Raptors Discussion: v58|It's playoff time! Round 1: vs Indiana
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TheLeastOfTheBunch
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The raps looked like a top seed today. They choked the life out of Pacers and the pacers spent most of the game trying to close the gap but it was a double digit lead for most of the game.
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Best playoff performance in our history. Great effort man to man at both ends of the court.
Demar was still not up to his usual standards tonight, but he was better. Lowry had a signature 4th quarter for the first time since his elbow injury flared up. With the way the rest of the team is playing, we don't need them to be dominant, we just need them to play smart, unselfish basketball.
If Carroll is back, that could be huge for us moving forward.
Demar was still not up to his usual standards tonight, but he was better. Lowry had a signature 4th quarter for the first time since his elbow injury flared up. With the way the rest of the team is playing, we don't need them to be dominant, we just need them to play smart, unselfish basketball.
If Carroll is back, that could be huge for us moving forward.
I've never understood the assumption that just because you played the game that it makes you a great analyst/tv guy. Mo Pete is embarrassing on tv. "And uhhh you know....they just gotta play with heart...and uhhhh you know watch clips of me back in 2001...and uhh.." Plus he always looks awkward, looking down at his notes, he gets asked for his input and he makes the most obvious statements like "they just gottta make shots" NO **** Mo. Enlighten us with more of this amazing basketball knowledge.
Anyway on the game, just an amazing thing to watch, the D was huge, the played hard put pressure on George who by the way looked like complete crap tonight. Pure domination in a game where we looked and played like a #2 seed should. Go into game 4 and lock that down and end it on home court.
Great game for boys!
Was nice to see DD play within the offense a bit more. Seemed like he was making his decisions a lot quicker out there last night. Still way too much ISO ball but DD gonna do what DD does I guess.
JV is a monster.
Really liked that game by Ross too. Just wish he'd play like that every night
Carroll looked a lot better as well.
Was nice to see DD play within the offense a bit more. Seemed like he was making his decisions a lot quicker out there last night. Still way too much ISO ball but DD gonna do what DD does I guess.
JV is a monster.
Really liked that game by Ross too. Just wish he'd play like that every night
Carroll looked a lot better as well.
It was a good game for Toronto and hopefully this will allow them to believe they should have this wrapped up in 5 games.
Indiana is terrible. They are litteraly Philadephia with Paul Geroge and half a player in Monta Ellis. They have some good to ok young players ie: like the sixers.
Not winning in 5 would be a concern in my opinion. They should be able to win the next 2 games relativley easy.
The rotations look good. Keep it like this and don't touch the winning formula.
Lowry
Deorzan
Carroll
VAL
Scola
---------
Ross
Patterson
Biyombo
Joseph
I wouldn't even play Powell. Most teams shorten their bench to 8. We can go 9. Powell has a bright future but right now what we need is chemistry and cohesivness. so important. We need to keep it TIGHT. We have to be so in sync they already know where the ball is going for it gets to them and we have to figure it out quick. Game 3 was the first time I've seen Carroll really mesh with this group. Build on that.
Indiana is terrible. They are litteraly Philadephia with Paul Geroge and half a player in Monta Ellis. They have some good to ok young players ie: like the sixers.
Not winning in 5 would be a concern in my opinion. They should be able to win the next 2 games relativley easy.
The rotations look good. Keep it like this and don't touch the winning formula.
Lowry
Deorzan
Carroll
VAL
Scola
---------
Ross
Patterson
Biyombo
Joseph
I wouldn't even play Powell. Most teams shorten their bench to 8. We can go 9. Powell has a bright future but right now what we need is chemistry and cohesivness. so important. We need to keep it TIGHT. We have to be so in sync they already know where the ball is going for it gets to them and we have to figure it out quick. Game 3 was the first time I've seen Carroll really mesh with this group. Build on that.
CatchyTune
JOHN TAVARES IS A MAPLE LEAF
Really enjoyed games 2 and 3. Getting the win last night was huge, and loved the way DD and Lowry played. Looking like we're actually the 2nd best in the East. Really excited to see what happens on Saturday, with another afternoon game. If we can go home 3-1, we won't miss the opportunity to close out.
i'm going to the Jays game tomorrow and then rushing my ass to Maple Leaf Square to catch the 2nd half. Hopefully we can come back home up 3-1.
What's great about JV is this beast mode that he's in is coming consistently now. He is becoming an amazing all around C.
Suntouchable13
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Toronto teams don't do anything easy, from my experience. I'd love for the Raptors to win the next 2 games and wrap it up. I started being a fan of NHL, NBA, and MLB in 2001 or so and a Toronto team won just one series in less than the max amount of games in that span. In 2001 (when the Leafs swept Ottawa).
Budsfan
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Game 4 Preview: Raptors @ Pacers
Posted: Apr 23, 2016
Matt Tierney - Raptors.com
After a solid performance start to finish in Game 3, the Raptors enter Saturday's matchup looking to take a 3-1 series lead back to Toronto. Following the Game 1 loss at Air Canada Centre, the Raps have rebounded to win two straight and regain the coveted home-court advantage. It's expected to once again be all hands on deck after Terrence Ross returned to the lineup Thursday. Fans should note the early 3pm start time with Maple Leaf Square once again showing the game on the big screen, as well as select Cineplex theatres in the GTA.
Tip-off - 3PM
Broadcast info: SN | TSN1050 RADIO | NBA on TNT
Ford Fanzone open: 1PM
Pregame Show: 1:30PM on NBA TV Canada
LESSONS LEARNED
Return Of The Junkyard Dog – Even though he returned to the starting lineup in Game 2, we saw the real DeMarre Carroll in the Raptors road win in Indiana on Thursday night.
These were the words of Paul George after another sound performance Monday night by Valanciunas. JV managed to stay out of foul trouble in Game 2 allowing him to continue to find success against Indiana’s frontcourt, to the tune of 23 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks.
“Coach told me he was going to lift my minutes restriction so it kind of helped me with relief a little bit mentally,” said Carroll postgame.
Casey was true to his word, playing Carroll 35 minutes, just one less than DeMar DeRozan. The first-year Raptor responded by scoring 17 points and adding five rebounds. But his defence on Paul George was arguably his biggest contribution. Overall Carroll was just happy to be back on the court without restrictions.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve played that long but it felt great and I just have to build off that."
Defensive Mindset - “I like the activity, our intensity and our approach. I think it just set the tone for the entire game.”
Casey described his team’s defensive effort in Game 3 after the Raptors held Indiana to just 38% from two and 27% from behind the arc.
Removing field-goal attempts by George, the Raptors limited the Pacers starters to just 27 points on 9/23 shooting. But they'll need to stay out of foul trouble after putting the Pacers on the free-throw line 33 times.
“We had some silly fouls I thought. We have to get away from touch fouls. That really put them in the penalty early,” said Casey.
GAME 3 TALKING POINTS
1) Will Indy Switch It Up? - “We’ll consider everything. I don’t know what our lineup will look like next game. We’ll watch tape and evaluate."
That was Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel following their Game 3 loss at home to TO.
After dropping two-straight, questions were asked as to if and when Vogel will look to make changes to his rotations and specifically if he would consider starting rookie forward Myles Turner.
Jonas Valanciunas and the Raptors big men have exploited the Pacers banged-up frontcourt, but Turner has been a bright spot. The rookie finished Thursday’s game with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
It remains to be seen if Vogel will stick with the same lineup that he used in the first three games or if he's willing to look to Turner to light a spark in his team.
2) Unsung Hero - Let the strong play of Raptors forward Patrick Patterson continue.
Despite finishing just 2-7 in Game 3, he's shooting 61% from the floor in the series.
Not considered in the NBA 6th man voting, many understand how important he is to the team, Coach Casey being one of them.
“He’s one of our smartest players. He knows situations before they happen.”
Very capable of starting, Patterson has accepted his role off the bench and still finished third on the team in minutes played in the regular season.
He logged another 26 valuable minutes Thursday night, something Casey admitted is hard to put a cap on.
“It’s hard to get him off the floor."
3) Carroll Vs. George - George may have gotten the better of Carroll in Game 2, forcing the Raptors forward to the bench early with two quick fouls, but the Junkyard Dog repaid the favour in Game 3, with playoff-level defence and finishing with 17 points on the offensive end.
"I knew at some point I was going to see that DeMarre that's going to be the chippy DeMarre. But a lot of my shots, he was getting away with hitting the elbow hitting the wrist, making it tough for me to follow through and see the ball go down,” said George after Game 3.
George still managed to score a team-high 25 points, but was held to just 6-19 from the floor thanks in large part to Carroll’s physical defensive presence.
Both players go way back and there seems to be nothing but respect between them, but this duel will continue to be something to watch as the series rolls on.
Raptors at Pacers: Game 4 preview
Cory Joseph looks to continue series-altering success in Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
By: Doug Smith Sports Reporter, Published on Fri Apr 22 2016
BANKERS LIFE FIELDHOUSE
TIPOFF: 3 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet
RADIO: TSN 1050
PROBABLE STARTERS
Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Luis Scola, Jonas Valanciunas
Indiana: George Hill, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Lavoy Allen, Ian Mahinmi
KEY MATCHUP
Joseph vs. Lawson
This has been as one-sided as any post-season matchup could possibly be. If Cory Joseph continues to shred Ty Lawson — and even the other Pacers point guards — the Raptors are not going to be too threatened at all.
NEED TO KNOW
The Pacers switched to Myles Turner instead of Lavoy Allen to start the second half of Game 3 and might stick with that look. . . . The Raptors have never won back-to-back road playoff games. . . . With seven made free throws in Game 3, DeMar DeRozan passed Vince Carter for the career franchise lead. DeRozan is at 96-for-111 (86.5 per cent). . . . Upwards of 500 Raptors fans are expected in Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the game.
UP NEXT
Game 5: Tuesday at Toronto, time TBD
Been a treat to watch so far. If he can just work on not getting into early foul trouble he will be even more effective. That said, he's certainly had some weak calls against him so far this series so can't blame him too mich
Ohh for sure, Vogel and George have nothing to complain about when it comes to fouls and getting to the line. The Raptors took like 4 free throws I believe in the entire 2nd half in game 3..in comparison I believe Indiana had 16-18 or something crazy like that.
Suntouchable13
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