Everything Round 1 (2016)

[e_wheazhy_]

Game 5: Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers (2-2) | Tuesday April 26th

Just watched the video. Wasn't a dirty play at all by Lowry. Don't know what you guys are talking about. Huge overreaction.

Not dirty, they're boys! After the game they prolly go for dinner

[Nilanka]

Need to play like game 3 (not like game 4).

I sincerely hope we're not patting ourselves on the back for last night's effort. I hope the coaching staff successfully conveys the message that the first 36 minutes were atrocious.

Raps need to play like they have something to prove. It's when they play like they've already accomplished something, that they run into trouble.

[KeonClark]

If PG needs motivation from a Drake instagram post when his team is down 3-2 then he's the immature one.

Exactly. Lol you guys are so lame, shaking in your boots when someone talks a little smack. That's what makes the playoffs even more fun!

[KHD]

i swear to god i have never seen a team complain about refs and physical play as much as these pacers do.

It's ridiculous considering they have had a favourable whistle at a lot of times this series. Especially Paul George, who may very well take the "temper tantrum" moniker from Wes Matthews by the end of this series.

[consmap]

I am going to go insane waiting for Friday.

Guys we're already insane.

Hopefully Indiana (mainly Paul George) is out of juice now and can't put up anymore resistance. The second round is in sight!

[psrs1]

Well then. That happened.

Big round of applause for DeMar. Finally got some calls, but he was also doing a good job just screaming around screens to get some daylight, forced a few switches he took advantage of, and settled less than he has been (settled for a couple bad jumpers right near the end). Still did very little in way of passing or defence, but I'll take what I can get - positive game from him.

This game was like bizarro-this-series. DeMar scored well. Patterson played a poor game (he really wasn't terrible, but he was part of a couple brutal units). JV had a rough game (really a rough first few minutes with those turnovers - did he have the yips or what - he was fine after that).

Good call by Casey riding the lineup that brought them back in it. Vogel helped us out big time there, sitting his starters for any length of time in the 4th, let alone all at once. That sort of run is something you almost never see, let alone in the playoffs, in the fourth Q, in the critical game 5. Craziness.

That small lineup with two SG's, two PG's, and Biz worked great against the bench unit and worked well enough against their closers.

Obviously they did blow it at the end and got lucky there wasn't 0.1 more seconds on the clock. But we'll take the W and try to straighten stuff out for game 6.

I don't think Patterson's struggles were because he was starting - the starting lineup did fine, a -2 in 16 minutes. It was the Patterson/Biyombo combination that was a disaster this game. Maybe with all the success the small lineup had at the end there, we'll see Carroll/Powell at the 4 with the bench unit and let Patterson play all his minutes with JV.

Really, the deficit in this game was driven by that disastrous late first Q run after JV and DeMar sat down. The Pacers caught fire from three, hitting 5 over 8 possessions. Those same 8 possessions for the Raptors were three missed 3's, a missed Patterson jumper, and Biyombo going two for three - hitting a hook shot and a loooong 20 foot jumper, and missing a dunk (because of course). 15-4 run to close the Q and there didn't seem to be a lot of blame to throw around - they got some open looks with some slow rotations, but no one player seemed to be at fault.

That doesn't seem like a particularly repeatable disaster.

So, hopefully for next game, JV won't suddenly become terrified of just going up strong in the first few minutes, and we'll get more time with that small unit with Biyombo when JV sits.

Good post. Mentally I hope Raps remember game 6 at Brooklyn two years ago and game 4 this series.

[Chr1s1anL]

It's not how you start but how you finish.

[Barolt]

Casey's post-game comments make it sound like Patterson will not be starting anymore.

[Barolt]

So we've won with JV carrying us(game 2), we've won with the supporting cast carrying us(game 3), and now we've won with DeMar carrying us(game 5). Now we need to put it all together for the next round.

[Mess]

Not dirty, they're boys! After the game they prolly go for dinner

It's borderline dirty. It's definitely reckless. Lowry does those tricks all the time to get a whistle but if his bodyweight would have come down fully on PG's forearm the way it was, it could have been very bad. Completely understand his reaction.

[KHD]

i think the biggest takeaway from the series for me is that this team is still not close to complete if contending for the title is the goal.

The key questions for Masai right now are:

1. Generally, How much more can we get from internal development?
2. How much (if any) better would Carroll be if he wasn't returning from injury?
3. How good will JV become? How effective will he ever be with the current system?
4. Is a max contract to Derozan good asset management or is it handcuffing? Can his overall impact be replaced by inserting better 3/D players into a different system?
5. How long will Lowry be in his prime?
6. Who's going to be our true superstar?

[Barolt]

By the way, whoever starts, the 9-man rotation needs to be set now.

Lowry/DeMar/Carroll/Patterson/JV/CoJo/Ross/Powell/Biyombo.

Those are the only players who need to be playing the rest of the playoffs.

[007]

Just don't make it go to a game 7...

[JimiCliff]

Just watched the game. Good lord what a roller coaster. Takeaways:

- I don't understand how we won.

- Bismack Biyombo just saved our season.

- A big part of this game was Indy hitting shots. Threes, bullshit bank shots, you name it. I give them a little credit, but there was also a lot of luck and randomness involved.

- That play by Lowry on George was dirty af.

- The Raptors' body language was awful until that run in the 4th. Biggest game of the year, and they looked scared and completely overmatched. This is a leadership issue, and it direly needs to be addressed in the off-season.

- I'm sure this has already been said a dozen times, but the big run came with Demar on the bench, and that was hands down the best the team looked all night.

- That three point binge by Ross that got him benched was unreal, and amongst the worst basketball crimes I've see all year. I guess that's the kind of confidence you get from doinking Amber Rose.

- Big plays by Cojo and Powell down the stretch.

[Majesiu]

By the way, whoever starts, the 9-man rotation needs to be set now.

Lowry/DeMar/Carroll/Patterson/JV/CoJo/Ross/Powell/Biyombo.

Those are the only players who need to be playing the rest of the playoffs.

Don't go ahead ourselves, but I mostly agree, but with addition that our starting lineup shouldn't be set in stone. Of course I'm not talking about bringing Scola back. Against Miami I'd much rather see KL/NP/Caroll/DeMar/JV to counter their 4 starting wings. Against CHO though PPat would be better suited, as they play 3 bigs, with Marvin Williams at 3, and even bring 2 other bigs of the bench.