Centre Gasol shines from behind the three-point line
There are myriad ways that Marc Gasol helps the Raptors that might go unnoticed by some fans, subtle defensive plays, quick decisions moving people around on offence, just being in the right place at the right time.
And then the veteran centre goes out and has a big scoring night, tying his career high for three-pointers, and those unseen contributions are hidden by in-your-face excellence.
The seven-foot centre made six three-pointers in seven attempts and finished with a season-high 20 points as the Raptors routed the Washington Wizards 140-111 at the Scotiabank Arena on Friday night.
Gasol might be a reluctant shooter at times but he can certainly be an efficient one. He parlayed his nine field-goal attempts into those 20 points in a night of economic excellence, and added six rebounds and five assists.
“Obviously sitting for a few weeks ... makes you want to really play and get back and help your team win,” said Gasol, who was out more than three weeks with a hamstring injury before returning Wednesday. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
Gasol’s production was part of an outstanding night across the board from the Raptors, who had seven players in double figures in the rout.
Norm Powell had his third straight impressive game since returning from a shoulder injury with 26 points and OG Anunoby had 18 points for Toronto.
The 140 points were the most scored by a Raptors team in a non-overtime game and they set a team record by hitting 22 three-pointers.
“I think we’re trusting one another, we’re moving the ball, letting the offence work for us,” Powell said.
“I think the defence is really feeding our offence as we get out in transition and create easy looks and have the defence scrambling to get back and catch up. We kick out and continue to have them rotate.”
Anunoby had four steals for a Raptors defence that didn’t allow the Wizards to get a thing going all night. Washington’s 28 turnovers were the most by a Toronto opponent this season.
“I thought we were out guarding right from the start and disrupting their rhythm, jarring the ball loose. Our hands have been pretty good lately,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
“(The defence was) getting us out running, I think the pace certainly helps us.”
á Staying big: The Raptors stayed with the big starting lineup — Kyle Lowry, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol — that they first used Wednesday in Oklahoma City because coach Nick Nurse likes the look of it.
“I liked that we looked big out there,” he said before the game. “We … just looked big and long and wide. Almost a little bit intimidating at the defensive end to start the game.”
á Almost whole again: The Raptors expect to have Fred VanVleet back in the lineup Saturday night after the guard missed the last five games with a strained hamstring.
It will be the first game since Dec. 8 in Philadelphia — and VanVleet left that game with a sore knee after just 12 minutes — that Toronto has had a full complement of its best players available.
Some combination of VanVleet, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norm Powell have missed each of the past 19 games. The Raptors have gone 12-7 in that stretch.
á Making the grade: The NBA announced Friday that the Raptors were fourth in jersey sales through the league’s online store for the final calendar quarter of 2019.
It’s the first time Toronto has cracked the top five. The Raptors trailed only the Lakers, the Celtics and the 76ers. Milwaukee was fifth.