Raptors refuel, rebound
Starting five remix overpowers Celtics, ends four-game skid
All of James Johnson’s skills were on display Saturday night — his shot-blocking and scoring, his athleticism and toughness — and it is apparent why the Raptors forward is so often lauded for his versatility.
It takes him about the blink of an eye to answer when asked what he’s most proud of.
“Defence,” he says. “C’mon, man. That’s what I’m here for. I make sure I establish that first, impose my will on the defensive end. Then the offence just comes.”
Johnson was at his defensive best when his team needed it the most, tossed back in the starting lineup against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night because of his ability to defend, to read plays, to make a difference. He did all that and more with 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors snapped a four-game losing streak by drubbing the undermanned Celtics 10996 before the usual announced sellout crowd of 19,800 at the ACC.
It wasn’t all Johnson — the Raptors did put on a true team effort — but he was the leader of the pack, the energy the team needed to overcome a mental staleness that had crept into its play.
“They still shot 47 per cent, but I thought our defensive mojo was back,” said coach Dwane Casey. “I saw guys moving their feet, cracking down, rebounding, doing the things we needed to do with activity and anticipation.
“I thought the effort has been there, just the focus, the anticipation . . . understanding what they’re trying to do to you and being locked in. I thought that was there today, and it hasn’t been the last few games.”
Replacing Landry Fields, Johnson drew key defensive assignments all night, covering everyone from point guard Avery Bradley to power forward Jared Sullinger and doing it with his usual level of robustness.
“I tried to guard Avery today, but that man’s good,” said Johnson. “He’s getting better every game. It was fun going with him and seeing where my speed level was. It’s about a six.” Which was more than enough. “He covers up a lot of mistakes,” Kyle Lowry said of Johnson. “He covers a lot of floor, a lot of ground. His effort has been unbelievable this season and we need him to keep it up.
“We love his energy. We love his enthusiastic nature and what he brings to the table.”
It certainly wasn’t one of their greatest games of the year, and came against a Boston team that had traded away two key rotation players in 24 hours with nothing back in return, but there were enough good signs to leave everyone feeling a bit better.
“I think we just got more defensive- minded and we really weren’t worried about the offensive end,” said Lowry, who led Toronto with 19 points and seven assists. “We knew shots would fall. I think we put a real emphasis on defence.”
The Celtics, who were without traded regulars Brandan Wright and Jeff Green, and played OT on Friday, got 23 points from Canada’s own Kelly Olynyk and 17 from Bradley.
It was the kind of thorough effort the Raptors needed after struggling for four games in a row. Six players scored in double figures. They held Boston to 39 points in the second and third quarters and won going away.
And in the decisive third quarter — when Toronto scored 35 points to put the game out of reach — Jonas Valanciunas and Patrick Patterson were demons, providing more vital production to take any pressure off the likes of Lowry and Lou Williams. Valanciunas finished with 15 points, while Patrick Patterson had 10 to go along with nine rebounds.
“Jonas (was) big-time — on the boards, rebounding,” said Casey. “He was dominating the boards . . . and setting good screens for Kyle in the pick-and-roll situation.”