Raptors rule the court against Pacers
Toronto’s roller-coaster season on upswing again with convincing win
TORONTO — So rotten and so unwatchable, so good and so smooth, the Toronto Raptors have gone from the ranks of garbage to the stature of kings of their home court.
Any resemblance to the Raptors team that took to the floor Sunday to the unit that played like pushovers Thursday is purely coincidental.
Clearly, the 21-point loss to the Thunder is forgotten, at least based on how the Raptors responded Friday night in Detroit (87-75 win) and how they simply overpowered the Indiana Pacers, 116-91, Sunday at the ACC.
With Washington and Boston losing on separate nights, the Raptors can once again look in the East standings and a see a window of opportunity.
The Bulls come to town Tuesday, but these are not the same Bulls who’ve had Toronto’s number.
Then comes a two-game trip, beginning Thursday in Miami, where the Raptors seek atonement, and then Saturday in Dallas, a team Toronto beat at home last Monday.
There was no fight, no fire, no compete level when Oklahoma’s Russell Westbrook rolled into town last week, but since that embarrassment, the Raptors have regained a level of professionalism and passion.
Sunday was no ordinary win by Toronto but more a statement and perhaps the beginning of a sustained run of success.
The Raptors won every quarter and frustrated Indiana star Paul George in a dominant effort with seven Raptors reaching double figures in scoring. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 22 while Serge Ibaka added 16 and centre Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and 13 rebounds. George led Indiana with 18.
“From start to finish, it was solid contribution,’’ said head coach Dwane Casey. “We set the tone defensively from the jump ball and that’s how we have to play.”
Efficient, methodical, lethal, the Raptors were at their best, especially when the starting unit of DeRozan, Ibaka, Valanciunas, DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph was on the floor.
Ibaka displayed a sublime face-up game, catching the ball on the block or wing, turning and shooting over his defender, fluidly, effortlessly, confidently.
There was Ibaka drilling threes, in transition or in a half-court set, Valanciunas controlling the boards, DeRozan serving as facilitator, Joseph dishing and making sound decisions with the ball, there wasn’t much wrong with how the Raptors began the game, a style that continued until the final buzzer.
Norm Powell even beat the buzzer with a three-ball as Toronto took a 91-73 lead into the fourth quarter.
It was sound, fundamental basketball on both ends of the floor, good movement, contested shots, players running the floor and the Raptors dominant on the glass.
The defence of P.J. Tucker also stood out, especially on one sequence when he chased George around and through screens, crowded George on the perimeter and forced George to heave a prayer with the shot clock expiring.
Whether it was Tucker or Carroll on George, the Raptors made it tough on Indy’s go-to guy, trying to take away his drive, putting a hand in George’s face and being physical.
A player of George’s ilk can’t be stopped, but the Raptors did their best and they did make life difficult for George, who battled, like he always does, and showed off his explosive and athletic step.
In the end, though, he was a non-factor and so was every other primary scorer for Indy, which continued its maddening streak of winning one, losing one, entering the night following a win against visiting Charlotte.
“Any time you play with the force we played with (Sunday), that’s what we’ve been searching for and we got that. It gives your offence and your defence a chance to be successful,’’ added Casey.
At the break, the Raptors were leading, 62-45, the stench of the debacle against Oklahoma officially flushed.
For a team that has struggled making threes, the Raptors went 6-of-15 from distance, holding Indy to two of 11 shooting from beyond the arc.
Toronto took 27 threes, making 12 and outscored Indy by 18 points from beyond the arc.
“Now, whatever we have to do to get this mojo off our back against Chicago, they beat us, what, 10 in a row? That’s got to stop,’’ added Casey. “Collectively, whatever we have to defensively, offensively to set the tone, we’ve got to do that.”
The Raptors can start by beginning games like they did against Indy.
Jimmy Butler needs to be contained and multiple defenders are likely going to be asked to help neutralize the all-star.
For Valanciunas, it was his careerhigh 26h double-double of the season.
“He just had a tough night,’’ said Casey of George. “I liked what D.C. and P.J. did with him but, still, you don’t stop a guy like that. You kind of slow him down and try to get him out of rhythm a little bit. But you don’t stop a Paul George in this league. I thought our guys did a good job of breaking his rhythm and breaking their rhythm.”