Thumbs up to DeRo’s shoestring solution
The red shoestring Raptors director of sports science Alex McKechnie spun around DeMar DeRozan’s injured thumb in Game 5 was a popular topic of conversation on Thursday.
“It was interesting. It was an excellent method, I guess, from Alex McKechnie,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
Whatever he did, it worked. Despite re-aggravating the thumb injury in the fourth quarter, DeRozan came back with 4:17 left and made all eight of his free throws and a jumper to keep the Raptors in front. DeRozan finished the night with 34 points and went 11-of-11 at the line.
“I’d never seen it before. Whatever works, whatever means necessary,” Casey said of the lace around the thumb. “Alex is one of the best.”
DeRozan’s thumb apparently only became a concern after practice on Thursday.
“I don’t know if it’s better or worse. We didn’t talk about it,” Casey said when he was asked about DeRozan’s status on Thursday. “He doesn’t talk about it. He’s ready to go.” BIYOMBO LOVE-FEST: His 10 points and six rebounds are relatively modest numbers, but the four blocks Bismack Biyombo added in Game 5 and the energy he brought to the floor were a huge part of the Raptors’ 99-91 win.
“He’s been big. Bis has been doing it all year,” Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll said. “Our bench has been great all year. Guys like him, Pat (Patterson), Cory (Joseph), they’ve just stepped in. When one guy goes down, the next guy steps up.”
As he did in the regular-season when Jonas Valanciunas was injured, Biyombo has filled in for the centre well since he sprained his ankle and was ruled out for the series.
At 65 per cent from the line in the playoffs, Casey said Biyombo has made it tough for teams to single him out.
“When teams are just hacking him across the head, just taking free swings at him he’s come up and made his free throws.” DETERMINED: With the Raptors just a win away from reaching their first conference final, Biyombo said he and his teammates remain focused.
“I talked to a few other guys — it almost feels like you’re down by one and we’ve just got to go in there to do whatever it takes,” he said.
“I think when we’re sitting here, when we’re in this situation like going into Indiana (up 3-2) it was going to be (treated like) a Game 7, and obviously we didn’t do it.
“So at this point it’s just whatever it takes. The mentality is great, the energy is great.” DEMAND THE BEST: While Biyombo saw a determination amongst his teammates to close the series out on Friday night, Casey said he expects nothing less than that.
“It’s that time of year: You better come out with your guns loaded and ready to go. This is what the NBA is about at this time of the year,” he said. “That type of energy is expected, is demanded. It should be there. You should not expect anything else at this time of the year.
“If you come out in any frame of mind other than playing hard, (getting) loose balls, 50-50 balls, whatever it is, you’re in the wrong profession. You need to go play volleyball or golf or an individual sport or something like that if you’ve got to be motivated at this time of the year.”