TORONTO – The very human-looking cyborgs that populate the San Antonio Spurs are used to playing without their key pieces. They seemingly have a software patch they can plug in when they’re missing a player or two or – as was the case Tuesday night – two future hall-of-famers and a dark-horse MVP candidate.
The Toronto Raptors machine is still getting used to it.
That may be the best explanation to describe how the Spurs were able to outlast the Raptors 108-106 in a game that was variously gritty, brilliant and highly entertaining.
The Spurs, who won their fifth straight to improve to 36-9 and pull within two games of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference, seem to be able to win regardless of who dresses. Missing for the Spurs were Tony Parker (foot), Pau Gasol (hand) and, most significantly, Kawhi Leonard (hand) who was a late scratch, saving the Raptors from having to deal with quite possibly the NBA’s best all-around player not named LeBron James.
They just keep rolling though.
“One thing about being here, it’s more about the system” said LaMarcus Aldridge, the high-profile free agent who has fit in seamlessly in his second year in San Antonio. “They’ve been good over the years of plugging guys into the system … we try to have players who can plug in and get the job done.”
The Raptors have much less rope to play with.
“Yes, of course there is less [margin for error] with an all-star starter being out,” said Kyle Lowry, who did his share of heavy lifting with 30 points in 42 minutes, getting to the free-throw line a DeMar DeRozan-like 12 times – all in the first half – but only collecting two assists in the process – again, more like DeRozan than Lowry. “It’s always a little more difficult to win games.”
While the Spurs can seemingly play anyone against anybody and not miss a beat, the Raptors don’t have that luxury.
Desperate for a win to break a three-game losing streak, the Raptors will look back at this game as one they could’ve – perhaps should’ve – won, but were undone by some small but significant errors down the stretch. With players returning to the lineup and unused to playing with each other and without DeRozan, the pieces didn’t always fit.
The game was looking like a rout early as the Raptors let the Spurs jump out to a 61-54 first-half lead while shooting 55 per cent from the floor. The Spurs were 21-3 while leading at halftime and 18-1 when shooting better than 50 per cent.
But there are a few signs that bode well. One was the play of the second unit with Patrick Patterson back in the fold. Patterson was his old self – hitting well-spaced jumpers, drawing charges, commanding the defence and making the extra pass. He finished with 12 points on six shots as the bench was a collective plus-12 for the game.
“It felt good to be out there,” he said. “Staying on the sidelines, watching, being in the training room watching – for me to be finally our there felt good.”
Said Casey: “He’s a big piece with that glue. He was on a minutes restriction. We had to get him out. I thought he came in and got us steady: moved the basketball, made some shots, defended, rebounded. He just did a lot of positive things that really gave us some glue that we needed.”
The parts started coming together more cohesively in the second half, mainly because the Raptors managed to hold the Spurs to 26 per cent shooting in the third quarter and 35 per cent for the entire second half.
Cory Joseph, the former Spur, came off the bench to score eight of his 10 points and the game was tied at 79 heading into the fourth.
The game was there to be had at that point, but then again the Raptors were trying to figure it out on the fly against the Spurs, who seemed unruffled about playing big stretches of the fourth quarter with a lineup featuring – at times – three rookies.
The difference was in a series of small plays that added up: The Raptors allowed Patty Mills to run out for an uncontested lay-up with just under six minutes left that gave them the lead; Jonas Valanciunas let Aldridge spin back to his right hand after forcing him left and under the backboard, seemingly trapped. Aldridge made the shot and free throw after Valanciunas fouled him and the score was tied again. Lowry and Norman Powell both missed lay-ups in the final two minutes that could have been the difference.
“I thought the simple plays, layups, easy plays, they get a run-out on a jump-ball situation – we always tell our guys get a foot behind the guy next to you, just the simple fundamental things that happen to you that an experienced team takes advantage of,” said Casey. “I thought our team competed their behinds off in the second half. I was really proud. But it comes back to the little things. It’s not the three-point shots [the Raptors shot 6-of-25], fancy plays. It’s fundamentals, box outs, free throws, layups, tonight in the second half.”
There was a game to be won, without a doubt.
“I thought it was a really competitive game, anybody could have won the thing,” said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. “I think we both had problems making shots, really. Both teams had some pretty open shots. Down the stretch, very honestly, it went our way.”
It also comes down to late-game execution. Trailing by two, Terrence Ross opted to shoot a contested three with 11 seconds left that missed. With 9.9 seconds left and trailing by three, after an Aldridge free throw, they had to burn their last timeout while inbounding the ball. Casey still elected to go for a quick two rather than a three. Powell got the lay-up and Toronto was down one, but the Raptors only had five seconds to get the ball up the floor to tie or win and that didn’t prove enough as it took a second or two to control the rebound of Aldridge’s missed free throw.
Powell tried a desperation three, hoping to get fouled. He wasn’t and he missed the 33-footer.
The Spurs kept rolling, spare parts and all. The Raptors, missing their main cog, continue to sputter.
