Vanvleet turns in record-breaking show
RAPTORS GUARD POURS IN 54 POINTS TO SINK MAGIC
It was Fred Vanvleet’s night. Forget the Toronto Raptors’ horrible start to the game. Forget the fact that the Orlando Magic looked for a while there like they were going to ignore all their injury woes and steal one from the Raptors.
Vanvleet made all that forgettable with a franchise-best 54 points on the kind of shooting night that comes along once in a generation.
The Raptors guard was dialed in like no Toronto shooter since Donyell Marshall pumped in a franchise-best 12-three pointers on March 13, 2005, as Vanvleet led Toronto to a 123-108 win over the Magic — their second win over the same opponent in three nights.
Vanvleet was even more efficient than Marshall was in that 2005 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, hitting 11 of his 14 attempts from distance. He came into the game shooting just over 35 per cent from distance, the worst mark of his young career since his rookie season.
Demar Derozan owned the previous franchise mark for points in a game with 52, set a little over three years and a month ago against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Vanvleet had 46 points and 11 three-pointers through three quarters before getting a break for the first four minutes of the fourth. He returned with 8:02 to go in the game, then went to the free throw line for two to reach 48 with 5:52 to go.
He reached 50 on his easiest basket of the night the next time down as Kyle Lowry found him gliding to the basket inexplicably unguarded.
He tied Derozan’s record after picking off a Cole Anthony pass and going in for another easy layup.
Vanvleet then set the record on another nice inside feed from Lowry with just under four minutes to go.
With the Raps up 18, that was the end of the night for the Raptors starters as Vanvleet and his record 54 points, Lowry and his triple double and the rest of the heavy-minute Raps took a much deserved rest.
The victory allowed the Raptors to improve their record to 9-12.
BAYNES BACK IN BIG WAY
It didn’t happen right away, but Aron Baynes has been showing the Raptors and their fans the kind of impact he can have on a game this last week or so.
Baynes came into the second game of a back-toback with Orlando (they had a game in between) having led the Raptors in rebounds in the past two games and, more importantly, off games of 29 and 23 minutes.
Finding a semblance of rebounding from the centre position has been a large part of the Raptors’ early struggles, so Baynes showing that ability and re-earning the trust of his head coach is a rather big development.
When coach Nick Nurse wasn’t getting rebounding and Baynes appeared to be out of sync with Toronto’s defence, he went looking elsewhere. He’s getting what he needs now from Baynes.
“Well, he just seems more comfortable,” Nurse said. “I mean, obviously he’s rebounding a lot better, which is really important. The next thing I would say is he’s getting a better rhythm on offence. He’s getting into next-action basketball, he’s getting a few dump-offs, he’s getting a few putbacks. He’s just more comfortable.”
Nurse is very much aware of what all his players are going through playing in a pandemic and playing away from home because of the pandemic. For a newcomer like Baynes, the adjustments are even bigger.
“It’s hard to say in this day and age what has affected some guys, because there was a lot of guys in the bubble, there was a lot of guys early in the season that just weren’t themselves,” Nurse said. “There’s a lot of adjustments, there’s a lot of things going on and that could be it more than anything. And then you’re moving your family, ending up somewhere you didn’t think you were going to be, you’re having a new baby, there’s all kinds of things guys got going on. And it could be just adjusting and taking a little time, could be getting in shape, so many things out there, I think. But it’s good to see him back and in some rhythm and playing much, much better. He’s really played well.”
QUICK HITS: Tuesday night’s game in Orlando was the first of 10 games in the next 11 that the Raptors will play away from their temporary home in Tampa. After heading back down the I-4 on the return bus trip following Tuesday night’s game, the Raptors won’t be back in Tampa until Feb. 14, when they play Minnesota. The Raps then hit the road again for three more before their next so-called home game on Feb. 21. At least part of that absence gets the Raptors out of Tampa as the Super Bowl comes to town.