Raptors pull away late to cast spell on Magic
ORLANDO • Even before this game started the questions of whether the Toronto Raptors just might overlook an Orlando team that was struggling — both in the standings and just now getting healthy — were raised.
Dwane Casey is consistently on guard against games like these, ones where the Raptors might fail to bring their ‘A’ game thinking the result was already predetermined.
Casey did what he always does and preached the need to remain professional at all times, a message he has delivered so many times even he catches players rolling their eyes about it.
But Wednesday night was another example of just why that message has to be delivered.
For whatever reason neither team decided defence was necessary in this one and until about the five- minute mark of the fourth quarter this game was very much up in the air.
The Raps pulled away late for the 117-104 win, but it was touch and go for quite a while
Finally the fourth quarter saw the Raptors play a little defence holding Orlando to just 4- for-16 shooting in the quarter to launch their final assault.
DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 21 points with a 17- point, 11 assist night from Kyle Lowry.
The bench came up big again with three Raptors subs — Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet — all winding up in double digits.
ROOK STREAK IN JEOPARDY: Slowly but surely OG Anunoby was coming out of his offensive shell, no longer content to just launch threes from the corner.
His activity cutting to the basket and putting the ball on the floor and driving to the rim has been apparent over the past few games.
Wednesday night in Orlando one of those drives ended up with Anunoby rolling his right ankle late in the first half prematurely ending his night.
Anunoby has yet to miss a game this year joining fellow rookies Jayson Tatum in Boston and Mississauga’s own Dillon Brooks in Memphis among first year players who can still claim that.
He’ll have one day off Thursday in Washington to heal before the Raptors take on the Wizards Friday if he wants to keep that streak intact.
Less and less though has been the talk of Anunoby hitting that rookie wall. Casey and his coaching staff have cut back some of Anunoby’s minutes but he’s been looking far more engaged recently to quiet that dialogue.
Casey was talking before the game about getting Anunoby a little more animated as the season progresses.
Monday against Detroit Kyle Lowry got into Anunoby trying to do just that after the rookie went inside and scored.
“That’s good for OG because he is such a calm young man he needs to get excited,” Casey said.
“He needs to show a little oomph. I don’t like seeing it but show a little flex or whatever. I mean he just dunked on three people and it’s OK to get excited.
“I think that is what Kyle was doing. Trying to get him a little pumped up and give him a little something. It was good to see that.”