Raptors need to show same tenacity in Philly
STRONG DEFENCE AND IMPROVED SHOOTING KEY TO KEEPING SEASON GOING BEYOND GAME 5
Step one is complete. Now, can the Toronto Raptors pull off something that has never been done?
A total of 143 teams have found themselves in the same doomsday situation the Raptors did, being down 3-0 in an NBA series. None have come all the way back.
On Saturday, without Fred Vanvleet and with Pascal Siakam shouldering a bigger load than ever, the Raptors avoided the sweep.
On Monday they enter the lion’s den looking to get one step closer to history.
Fans may have noticed an extended conversation Saturday between head coach Nick Nurse and Precious Achiuwa, who was a key part of that group that finally solved the Joel Embiid problem.
Nurse chuckled when he was asked about that conversation that took place as he emptied his bench with the game in hand.
“We were just talking a little bit about the stuff we have been talking about the last couple of days,” Nurse began. “That we have all talked about here too. That being down 3-0 is difficult but let’s get it to 3-1 and then it’s not 3-0 anymore. He just kind of repeated that to me. That it wasn’t 3-0 anymore and let’s go have some fun in Philly and see what we can do.”
That’s the mindset, despite some tough circumstances, the biggest of which is the availability of point guard and undisputed leader Fred Vanvleet.
Vanvleet left Game 4 in less-than-optimistic circumstances.
The man who has played through pain and injuries finally reached the point where he couldn’t go any longer. His frustration was evident as he ripped off his jersey while leaving the court.
To this point, the major injury limiting Vanvleet was believed to be a knee bruise.
But this injury is in the hip.
Officially, he’s listed as questionable for Monday’s game.
Vanvleet didn’t return to the bench after leaving the game Saturday, but he was in the hallway with hugs and back slaps aplenty after Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. and the rest of the club pulled off the win.
With or without him, getting another win in Philadelphia is going to take even more.
In Toronto’s favour heading into Game 5 is the notion that Scottie Barnes is going to be better than he was in his first game back following a severe ankle sprain.
Barnes was good, no question, but if he starts imposing himself in the paint the way he did for much of the post-all-star break period, a second consecutive Toronto win looks that much more possible.
Perhaps offsetting some of the Vanvleet news is that the Sixers have a big issue of their own.
Embiid, who had dominated this series until Saturday’s loss, is dealing with a thumb issue and was scheduled to have an MRI on it Sunday when he returned to Philadelphia.
But unlike Vanvleet, there is no question that Embiid will play.
He played through the issue on Saturday. After the game, Embiid wasn’t exactly forthcoming, saying he felt the thumb affected his rebounding, his passing and at the free-throw line before admitting he really didn’t know how to explain it.
“I mean, it’s painful,” Embiid said. “So, in basketball you need to use your hand a lot.”
We’ll see how much or how little it affects him in Game 5 at a Wells Fargo Center that will be as loud and as intimidating as ever.
As with every playoff series, the nastiness has ramped up in each game.
Embiid, in particular, seems to be trying to establish some sort of Cameroonian dominance over his countryman Siakam.
There was the hard foul on Siakam as he attempted to call a timeout with three minutes left in the game that earned Embiid a technical. Then, what was with the big man faking a kick at Siakam’s head as he lay prone on the court?
Siakam had no idea what to make of it.
“I think it’s tricky, right?” Siakam said. “I’m a competitor, I love just being competitive and fighting, this is the playoffs, you’re fighting at the highest level. I’m cool with talking and all that stuff. I just find I don’t want no dirty plays like that.
“Just go out there and compete, play hard at the highest level, just no dirty plays. At the end of the day, it’s all fake toughness anyway.”
Game 5 will once again test the Raptors’ toughness, their discipline and perhaps most of all their ability to block out the noise and focus on their defence that has extended the series.
Toronto’s best defensive showings have come in the last two games. We’ll see if they can continue that trend and maybe get back to making at least a few more of their open shots.
“Listen, if we ever shoot the ball in this series, we could score more than 110,” Nurse said Saturday.
After that? Well, one step at a time.