Raptors off to second round
WASHINGTON — Dwane Casey had been asked the question so many times since the post-season began: Sure the Raptors’ second unit was excellent in the regular season, but could they carry that over to the playoffs, when the arena lights are the brightest and the stars step up their games?
Friday, in the Raptors’ biggest game so far this season — and on the road — the Toronto Raptors coach and his “bench mob” answered with an emphatic yes.
Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, but it was the bench, finally complete with the return of Fred VanVleet, that came up big in a 102-92 victory over Washington. The Raptors clinched the series four games to two, and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight season. They’ll face either Cleveland or Indiana.
“I’m still looking for that manual that says you can’t play your second unit. They’re too young, they’re too this, they’re too that. As long as they’re productive, they’re going to play,” said Casey. “They’ve been good to us all year, and they closed it out for us tonight.”
DeMar DeRozan added 16 points for Toronto, while Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam scored 11 in an energetic performance.
The home team had won each of the first five games of the series, the Raptors taking a 3-2 lead with Wednesday’s 108-98 victory at the Air Canada Centre. But Toronto was intent on preventing a Game 7.
The Raptors trailed by 12 points early, but kept their composure. Behind 78-73 to start the fourth quarter, the Raptors’ second unit galloped out to a 15-5 run, steered by VanVleet, who’d played less than three minutes in the previous five games due to a shoulder injury.
“[I felt] super comfortable,” VanVleet said. “That’s just kinda the player I am, on the road, hostile environment. I just wanted to be a support guy out there to kinda ease the storm a little bit. Running the team and playing defence and stuff, I can do those things in my sleep. It’s just gonna take a little bit to get the scoring.”
A Siakam dunk punctuated the run and put Toronto up by five points with 6:51 to play. Siakam took flight for another dunk that stretched the Raptors’ lead to 96-88, then four consecutive points by Lowry made it a 10-point game with 1:55 to play, sending heartbroken Washington fans pouring toward the exits.