VanVleet and Siakam spark short-handed crew to road win
The Raptors figured to falter at some point in Thursday’s showdown with the Atlanta Hawks.
After a hard-fought win in Philadelphia Tuesday night the club travelled south, and between the final buzzer in Philly and the opening tip in Atlanta the club lost a third of its active roster via trades.
The uncertainty centred on whether the Raptors, with just 10 players available, would start slowly or fade late. Three minutes from halftime, Toronto trailed a sharpshooting Atlanta team 66-49 and we seemed to have our answer.
But then the Raptors’ patch- work lineup cranked up the defensive intensity and the offensive efficiency, and overtook the Hawks on the way to a 119-101 win.
Atlanta started fast, capitalizing on Raptors mistakes to build a big early lead. After a firstquarter air ball from Kyle Lowry, former Raptors star Vince Carter drilled a three-pointer for the Hawks. On Atlanta’s next possession the league’s oldest player — Carter turned 42 in January — sank another trey to extend Atlanta’s advantage.
The Raptors closed the first half with an 11-2 run that shaved Atlanta’s lead to just eight points. Over the middle two quarters Toronto outscored Atlanta 66-52, and entered the final frame leading 88-85.
Point guard production: Thursday’s trades forced the Raptors to field a starting lineup with two point guards — Lowry and Fred VanVleet — and both contributed to the double-digit comeback. Substitute starter VanVleet poured in a careerbest 30 points, added six assists and led all players in plus-minus rating with a plus-32. Lowry, meanwhile, added 13 points, eight rebounds and a game-high 15 assists.
Siakam shines: The sudden hollowing-out of Toronto’s lineup created room for Pascal Siakam to operate, and the third-year forward capitalized. Siakam played 40 minutes and finished with career-high 33 points and 13 rebounds.
Three by three: The 13 threepointers the Hawks made by halftime were the most the Raptors have ever surrendered in a half. Entering Thursday, the Hawks had averaged 11.9 successful three-pointers a game.
All-star opponents: In the end, the all-star game draft process split up Raptors Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry. Giannis Antetokounmpo made Lowry his 13th selection.
Up next: A travel day, then a showdown with the reconstituted New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. By then, Marc Gasol will likely have joined the Raptors, while the Knicks are still integrating the players acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis trade into their lineup.