Taking care of business
Raptors look to end recent run of failure in Game 6 on the road
While the Cavaliers rest in Cleveland, the Raptors have more first-round work to do in Milwaukee on Thursday.
And Toronto forward Demarre Carroll hopes they can they take care of business sooner than later.
The Raptors failed to close out series in Game 6 on the road last year against Indiana and Miami, although they rallied to win Game 7 at home both times. Three years ago, they lost Game 6 to Brooklyn and were eliminated in seven by the Nets.
“Hopefully we’ve learned a lesson,” said Carroll. “We don’t want to come back home and try to take care of this athletic, long Milwaukee team. We want to take care of them on the road.”
Third-seeded Toronto leads sixth-seeded Milwaukee three games to two.
The series winner will advance to play the secondseeded Cavaliers, who finished off a sweep of No. 7 Indiana on Sunday.
Carroll says the Raptors need to avoid the physical and mental pressure that a Game 7 brings when “every shot counts.”
“Guys need time off to recuperate and we should understand that more now than we did last year ... If we don’t understand it now, we’re never going to understand it,” he added. “Game 6 is a must-win for us.” They have learned that the hard way.
Last year, Cleveland needed just eight games to get to the conference final compared to 14 for the Raptors.
“When we saw them it was like we hit a brick wall,” Carroll said of the Cavs, who disposed of the Raptors in six games.
“We fought and fought all we could. We were tired, our legs were tired, we were missing shots, we weren’t playing with that zip like we normally play with.”
Added Demar Derozan:
“It was brutal. It was tough. We really didn’t realize it until the conference finals when we really looked up and we said ‘We’ve been playing every other day for almost a month,’ it felt like. It took a toll.
“Just to stay away from that would be great because we could go out there and play until exhaustion for 48 minutes. And that’s what we’re going to need to do next round because the next team is waiting.”
Coach Dwane Casey said the Raptors will have to expect a fierce reception in Milwaukee as the Bucks fight to continue playing.
“Hopefully we do learn from past experience in a Game 6 and take that to heed — and understand how hard it is in this league to close out a series, whatever series it is. The most difficult thing to do in the NBA is close out a series.”
As for point guard Kyle Lowry’s stiff back, Casey said it was better if not much better.