Different cast but familiar scenario

TORONTO RAPTORS

TIM BONTEMPS This was supposed to be the year that things were different for the Toronto Raptors.

The combination of finally breaking through and winning a pair of playoff series last season — the first time Toronto had done so in 15 years — and making a pair of shrewd deals at February’s trade deadline to bring in forwards Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker to fortify depth and versatility at both ends had made Toronto the consensus pick to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a far stiffer test than the Raptors had in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Of course, to properly test the Cavaliers, the thirdseeded Raptors need to get past the sixth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in their firstround playoff series. And that is proving to be far from easy as the series is tied 2-2 despite the success Toronto enjoyed last year, along with the upgrades it made in February.

Indeed, the Raptors have showed in some ways they are the same old Raptors.

A blowout loss in Game 1 — extending their remarkable record in opening games of playoff series to 1-11, including nine losses in a row — was followed by an equally predictable bounceback victory in Game 2 to even the series.

Just when it seemed like Toronto had control of the series, a blowout loss in Milwaukee in Game 3 again left it on the mat and, possibly, out for the count.

But these are the Zombie Raptors, so a disastrous game was followed by an inspired one. On Saturday in Game 4, thanks to 33 points from DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors clawed their way back level once again with the young Bucks in an 87-76 win to even the series.

Make no mistake: Toronto didn’t trade Terrence Ross, a first-round pick and two second rounders to bring in Ibaka and Tucker at the trade deadline to be struggling to advance out of the first round. General manager Masai Ujiri saw a chance to build on last season’s success, pushed his chips into the middle of the table and went for it.

So far, though, all those additions have done (in particular Ibaka, who has been excellent in this series) is keep Toronto alive. The team’s Achilles heel in the past — shaky play from its All-Star guards — has come back to haunt it again.

DeRozan had 33 points in Game 4, but went 0-for8 from the floor in a disastrous Game 3. He’s 7-for-29 in Toronto’s two losses in this series, and 21-for-40 in its two wins. Thus his longstanding struggles in the playoffs — when the game slows down, and some of DeRozan’s crafty tricks are less effective — have continued.

The more concerning issue, however — as well as the one that could have the biggest impact on Toronto’s future — is another disastrous playoff performance from Kyle Lowry. Through Game 4, Lowry is averaging 39 per cent shooting overall and 30.7 per cent shooting from three-point range in 35 playoff games with the franchise. That’s simply not good enough for a player who has been billed as a franchise cornerstone.