that in mind, the boys came out playing tough D from the opening tip. The other guys missed their first six shots while commiting a few turnovers, and we built a 11-0 lead. We never trailed in this game.
I loved the way Kawhi asserted himself early and often, getting to his spots for jumper after jumper. And once Kyle started making 3s, the Magic never had a chance.
I didn't realize it until well after Game 1 but there was some handwringing about Kawhi only playing in 33 minutes in Game 1, after all that "load management" during the regular season. While watching the game live, I remember thinking, "Where's Kawhi? Why is he not on the floor?" but that was that.
It turned out he played less than Siakam, Green and Lowry, and only six more minutes than FVV.
Anyway, in Game 2, Kawhi looked absolutely on top of his game. He played 33 minutes on the number again. Though it was a blowout, Coach Nurse mostly kept an eight-man rotation and the starters still got decent minutes. Two more days off before Game 3, so why not go at it while you can and just take it to the Magic, right?
Our D was beautiful to watch. The Magic guys were flustered. Augustin had his moment with the game-winner the other day, and he might as well not have played in this one. I barely noticed him, as he ended up making just one field goal.
Vucevic was quiet for the second straight game, with six points this time on 3-of-7 shooting. 17 total points in two games for an All-Star center who averaged more than 20 a game in the regular season. Gasol has frustrated him to no end.
T. Ross will make his shots, but he's a streaky shooter and I can live with a couple of treys from him as long as other guys struggle.
Flow
Gasol is that player who doesn't have to score a point to make an impact on offense. (Okay, maybe not that far, but you get the point.) He had five dimes today but I think his presence at the top of the key alone makes our offense so much better.
We used to be a heavy iso-ball team when DeMar was around. We still had a bit of that with Kawhi in the fold, just at a more efficient level. And once Gasol arrived in a trade, our offensive identity changed.
When Gasol has the ball up top looking for an open man, four other guys start cutting. Basically, everyone who doesn't have the ball starts moving to create space.
If Gasol can't find his options, well, he can just take the three-ball. All three of his made FGs were from downtown in Game 2, a couple of them wide-open looks.
His ability to orchestrate the offense and take shots from anywhere on the floor makes our offense that much more versatile. That's a great recipe for playoff success. In crunch time, we no longer have to dump the ball to DeMar, stand around and hope for the best.
Nitpicking
I won't complain too much after a 29-point victory, but...
Pascal looks like he's back to his old self from downtown and that's actually a bad thing. That part of his game really improved in the second half of the regular season, especially from the corners. But in two games in the playoffs, Siakam has looked tentative. On a few more occasions, he passed up a shot that I think he would have taken with confidence in the regular season. He ended up scoring on a drive to the basket or making other plays, which is all good. He's been scoring and rebounding as well as ever. But if he can once again find that range, he could be even deadlier. We'd be unstoppable.
For the second straight game, a starter failed to score a point. Danny G. was it this time. Again, he can do so many other things that I am not overly concerned about his scoreless game. Just like Lowry (who had 22 points today), the safe bet is on Danny to bounce back and make multiple 3s in Game 3 like it's nothing.
We have struggled from deep in these two games. We're back to our old selves in that regard as well. We became one of the league's best three-point shooting teams since Gasol's arrival (absolutely no coincidence, since he helps create so much space and finds open teammates consistently) and we just gotta start converting shots.
I think the shooting touch will come. If you keep creating chances, Basketball Gods will reward you.
Game 3 Outlook
I can see the gentleman's sweep happening in this one. I think we already made the Game 1 loss a distant memory with this thorough beatdown. Seeds of doubt have been planted, and the Magic aren't particularly a strong home team.
Let's take two there and come home to finish 'em off in five!
Well, we didn't just win Game 2. We did it convincingly, 111-82, in a complete effort on both ends.
There were flashes of "Playoff Kawhi," as Leonard went off for 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting. Kyle upped his points total from Game 1 by 22 points, meaning, um, he scored 22 in this one. Siakam chipped in 19-10. Gasol made three treys and had an impact on both ends that was far larger than his line in the box score.
Green was held without a point but hey, when your starting shooting guard gives you six rebounds and plays awesome defense, and you still win by almost 30 points, you can live with zilch.
My recap.
Not Messing Around
Game 1 really could have gone either way, but I think it ultimately came down to our inability to maintain intensity on defense. Some sloppy possessions cost us a chance to put away the Magic when we were up by a few points.
With that in mind, the boys came out playing tough D from the opening tip. The other guys missed their first six shots while commiting a few turnovers, and we built a 11-0 lead. We never trailed in this game.
I loved the way Kawhi asserted himself early and often, getting to his spots for jumper after jumper. And once Kyle started making 3s, the Magic never had a chance.
I didn't realize it until well after Game 1 but there was some handwringing about Kawhi only playing in 33 minutes in Game 1, after all that "load management" during the regular season. While watching the game live, I remember thinking, "Where's Kawhi? Why is he not on the floor?" but that was that.
It turned out he played less than Siakam, Green and Lowry, and only six more minutes than FVV.
Anyway, in Game 2, Kawhi looked absolutely on top of his game. He played 33 minutes on the number again. Though it was a blowout, Coach Nurse mostly kept an eight-man rotation and the starters still got decent minutes. Two more days off before Game 3, so why not go at it while you can and just take it to the Magic, right?
Our D was beautiful to watch. The Magic guys were flustered. Augustin had his moment with the game-winner the other day, and he might as well not have played in this one. I barely noticed him, as he ended up making just one field goal.
Vucevic was quiet for the second straight game, with six points this time on 3-of-7 shooting. 17 total points in two games for an All-Star center who averaged more than 20 a game in the regular season. Gasol has frustrated him to no end.
T. Ross will make his shots, but he's a streaky shooter and I can live with a couple of treys from him as long as other guys struggle.
Flow
Gasol is that player who doesn't have to score a point to make an impact on offense. (Okay, maybe not that far, but you get the point.) He had five dimes today but I think his presence at the top of the key alone makes our offense so much better.
We used to be a heavy iso-ball team when DeMar was around. We still had a bit of that with Kawhi in the fold, just at a more efficient level. And once Gasol arrived in a trade, our offensive identity changed.
When Gasol has the ball up top looking for an open man, four other guys start cutting. Basically, everyone who doesn't have the ball starts moving to create space.
If Gasol can't find his options, well, he can just take the three-ball. All three of his made FGs were from downtown in Game 2, a couple of them wide-open looks.
His ability to orchestrate the offense and take shots from anywhere on the floor makes our offense that much more versatile. That's a great recipe for playoff success. In crunch time, we no longer have to dump the ball to DeMar, stand around and hope for the best.
Nitpicking
I won't complain too much after a 29-point victory, but...
Pascal looks like he's back to his old self from downtown and that's actually a bad thing. That part of his game really improved in the second half of the regular season, especially from the corners. But in two games in the playoffs, Siakam has looked tentative. On a few more occasions, he passed up a shot that I think he would have taken with confidence in the regular season. He ended up scoring on a drive to the basket or making other plays, which is all good. He's been scoring and rebounding as well as ever. But if he can once again find that range, he could be even deadlier. We'd be unstoppable.
For the second straight game, a starter failed to score a point. Danny G. was it this time. Again, he can do so many other things that I am not overly concerned about his scoreless game. Just like Lowry (who had 22 points today), the safe bet is on Danny to bounce back and make multiple 3s in Game 3 like it's nothing.
We have struggled from deep in these two games. We're back to our old selves in that regard as well. We became one of the league's best three-point shooting teams since Gasol's arrival (absolutely no coincidence, since he helps create so much space and finds open teammates consistently) and we just gotta start converting shots.
I think the shooting touch will come. If you keep creating chances, Basketball Gods will reward you.
Game 3 Outlook
I can see the gentleman's sweep happening in this one. I think we already made the Game 1 loss a distant memory with this thorough beatdown. Seeds of doubt have been planted, and the Magic aren't particularly a strong home team.
Let's take two there and come home to finish 'em off in five!
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