I’m writing this one a couple of days after the fact but before the start of game 2. This is just a rough summary of what happened in the game, plus a few other thoughts that come across my mind (value added, straight from my brain).
Game Recap
Overall, a very solid game for the Raps with a 108-95 win on the road for game one. The story of the game is definitely Kawhi Leonard’s huge game (45 points, 11 rebounds), but there are a few other things I’ll highlight as well. The Raptors’ defence was excellent. Philly has more stars in its starting line-up than the Milky Way (ugh…), but Toronto didn’t let any of them really get going. A lot of the fun in this series is how all the matchups will play out. I tried to track the substitution patterns and who was guarding who, but lost track somewhat throughout the game – something I’ll look for in Game 2.
First Quarter:
TOR: Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol
PHI: Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
Philly started the game on a 7-2 run, but the Raptors took control right after. Siakam and Leonard were unstoppable in the first quarter, hitting 17 points each. Siakam showed outstanding touch in the paint. If he was anywhere near the basket, he could make something happen with excellent footwork, upfakes, and jump-hooks. He also hit two 3-pointers in the quarter Gasol’s defence on Embiid in the first quarter was excellent. Embiid finished the quarter shooting 3-6 FGM/FGA, but what was notable was the number of times he began his post-sequence, but had to pass the ball back out for a reset (eating up valuable shot clock time). Embiid subbed out around the 6:00 for a three-and-a-half minutes break, while Gasol stayed in until about 2:30 – right when Embiid returned. This put Ibaka on Embiid for a little longer than I loved. He did well later in the game, but gave up a dunk and a 3-pointer. Despite a couple baskets from Embiid, the Raptors opened up a 14 point lead at one point in the quarter. Leonard couldn’t miss (not in this quarter, not all game), hitting a variety of short and mid-range jumpers. Great start.
Second Quarter:
Kawhi kept up his domination in the second quarter. There were times where it seemed like the Raptors were relying a bit too heavily on the isolation brilliance of Kawhi and Siakam. They didn’t get the same kind of wide open looks resulting from good ball movement that Philly had in the first part of this quarter and the start of the third.
The minutes with Ibaka guarding Embiid were a bit worrisome, especially as Philly started closing the gap at the start of the quarter. I have in my notes “NEED MORE TIME W/ GASOL ON EMBIID!!” I think I was getting nervous. There were a couple of other tough plays for Ibaka. Poor positioning on a box out lead to a massive Embiid dunk. A few plays later, he did thread a nice pass to a cutting Lowry, but it arrived a moment too late, and Lowry’s reverse lay-up attempt was visibly rushed, rimming out.
The Raps’ D really showed out in this quarter as well. There was a great sequence around the 6-minute mark where their help rotations worked together seamlessly [imagine that I inserted an extremely smooth professionally-edited mini-video clip of said sequence]. Philly got the offensive board, but the Raps got right back into position and forced another tough shot. ANOTHER offensive board for Philly, but the Raptors’ persistence paid off, and they forced a turnover, I think by Harris. That sequence, showing off defensive capacity over and over again like that, was very impressive.
Kyle Lowry drew 2 offensive fouls at 4:28 and 3:11 of the quarter, and Danny Green looked sharp against Harris.
Third Quarter:
Some nice defensive plays by the Raps, some challenges. They forced a 24-second violation around the 11:00 mark, always a nice victory for the defence. Green forced Harris into a travel (a rarely seen straight-up-and-down) at 9:30. However, that was followed up by the third of JJ Redick’s five 3-pointers in the quarter around 9:10. JJ’s shooting kept Philly in the quarter for a while before the Raptors started running away, growing the lead to 19 by the 1:57 mark. JJ even earned a few sequences of Kawhi chasing him around screens, rather than VanVleet or Lowry.
There was a nice sequence around 7:00 minute mark. Harris caught a rebound in the corner and turned to bring the ball up. Lowry, already close by and seeing Harris look upcourt (Harris has handles, but isn’t a natural guard), got in his jersey immediately. Harris swung the ball around to get free, catching Kyle with a forearm to the face (with, admittedly, some *minor* salesmanship from Lowry), drawing the offensive foul, Lowry’s third draw of the game. Great play. Harris was livid, Lowry amused, and he followed it up by scoring a layup under Harris’ outstretched arm on the very next possession.
Fourth Quarter:
Philly started the 4th quarter with its starters in, looking to cut into the lead, but couldn’t get much done. Embiid was stunting for the cameras with a massive flop on Powell around 10:30. Embiid was setting a screen for someone, and Powell made contact going overtop the screen, which somehow sent Embiid flying to the floor. Nice try.
Things were looking pretty good for the Raptors after back-to-back baskets from Kawhi pushed the lead to 18 points with 7:05 left. I wasn’t quite ready to exhale, but Kawhi added four more points (two free throws and a floater) in the 4:00 minute range, pushing the lead to 20 and putting the game to bed. What a win.
Key Numbers
5-18 (Embiid’s FGM/FGA)
The Raps aren’t likely to get such a weak shooting performance from Embiid again. Although Gasol’s defence and Kawhi’s excellent help rotations forced him into some very awkward shots (and some where he was clearly looking to get bailed out by the refs), he also missed some very makeable ones that will drop for him in the future.
10 (total bench points from the Raps)
On the other hand, the Raps’ bench is also likely to put forward a better foot in Game 2. Since losing JV and Delon Wright in the Gasol deal (which also moved Ibaka to the bench), the Raptors bench hasn’t played to the standards of last year’s Bench Mob. Still, even in an eight-man rotation, Ibaka, VanVleet or Powell should have a couple decent games this series.
16-23; 12-15 (outrageously efficient shooting from Kawhi and Siakam)
Leaning back in the other direction – devastating efficiency from Kawhi and Siakam, which might be hard to repeat. Kawhi has had some similarly out of this world games against Orlando (8-11 in Game 5 including 5-5 3PM; 15-22 in Game 2), so it’s not out of the question he could repeat. But the Raptors also can’t rely on that kind of a monster “he can’t miss!” game every day.
6-20 (Philadelphia 3PM/3PA, minus Redick’s 5-12 game)
This is one area where I’m actually not sure regression to the mean WILL matter too match. Butler and Embiid have room to do better, definitely (0-3, 1-3 respectively). But at the same time, when you have Furkan Korkmaz and Jonah Bolden bombing away from deep (1-4, 1-4), your team’s shooting depth is a little busted. (Of note: apparently Mike Scott, one of Philly’s better shooters, was in a walking boot this game with a heel injury – Google indicates he’s out for Game 2 as well).
Other Thoughts
Whither Jimmy Butler?
Butler was an absolute GHOST in this game. Not a good basketball ghost, like a scary ghost from The Conjuring. A weak-ass ghost, like the ones from Pac-Man, after they’ve been turned edible and their mouths are quivery lines of white pixels and they flee like indolent cowards. That kind of ghost. The box score insists Butler played 38 minutes and took 12 shots, but I’m not sure the box score was actually watching the same game I was. When did Butler score?? Who was Butler guarding that whole game?? Simmons didn’t have the greatest game either and is probably looking to bounce back.
Kyle’s Shooting Hand Injured?
Lowry hurt his hand in Game 5 against Orlando. He was wincing considerably, and while he didn’t call timeout right away, he could only dribble up the court with his left (non-shooting) hand, and ended up calling time before the Raptors got into their offensive set. He ended up staying in the game. I haven’t trawled the depths of NBA content with my usual stringency the last couple of days, so I’m not sure exactly what his injury status is, but he went 0-4 on 3s and missed a couple of wide open looks. Something to keep an eye on.
Bench Problems
As mentioned above, the Raptors bench looked weak, especially their deep bench.* Foul trouble could be an issue in this series. Kyle stayed in late in the third with four fouls. Outside of Ibaka, Powell and VanVleet, Jodie Meeks was the only one to enter the game at all outside of the true garbage time. I’d like to see Patrick McCaw get some minutes. He played a strong contributing role in past Warriors’ playoff runs, and he has the size (6’5) to play defence against some of Philadelphia’s bigger guards (although he definitely gives up weight to Simmons and Butler, but he’s not much worse off than the smaller trio of Powell, Kyle and VanVleet).
*In garbage time in Game 5 against Orlando, their deep bench also looked pretty incompetent. Garbage time isn’t the best measuring stick; effort isn’t always there, but it was disconcerting to see the Orlando deep reserves, and now the Philly deep reserves, putting together efficient plays while the Raptors were slinging the ball around carelessly and taking very wack contested shots.
curious winnipeg 