Friday, March 16, 2018

J-Speaks: History and Streaking Raptors


Prior to the 2015-16 NBA campaign, the Toronto Raptors had never won 50 games in a regular season in their 20 seasons. Two seasons back, they won a franchise best 56 games as they made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Earlier this week, the No. 1 Seeded team in the Eastern Conference made some more franchise history and made another statement that the 2017-18 season would be a special one. 
In the Raptors’ (51-17) 116-102 win at the struggling Brooklyn Nets (21-47), they not only earned their ninth consecutive victory, but notched their 50th win on the season, marking a third consecutive season of 50 wins, all under head coach Dwane Casey. 
On Thursday night in their come from behind win at the No. 4 Seeded Indiana Pacers (40-29) 106-99, the Raptors won their 10th straight game; earned their 17th win in their last 18 games; garnered their eighth straight win on the road, a new franchise record and matched the single-season record with their 24th victory on the road. 
To put into context how far the Raptors have come in this most successful stretch in team history, the most regular season wins the Raptors had was 49 in 2013-14, their first of three consecutive Atlantic Division titles, but lost in the opening round to ironically enough the Nets in seven games. 
Since that series, the Raptors including their win at the Nets as mentioned have won 13 of the last 15 encounters, which includes eight wins in their last 10 chances against New York’s other basketball team. 
“It’s a good milestone for us,” Raptors All-Star guard Kyle Lowry said of the Raptors accomplishment. “But we got bigger fish to fry. It’s another win, another stepping-stone for our journey.” 
A journey that has the Raptors on course to win 60 games for the first time in team history, if they can nine of their final 14 games, but for the Raptors, this season is about them overtaking the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and four-time league MVP and three-time Finals MVP LeBron James, who have ended the Raptors season the last two years in the playoffs. 
“It’s never been done (in Toronto),” Raptors fellow All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan told the Toronto Star earlier this week about winning 60 games, “Not many people get the opportunity to win 60-plus games. We came close a couple of years ago. That’s big.” 
DeRozan added, “On top of that, you’ve got to prove why you’re a 60-win team. As long as we continue to do what we need to do, hopefully we can get there.” 
While the Raptors are having their best season in team history, having the No. 1 Seed this late into the NBA season in the Eastern Conference in team history, their past playoff failures, which has seen them fall to the Cavs in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago, and a 4-0 sweep in the East Semifinals last spring still have many in NBA circles skeptical about their chances to make a serious postseason run starting next month.
Many particularly point to Lowry and DeRozan’s inability to play consistently in the postseason the past four years, which includes the team’s 4-0 sweep in the opening round versus the Washington Wizards, whose All-Star guard duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal severely outplayed them. 
Their last two wins displayed how different the Raptors are compared to the last four seasons and that they are more equipped to make a serious playoff run. 
After trailing 67-57 at intermission, where they gave up 40 points in the first quarter at the Nets, the Raptors outscored them 59-35 in the second half. The Raptors held the Nets to 40.7 percent from the field on the night, despite them going 15 for 36 from three-point range. They out-rebounded the Nets 53-38; outscored them 32-13 in fast break points and 62-36 in the paint. 
While Lowry had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists, but was just 4 for 13 from the field, including 1 for 8 from three-point range and DeRozan had 15 points and seven boards on 6 for 12 from the field. 
It was the play of starting center Jonas Valanciunas that made the difference as he led the way with 26 points and 14 rebounds. 
The reserves for the Raptors, who have been huge for the team all season were great again led by Lowry’s understudy Fred VanVleet also had 15 points, hitting 3 for 6 from three-point range. Fellow reserve guard CJ Miles had 12 points, going 3 for 6 from three-point range in 19 minutes off the bench, while Delon Wright had 10 points off the pine.
“It was nothing magical,” Casey said of his team’s play in the second half. “But again, I shouldn’t have to yell and scream to get guys to play hard at half. Just start at the beginning of the game.” 
After getting off to another slow start at the Pacers on Thursday night as they trailed 57-49 at intermission, but behind DeRozan who scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half rallied for the seven-point win. 
Valanciunas had his second consecutive double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds, to go along with four blocks as the Raptors out-rebounded the Pacers 58-35.
While Lowry struggled again with 13 points, going 3 for 10 from the field, with six boards and six assists, starting forward Serge Ibaka picked up the slack with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. 
Off the bench, forward Pascal Siakam had an impact with 12 points and eight boards, while Miles, a former Pacer had 10 points, going 3 for 7 from three-point range. 
As they did at the Nets on Tuesday night, the Raptors clamped down on the Pacers offense, outscoring them 29-20 in the four quarter, holding them to 43.0 percent shooting on the evening, including 7 for 24 from three-point range. The Raptors out-rebounded the Pacers 64-43, including 19-11 on the offensive glass and had eight blocks. 
“We just came out with a sense of urgency,” DeRozan, who also had seven assists and capped a 16-4 run to close the game with a two-handed dunk on the break off a steal said after the win. “We weren’t playing too well in the first half, and we knew we had to pick it up, and that’s what we did.” 
On what has worked for the Raptors to help them win 10 in a row, and eight in a row away from Air Canada Centre, DeRozan said, “We just locking in from all angles. From defensively, offensively, understanding what we got to do. Whether we’re having a tough game, bad shooting night, we always know we can figure out someway to win.” 
On Thursday, the Raptors found many ways to win like their 12 for 32 shooting from three-point range and going 24 for 28 from the charity stripe, which made up for the 20 turnovers they had, with 11 of those being steals giving up 18 points off those miscues. Being outscored 14-7 on the fast break and only having a 44-42 advantage in the paint. 
In speaking to the team’s sense of urgency this season that DeRozan talked about, since the Raptors 98-93 loss at the Dallas Mavericks (22-46) on Dec. 26, 2017, they have won 17 straight games against sub .500 teams. 
Of their 23 victories this season by at least 15 points, 14 of them have come against teams under .500, which has allowed Lowry and DeRozan the chance to spend many fourth quarters on the bench resting.
A team that for the past few seasons offensive an isolation team, has become a team that relies on ball movement and the ability to take and make three-pointers. That has resulted in a franchise record of 21 straight games scoring over 100 points, breaking the old mark of 20 in a row from Jan. 6-Feb. 20, 2010.  
The other key for the Raptors success is the fact that they have a grittiness and a competitive spirit that when they have gotten challenged to raise their level of play in a game, they have done so, and that has been proven in their ninth and 10th wins in a row. 
“To be successful in this league, you have to have grit,” Casey, whose squad is 2-1 against the Pacers this season said after the win at the Pacers. “That’s something our guys have developed. As long as we have that grit and togetherness, we’ll be OK.” 
This has been the best stretch of basketball for the team, whose mantra has been “We the North” over the past five seasons. The last three have produced 50 wins and barring a serious losing streak, the Toronto Raptors will win their fourth Atlantic Division title in the last five seasons. Will set a new franchise mark for victories in a single-regular season and be the No. 1 Seed in the East. 
Even with all of those great goals, this season for them is about getting back to the Eastern Conference Finals and having a chance to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy this June. 
That means that at some point they will met James and the Cavs again, and they will have to get pass them for that opportunity to play for a NBA title to become a reality. 
With a strong bench, being a Top 5 team on both offense and defense and that Kyle Lowry has changed his game for the betterment of the team and DeRozan has risen his game to where he is an MVP candidate, this is the Raptors best chance to win it all. 
“It’s good for our team, our franchise,” Casey said on Tuesday night about winning 50 games for a third straight season. “But we’re playing for something more than that. We’re playing for something special. To do that, you have to play as close to as many 48-minute games as you possibly can from here until the end of June. You have to be selfless.” 
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