Raptors manage to overcome another slow start
LOWRY, IBAKA COME UP BIG TO LEAD TEAM TO SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN
Another slow start, another few nervy moments down the stretch but still another win, the sixth in a row for the Raptors as they hung on to beat a game Knicks squad 118-112.
Part of it is the quality of the opponent of late ( the Raptors are in a rather weak part of their schedule) but it just seems like no matter what hole the Raptors dig themselves into right now they are able to dig themselves out.
That may sound like a dangerous strategy, and it likely is, but right now it’s working for the Raptors as they manoeuvre their way through these dog days of January.
The Knicks actually had a 13- point lead in this one very early in the game but couldn’t sustain it.
The team’s future, Toronto native R. J. Barrett was in a walking boot on the bench and unavailable but even without the face of the franchise in action, the Knicks gave the Raptors everything they could handle.
With Pascal Siakam still not all the way back to top form, the onus early on fell on Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to help the Raptors avoid the big letdown in Gotham.
Lowry, very much into this one all night, had 26 points to lead all Raptors. Ibaka, off he bench, was huge in getting the Raptors back in this one after the dreadful start.
Siakam did eventually put his own stamp on this game with a driving dunk with about 35 seconds left and then a no- doubt t hree- pointer with 13 seconds remaining to put the game away and finish with 23.
Damyean Dotson got it going early for the Knicks and had 21 off the bench while Julius Randle was a force inside and had 20.
STILL GETTING THERE
Siakam may be the hot ticket right now in Toronto having earned his first allstar starting assignment, but he’s still a guy finding his game after a month-long layoff due to injury.
Nurse was asked what Siakam needs to do to get fully back to the player that was on display on a nearly nightly basis before he tweaked his groin in mid-december.
“I think I always say you always got to go to your bread and butter and his bread and butter to me is his energy,” Nurse said. “He runs the floor, he plays on the catch, he’s at the front of the rim quickly. Make sure you don’t forget about that kind of stuff.
“We are getting into some situations where now, I’ve said lately, he’s changed his tempo a little bit,” Nurse said. “He’s getting the ball and he’s seeing three or four defenders in front of him and you do have to survey that a little bit. You start bouncing it and you’ve got your head turned and there’s a lot of different scenarios that he’s trying to work his way through and kind of lock those in mentally that he can take advantage of. Take what’s there, but also if they’re sending two, three defenders, you’ve got to find the right play. There’s still a lot of growth left there yet.”
SHARING THE CREDIT
Siakam’s first all-star honour came and went with an omission in Nick Nurse’s opinion and the coach was only too happy to remedy that on Friday night with a little help from a member of the New York media.
Nurse was asked about the impact Jim Sann has had on Siakam and it was like Nurse had been waiting on the question.
“First of all, thank you for asking that question because there is nobody who has spent more time with Pascal than Jimmy Sann,” Nurse said of his assistant coach he inherited when he took over the duties from Dwane Casey. “He literally was there with him every night when he was first drafted, developed an incredible relationship with him.
“Jimmy has been in the league for 25 plus years,” Nurse added. “We have a guy who really knows how this league moves. He really knows how to coach basketball and he’s spending his time really right down at the fundamental, grassroots part of it with a guy and that’s invaluable to our organization.”
Sann oversees a lot of the Raptors’ very successful development program and has no qualms about doing the work himself if someone else isn’t available.
“We got some youth and some energy that we need (in development) but Jimmy is directing traffic on all that stuff and heading it up,” Nurse said. “He really, well I know a big smile broke across his face ( Thursday) night (when Siakam’s starting all-star status became official) because he has poured a lot of love into Pascal.”
QUICK HITS
The news on Patrick McCaw isn’t as bad as first expected. Mccaw suffered a broken nose when he took an elbow flush to the middle of his face in his first and last minute of action Wednesday against the Sixers. Mccaw will be re- examined Saturday, but, according to Nurse, the hope is to have him miss just the one game and perhaps be back as early as Sunday’s game in San Antonio.