Raptors Discussion: v72| ECQF | (1) Raptors vs (8) Wizards | Raptors win series 4-2 and advance to EC Semi-Finals

[The Nemesis]

Full on JV love-in happening during the post-game interview

 

[Suntouchable13]

I missed the Milwaukee loss so I have not seen them actually lose a game in weeks.

 

[Schennanigans]

This team may win 60+. All they gotta do is go 10-5 the rest of the way

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Met Masai Ujiri In school a week back...was amazing to get a lecture from him. Talked to him personally as well for a while, got his autograph and selfie. That man is just so damn awesome! I swear to god he's so freaking motivate man

 

[Budsfan]

Game Preview: Raptors at Pacers | Toronto Raptors

Game Preview: Raptors at Pacers

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
Posted: Mar 15, 2018

Toronto Raptors (50-17) @ Indiana Pacers (40-28)
When: Thursday, March 15, 7:00 P.M. ET
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Broadcast info: SN1, TSN1050
LAST MEETING
The Raptors held on for a 120-115 victory against the Pacers on the ACC floor in December. DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 26 points as Jakob Poeltl had a career-high 18 points on a perfect 8-for-8 field goals and six Toronto players reached double figures. Though the Pacers led 32-27 after the first quarter, Toronto scored 38 points in the second quarter to take a 65-58 lead at the halftime break. Things would stay close in the second half, but the Pacers wouldn't get any closer than five points down the stretch. Victor Oladipo led all scorers with 36 points in the loss for Indiana.
LEADING INTO TONIGHT'S GAME
Injury report: For Toronto, OG Anunoby (right ankle sprain) is listed as doubtful, while Norman Powell is listed as questionable after suffering an ankle sprain during a basketball workout on Wednesday. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis (left ankle sprain) is listed as questionable.
50 club: Toronto reached 50 victories this season thanks to Tuesday's 116-102 win against the Brooklyn Nets. This is the third consecutive season the team has reached 50 wins, and the quickest. With a 50-17 record, Toronto is 33 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.
Nine in a row: The Raptors have now won a season-high nine games straight (Feb. 23-Mar. 13). This ties the second-longest streak in franchise history, with the franchise-record being 11 games in a row, set back in 2016. The team's margin of victory during the streak is 12.8 points.
EXTRA ASSISTS
Finish strong: The Raptors will return to the Air Canada Centre following Thursday's game, for a quick back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. With two wins already secured, the team would like to take care of the three-game road trip sweep, but they will face a scrappy Pacers team on Thursday. Victor Oladipo is leading third-place Indiana with 23.6 points per game, while Bojan Bogdanovic is averaging 14.2 points per contest while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Closing time: Leading by three with 5:48 remaining against the Nets, the Raptors closed the game on a 13-2 run to earn a 14-point win in Brooklyn on Tuesday. DeMar DeRozan scored seven points in the final five minutes, Fred VanVleet added four and Jonas Valanciunas delivered an emphatic dunk that put the Raptors ahead by 12 points. It was another example of Toronto staying cool under pressure. After the game, VanVleet spoke to Dan Devine of Yahoo! Sports.
"We know the level we can play at," he said. "While we're not trying to give up leads in any game, there's no game we feel like we couldn't win. We always have that sense of, if a team goes on a run or a guy scores 24 in 6 minutes, we always feel like we can win the game"
Steady Freddy: Fred VanVleet has good reason to be confident in the team's ability to survive another team's run, especially when he's on the floor. VanVleet played nearly 28 minutes on Tuesday, and the Raptors were a +31 when he was on the floor in a 14-point victory. The reserve point guard, who has been fantastic all year, finished with 15 points, four assists, two steals and a rebound in his time on the floor, but it is his calming presence that has made all the difference this season.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Eb]

How long has JV been playing like this? I've started only to watch more intently the past couple weeks (fake fan, I know)

I'm loving his play though.

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

How long has JV been playing like this? I've started only to watch more intently the past couple weeks (fake fan, I know)

I'm loving his play though.

JV's been one of my favourites ever since we got him. He's always shown flashes and stretches of brilliance, but not consistently.

However.... he's been this good pretty much this entire season. He was kinda beasting it in the playoffs last year too. It's been a very very very welcome development, because I was afraid we might have to trade him for something better. He - the entire team - seem to be so much better this year now that they've discovered ball movement.

And then there's the threes. A couple of years ago it was Amir Johnson and the "summer threes". This year I used to cringe whenever Jonas spotted up at the 3-pt line to shoot, but now I love it. He's shooting 43.9% - that's just a little better than Steph. And it's on 57 tries, so it's no longer just a tiny sample size.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

How long has JV been playing like this? I've started only to watch more intently the past couple weeks (fake fan, I know)

I'm loving his play though.

Since about 2014.

 

[BlueForever75]

Good to see the Raps finally have some faith in JV. I personally thought he was blamed a lot and made the scapegoat for the others surrounding him on the floor in the past. He is finally playing meaningful minutes late in the game, and isn't substituted in defensive groups because he has shown he can rebound and defend as good as anyone at the C position.

Happy that Casey finally got his head out of his arse!!!

 

[stickty111]

Still not completely satisfied with this team. They got behind by 17 points against a terrible team. Raps arent that good but maybe they have some entitlement issues. Lets hope not but I could see a first round exit.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Still not completely satisfied with this team. They got behind by 17 points against a terrible team. Raps arent that good but maybe they have some entitlement issues. Lets hope not but I could see a first round exit.

Ummm.... yes, Raps are THAT good. Give your head a shake, man. This is a really good team that should win the East Conference (i.e. go all the way to the Finals). I couldn't care less that they went down by 17 against a crappy team. They got it done in the end. This is a great team. End of story.

 

[stickty111]

Ummm.... yes, Raps are THAT good. Give your head a shake, man. This is a really good team that should win the East Conference (i.e. go all the way to the Finals). I couldn't care less that they went down by 17 against a crappy team. They got it done in the end. This is a great team. End of story.

Yeah its too bad when the leafs get behind and win, its that they didnt play all that well and I expect better. Quite a double standard you have.

For a team who is supposed to be the best team in the East, I expect much more then getting behind by 17 points against a horrible team. The Raptors arent that good.

 

[Deebo]

The team with a .746 win% isn't that good.

right.

 

[Eyedea]

Russell had 24 points in the first 7 mins of the game. Nets couldn’t have been any luckier than they were in the first half and the Raps took care of business when it really mattered.

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

Russell had 24 points in the first 7 mins of the game. Nets couldn’t have been any luckier than they were in the first half and the Raps took care of business when it really mattered.

Yeah, that's actually a much better way of looking at it.

Russell was just insane at the start. We got better.

And we won. And we're leading the east. By 4.5 games.

And then there's "that guy" saying we're not a good team. L.O.L.

 

[stickty111]

Hey we are a great team.
Its just funny the narrative changes between the Leafs and Raptors when their situation is similar in a game.

 

[stickty111]

Where would you rank Casey in the league?

 

[Eyedea]

Hey we are a great team.
Its just funny the narrative changes between the Leafs and Raptors when their situation is similar in a game.

If you want to read similar leafs-like narratives that are found on these boards then go to the raps board on realgm.

 

[Cloned]

The poor starts are a concern though. They can't expect to get away with that in the playoffs.

 

[La Masse]

Pacers are playing insane right bow but i think Casey will make the proper ajustements at the half

 

[stickty111]

Supposedly the best team in the East outplayed in the first half. Cant have things like this for a #1 seed.

 

[Eyedea]

Supposedly the best team in the east won.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Sweeping a road trip. I used to envy teams that could do that.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Supposedly the best team in the East outplayed in the first half. Cant have things like this for a #1 seed.