Raptors Bounce Back Big

The Raptors coming into this game had a lot on their minds as they lost in overtime in Milwaukee a couple nights ago. The Detroit Pistons slumping ever since they started 3-0 after the Blake Griffin trade. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games. The Raptors were looking to get back to their winning ways and get back the rhythm they had prior to the All-Star break.

DeMar DeRozan dropped 11 of his 20 points on the night in the first quarter.

The game started strong offensively from both teams. Lowry was shooting well from the outside and DeRozan was efficient in the first quarter. OG Anunoby hit his first shot of the game and was active on the defensive end. The Raptors did have trouble keeping Ish Smith from penetrating into the paint which led to offensive rebounding and easy looks on offense for Detroit. Toronto were careless and struggled to take care of the ball as they turned the ball over six times in the first quarter. The Raptors did manage to take a 30-26 lead after the initial 12 minutes.

The Bench Mob came out with energy and moved the ball well in the second quarter. The bench played with pace and played tough defense as they quickly reeled off a 10-0 run. This was one of the typical performances the Raptors were accustomed to all season long. The bench came into the game and smashed the lead open to double digits. The starters came back in the game with six minutes left in the second quarter but struggled to continue the defensive intensity left by the bench. The Raptors consistently had communication problems and allowed open layups to keep the Pistons in the game. The halftime score was 59-53 as the Raptors took a 6-point lead.

Bench Mob were out and running early and often in this game. Siakam capitalized on the faster pace.

The Raptors were not in top form and allowed the Detroit Pistons to stick around in the first half. This third quarter changed the entire makeup of the game as the Raptors took control of the game. The starters began the second half with the right mindset on both offense and defense. The ball was whizzing around as the Raptors’ ball movement was much better compared to the first half. The defensive intensity was much improved and the Raptors top 5 defense came to play. Toronto won the third quarter 34-22 and took a commanding 18-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The Bench Mob started the fourth quarter and took care of business. The starters rested out the fourth quarter as the bench were fantastic all game long. The Pistons struggled to get anything going especially offensively. Blake Griffin was not even close with the shots he took all game long and the frustration of his team’s recent struggles was on display. Blake started pushing Jakob Poeltl after the play was stopped and picked up a technical foul complaining about calls. Siakam and VanVleet were quick to protect their teammate as soon as they saw their teammate get pushed. VanVleet was up in Griffin’s grill as the referees had to separate the two. VanVleet picked up a technical defending his teammate, which was great to see from the young core. Everyone supports each other and everyone has each other’s back. The only one to struggle from the bench was CJ Miles who managed to only hit two of his shots from the outside on the night, but was vital in the team’s ball movement and overall spacing.

Incoming Yak Attack! Jakob Poeltl slamming all over Andre Drummond. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

The Raptors won this game easily and had tons of highlight plays in this one. Jakob Poeltl’s fake hand-off and slam dunk over Andre Drummond will be on repeat all week long on all the highlight packages. Delon Wright also had a nifty over-the-shoulder pass to Jakob for the one-handed tomahawk slam. Everything went great for the Toronto Raptors in the second half as they completely shut down and blew out the Pistons. The Pistons don’t look like they will make the playoffs at this rate and it feels like forever since Reggie Jackson last played. Dwane Casey and the crew bounced back in a strong way and will be looking to carry their success into Orlando on Wednesday.

Toronto Raptors Detroit Pistons

123 94

Player of the Game:

Kyle was superb and led the team to a great bounce back win.

Kyle Lowry

20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 2 turnovers, 6-10 shooting, 6-8 3PT, 2-2 FT

There were tons of choices for the player of the game in this one. Both DeRozan and Siakam were honorable mentions, but Lowry’s aggressiveness to start the game was impactful. The pit bull made shots in this game that go overlooked but they were essential to stop any sort of momentum Detroit was trying to build. When the Raptors struggled to score on consecutive possessions, he took it upon himself to get a bucket and did tonight. It will be interesting to see if Lowry can maintain a consistent shooting touch throughout the second half of the season as he is shooting a dismal 42% from the field this season.

Things To Take Away From This Game:

1. A Tale of Two Halves

• The Raptors came out much stronger and decisive in the second half. The Raptors outscored the Pistons in the second half, 64-41. The defense was the main cog to success as the Raptors gave up 53 points in the first half and only 41 points in the second half. They turned on the switch as both the execution on offense and defensive intensity picked up drastically than what was seen in the first half.

2. Jonas Valanciunas

• JV has had a bad stretch of games recently and only managed to grab five rebounds in this game. JV’s recent pedestrian numbers will be something to focus on as they need Jonas’ production to be at a high level to expose teams with small lineups. Drummond beat Jonas in this matchup as the All-Star put up 18 points to match his 18 rebounds. JV has not hit a three in a long time as well as he went 0-2 on the night from deep. Teams are starting to run him off the line but are preventing him from getting straight line drives to the rim as well. Casey and staff will need to somehow get JV going in the upcoming games.

3. OG

• OG finally had a well-rounded game which was great to see. OG took his first shot from the field with confidence and once that ball hit the bottom of the net, it felt as if he was more comfortable on the floor. His length and athleticism is vital for the SF position on this team. Anunoby chipped in on the boards with strong box outs and tapping it to his teammates. He was efficient on the night scoring in multiple ways. He will need to build more confidence and facing the Orlando Magic could help build more confidence. The Raptors face the Wizards later this week and his match-up with Bradley Beal will be interesting to watch.

4. Bench Mob

• The Bench Mob proved why they are one of the premiere bench lineups in the NBA. The bench combined to score 54 of 123 points scored on the night. The ball movement was contagious and Siakam is beginning to look like a Lite-Lamar Odom as every game goes on. The vision and ability to bring the ball up the court is a big asset since he is able to find shooters, his front court partner and break down opposing bigs off the dribble. He finished with a strong all-around performance with 11 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Pictures courtesy of:

http://www.nba.com/raptors/gallery/rapspistons-022618