Raptors’ small call works out
Undersized lineup turns tide for defending champs
Nick Nurse went
Raptors came up big.
The Raptors second-year coach used a small lineup that included Pascal Siakam at center to help finish off the Nets on Wednesday and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Fred VanVleet had 24 points and 10 assists, Norman Powell had a big game off the bench with 24 points and the defending NBA champion Raptors defeated the Nets 104-99 in a game they trailed for more than three quarters.
Kyle Lowry had 21 points, nine rebounds and forced a big turnover in the closing seconds that led to a game-sealing dunk for Powell.
“It’s all feel,” Nurse said of the decision to play Siakam alongside VanVleet, Lowry, Powell and OG Anunoby. “I have tried to get my five guys who have played the best on the floor late.”
Nurse spent the better part of the second half looking for the right mix to counteract the Nets’ decision to switch everything on defense. He finally found the right five in the fourth quarter.
“We’re going to see that in the playoffs, we’re going to see teams switching and loading up,” VanVleet said.
“The adjustments we made put us in a position to be in the game (at the end) with the defending champs,” Nets interim coach Jacque Vaughn.
The Nets were led by Garrett Temple’s 21 points.
The second-seeded Raptors raced to a 33-point second quarter lead in Game 1 and blew out the seventhseeded Nets 134-110 after converting a franchise playoff record 22 3-pointers small and the on 44 attempts.
But this game was much closer as the Nets built a 14-point lead in the first quarter.
The Raptors didn’t take their first lead of the game until nine minutes remained when Anunoby drove the lane and scored on a left-handed dunk. The Raptors were in control after that, stretching the lead to eight on Powell’s drive and dunk from the right wing.
Mitchell lifts Jazz: Donovan Mitchell scored 21 of his 30 points in a big third quarter and the sixth-seeded Jazz beat the third-seeded Nuggets 124-105 to even the Western Conference series at a game apiece.
Mitchell was 10 of 14 from the floor, helped the Jazz break open the game in the third quarter and increase the lead to 31 in the fourth.
His performance was on the heels of scoring a Jazz playoff-record 57 points in a 135-125 overtime loss in Game 1. Mitchell was the focus of the Nuggets defense, which helped open up other avenues for teammates.
Jordan Clarkson scored a personal playoff-best 26 points on a day the Jazz shot 51.7% percent from the floor. They also had 32 assists and hit 20 3-pointers.
Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. had 28 points, and Nikola Jokic added 28 points and 11 rebounds.
It was a rare blowout in what’s been a tight showdown between the two teams all season. Despite the Nuggets winning the previous four games, counting the regular season, the total margin was only 21 points.
Nuggets forward Torrey Craig was assigned to cover Mitchell and early on it worked. But Mitchell took over in the third, going 5 of 5 from 3 range and hitting all four of his free throws.
The Jazz went on a 22-6 run to end the first half.
Jazz guard Mike Conley could back for the next game. He returned to the NBA bubble Monday night after leaving for the birth of his son.