Jeff Teague shook Kyle Lowry off the dribble before twisting and launching toward the hoop for an easy layup plus the foul. The Atlanta Hawks point guard sunk his freebie, pulling the home team within seven points with close to a minute and a half to go in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game versus the Toronto Raptors.
There’d be a time not so long ago when a sequence like that would instantly draw fingernails to the teeth of Raptors fans, who have seen more than their fair share of collapses over the years; cutting down a lead or closing out a game against the Raptors used to be easy, like swatting at a fly already stuck to the flypaper.
Not anymore.
I believe it was the late, great basketball mind Red Auerbach who first said: “These ain’t your mama’s Raptors.”
Much like on Monday night’s win at home against the Phoenix Suns, the Raptors were able to stave off a near-comeback on Wednesday, sealing a win that frankly never really seemed in doubt.
But go back just a couple of weeks ago to the loss against the Chicago Bulls, when the Raptors coughed up a comfortable lead. Despite a valiant Lowry-led comeback effort of their own—nearly erasing a 14-point fourth quarter deficit—there was a familiar, sinking feeling in the wake of that game, like the bubble was about to be burst on the Raptors’ scorching start to the 2014-15 campaign.
Turns out it was the heart shown in those final minutes against Chicago—and not the blown lead—that spoke bigger volumes about this Raptors team. They don’t get down, know their strengths and each other, and are playing together and with more confidence than ever.
It’s a big reason why they’re able to close games out like we saw on Wednesday.
And so, after Teague’s layup brought the Hawks within striking distance, Lowry coolly collected the ball and brought it up the court. He drew the defence toward him en route to the hoop and found Amir Johnson for an open dunk, giving the Raptors star point guard (and latest Sportsnet Magazine cover boy) his 13th assist of the night. The dunk more or less sealed the game, and gave Johnson his 10th point, bringing all starters into double figures.
It was that kind of night. And you know what? We’re starting to get used to it.
The win, 126–115, was the Raptors’ sixth in a row, bringing their record to a league-best 13-2. It was also their 54th win since December 3, 2013, which happens to be second most in the NBA, meaning its now been nearly a calendar year of elite performance in the regular season from Dwane Casey’s club.
In a game that saw both teams shoot 51 percent from the floor, again it was the Raptors’ depth that proved the difference, even as Casey switched up his starting lineup, putting in James Johnson at power forward to matchup with Paul Millsap and Lou Williams at shooting guard in front of a hometown crowd of family and friends. The Raptors second-unit players provided timely offence and saw the floor for important stretches against the Hawks’ starters—in particular the start of the fourth quarter, when they extended the Raptors’ lead to 10.
“[The second-unit] came in and changed the game,” Casey told the press after the game. “They gave us great energy and helped us bring DeMar [DeRozan] and Kyle’s minutes down.”
Casey went on to single out Greivis Vasquez for his big night. The reserve guard had shot just 9-for-29 in his previous four games heading into Wednesday’s game. He finished the game with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting in just over 16 minutes.
“It’s like swimming or riding a bicycle; you don’t forget it,” Casey said of Vasquez’s shooting ability. “[Atlanta] had to put DeMarre Carroll on him, their best defender. That’s a sign of respect.”
The Chicago game aside, the Raptors have looked the part of the East’s best team, as much a testament to just how well they’re playing as it is to the overall lack of competition around them.
The Hawks, a near-guaranteed playoff team, are vulnerable, as we’ve seen during two Raptor wins thus far. The Cleveland Cavaliers are a hot mess, an erratic club with ill-fitting parts that will take some time still before finding their groove. The Charlotte Hornets were supposed to be a rising power, but haven’t exactly shown a whole lot in the way of “sting” so far. The Washington Wizards, too, are on the rise and currently second in the East, but were blown out by these same Raptors earlier this season. Even Chicago is full of question marks given Derrick Rose’s constantly evolving injury status.
So for now the real litmus test for the Raptors lies out West, where the balance of power in the NBA truly lies.
They’ve already beaten a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team (second in the West), but how will this team perform against the likes of the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and even the surprising Sacramento Kings?
The Raptors will face a big test in their next game, squaring off against a talented Dallas Mavericks team at Air Canada Centre on Friday. Then it’s off for a cream-puff three-game west coast trip against two bottom dwellers (the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz) and the aforementioned Kings, who, like Toronto, are one of the hottest teams in the league.
Over the next month, heading into the New Year, Casey and the Raptors will see those top Western Conference teams, and we’ll know a lot more about this club and what kind of expectations we should set for them.
As for now, the Raptors are firing on all cylinders: they’re closing out games, playing together, and getting contributions across the board. Simply put: they’re playing like the best team in basketball.
