With tip-off just hours away, the Raptors will look to avenge their game one loss to the Nets and even up the series before heading out for two games in Brooklyn. While the Raps’ effort and toughness kept them in contention on Saturday (until Paul Pierce took over when it mattered, because, apparently, that’s what he does), their overall execution was a far cry from what we saw throughout the regular season. Game one gave them a chance to realize that the playoffs are a different story altogether. Will they be able to bounce back tonight?
What the Raptors have going for them:
DeMar’s turnaround: The Raptors aren’t going to win too many games with their go-to scorer shooting 3-for-13 and not getting his first basket until the last two minutes of the third quarter (as was the case Saturday). DeMar DeRozan still managed 14 points by hitting all eight of his free throw attempts, but you can count on a bounce-back game from him. During the regular season, DeRozan scored 15 or fewer points in fifteen games, but never consecutively. Simply put, DeRozan ain’t going out like that.
T-Ross on the court: The Raptors’ most important perimeter defender missed large chunks of game one after picking up fouls early and often. Now that he and the coaching staff have a better understanding of how the referees will be calling the series, Ross can take a wiser approach to tonight’s game.
Jonas the Aggresor: Even though the stats show that Valanciunas was a -17 on Saturday, you have to love the assertiveness he played with from the outset. A big part of that was the result of a game plan that had the Raptors establish their big man early—his usage rate of 28.8 percent was the highest on the team in game one. Sure, he let some passes slip through his hands and was perhaps a little too frenetic at times, but an emphatic 17 points and 18 rebounds in the first playoff game of his career? Talk about a good reason for confidence heading into game two.
Working shot clocks: No, seriously. You won’t find anyone on the club using game one’s malfunctioning shot clocks as an excuse, but the ACC’s technical glitch did add to what was already a frenzied environment. Veteran teams like Brooklyn can deal with those kind of minor distractions. But for a Raptors’ roster that already looked somewhat overwhelmed by the atmosphere, it didn’t help matters.
What the Nets have going for them:
Paul Pierce really is The Truth: It doesn’t matter what happens in the first 46 minutes; unless you’re a Nets fan, you don’t want the ball anywhere near Pierce’s hands in the last two. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Brooklyn does a great job of utilizing one of this generations scariest closers, and by ‘utilizing’ I mean getting him the ball and getting the hell out of his way.
The backcourt: One of the only backcourt combos that can score at the same rate as the Raptors’, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson will continue to give Raps fits in game two. They’re just too big and skilled to contain one-on-one, and if they’re both feeling it, as was the case in game one, few teams in the league have a chance to beat Brooklyn. The Raptors need to find a way to diminish at least one of them, like the Nets did with DeRozan, to have a chance in game two.
The Raptors’ crowd: A raucus environment can be a great boost for the home team, providing that extra bit of gunpowder. But certain guys feed off of a hostile crowd, relishing the role of the bad guy. So what happens when the crowd chants “KG sucks” relentlessly? It motivates Kevin Garnett to shut them up. Paul Pierce spoke at length about this after yesterday’s practice, admitting it was more rewarding to win on the road in the face of a crowd like we saw at the ACC on Saturday.
Player to watch:
Landry Fields: The Raptors’ seldom-used wing reserve is expected to play a far greater role tonight. After Amir Johnson and the Raptors’ bigs struggled mightily to defend Pierce when the Nets slotted him in at power forward, expect Dwane Casey to give Fields minutes at the four. Fields is one of Toronto’s best defenders, one of the few on the club who can matchup with a player like Pierce. While it remains to be seen just how long Casey will roll with Fields, playing him at power forward does allow the coach to use him more effectively on offence as well, letting him create chances by cutting to the basket as opposed to hanging out on the perimeter where he’s largely ineffective. Fields did not play at all in game one.
Game one at a glance:
Quotable:
Patrick Patterson on strategic adjustments: “There’ll be something different. Our coaches are working on new schemes, offensively and defensively, to get Paul Pierce more involved in our offensive game and having to guard a little more. The second game should be different.”
Pierce on the Nets’ depth: “That’s the beauty of this team, we’re 11 strong, one of the deepest teams talent-wise I’ve been on. That’s one of the reasons we were able to withstand a lot of the injuries and be where we are right now.”
Valanciunas on the effect of Garnett’s trash talk: “I don’t understand English, so I’m OK.”