Gameday Preview

tornkonarowski

Pascal Siakam speaks with the media ahead of Friday's game with the Jazz.

raptors-pre-game-pascal-siakam-february-10-2023

Raptors Pre Game: Pascal Siakam - February 10, 2023

Jakob Poeltl speaks with the media ahead of Friday's game with the Jazz.

raptors-pre-game-jakob-poeltl-february-10-2023

Raptors Pre Game: Jakob Poeltl - February 10, 2023

torjlopez

Toronto Raptors (3-2) @ Golden State Warriors (2-3)

- Injury report: For the Raptors, Jordan Loyd (coach’s decision) is listed as out. For the Warriors, Kevin Durant (right achilles tendon rupture) is listed as out. Kevon Looney (right 1st costal cartilage non-displaced fracture) is listed as questionable.

- Back in the bay: The Raptors are back in Oakland to face the Warriors for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. This will be the final NBA game played at Oracle Arena, as the Warriors will play at a new arena beginning next season. Toronto is 3-0 at Oracle this season (2-0 in the postseason and 1-0 during the team’s lone regular-season visit). With a 3-2 series lead, the Raptors are in a position to close out the series on the road. The last time Toronto closed out a playoff series on the road was a 2018 first-round series against the Washington Wizards.

- Recent History: The Raptors hosted the Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena with a 3-1 series lead. Golden State made a playoff opponent record 20 three-pointers in the game, and though things went down to the final buzzer, the Warriors ended up victorious, winning a 106-105 decision to extend the series to at least six games. Toronto led by six with 3:28 remaining, but the Warriors quickly hit a trio of three-pointers to go ahead by three. Kyle Lowry got the Raptors within one on a layup, but Draymond Green got a hand on Lowry's final three-point attempt at the buzzer. Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, Kyle Lowry added 18 points and six assists and Marc Gasol scored 17 points. Steph Curry led all scorers with 31 points and Klay Thompson added 26 points. 

 - Keeping calm: Nick Nurse has praised Kawhi Leonard’s ability to stay even-keeled through the highs and lows of postseason basketball, but Toronto’s head coach is also getting noticed for staying cool under pressure. While Nurse’s steady temperament might be a new observation to some, Nurse’s players have watched their coach take everything in stride dating back to day one of training camp. “I think what Nick has done is kind of keep the mentality of our team the same,” Kyle Lowry said. “He doesn't get too up, he doesn't get too down. He yelled at us, literally, I think twice this year. Kind of just attests to his confidence in who he is as a coach, who we are as a team, how he believes in us. We are all grown men, and he talks to us as grown men. We do our jobs and come in and work, and we're ready to go.” 

 - Locking in on defence: In Toronto’s Game 5 loss at home, the Warriors were lights out from beyond the arc from start to finish. Golden State shot 46 percent from the floor in the game, and 48 percent from deep, making 20-of-42 three-point attempts. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined to shoot 12-for-27 from three, eclipsing Toronto’s total three-pointers made as a team (8-for-32). “When they're on the floor, you got to be aware of them,” Kyle Lowry said. “They're probably two of the top, whatever, all-time shooters in the game of basketball. So when they step on the floor first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, you got to be aware of them at all times.” Heading into Game 6, the Raptors know they're not going to be able to shut out either member of Golden State’s explosive backcourt, but they’re hoping to slow them. “These guys are going to get shots off,” Lowry said. “They’re going to get up their attempts. They’re going to make shots. But you’ve got to make them a little bit tougher sometimes. They got a couple of loose ball offensive rebounds, transition breakdowns (in Game 5)."

 - Focus Forward: Kawhi Leonard is averaging 29.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in the Finals. He's scored 710 points in this postseason, the fifth most in NBA history for points scored in a single playoff season. In addition to putting up these numbers, he’s also being counted on for his stellar defensive skills. Though Kyle Lowry and Nick Nurse have both watched and admired Leonard's game from afar in years past, getting to work toward a common goal with him brings the admiration to a whole other level. “I think he's the best two-way basketball player in the NBA,” Lowry said. “He just goes. I've seen some stuff from him this year that just you say, Wow. You appreciate the work that's put in. He works extremely hard at his game and works extremely hard on his body. And he loves this basketball thing. He loves it.” Toronto’s head coach often references how focused Leonard is during practices, film sessions, and timeout huddles. For Nurse, the opportunity to coach Leonard has been both eye-opening and affirming. “He's certainly tough, strong and composed,” Nurse said. “From the first preseason game to now, it continues to be interesting to just watch this guy do what he does. It's without a doubt the best thing about this thing is that somehow I wound up on the sideline getting to watch this guy play up close. It's really cool.”

game-6-preview-raptors-vs-warriors

Game 6 Preview: Raptors vs Warriors

Toronto Raptors (3-2) @ Milwaukee Bucks (2-3)

- Injury report: For the Raptors, OG Anunoby (appendectomy), Jordan Loyd (coach’s decision) and Patrick McCaw (personal reasons) are listed as out. For the Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis) and Pau Gasol (left foot surgery) are listed as out. 

- Saturday night hoops: The Raptors are back in Toronto to host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. After a thrilling 105-99 victory on Thursday night in Game 5, the Raptors took a commanding 3-2 series lead, giving them an opportunity to close out the series in six games and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.  

- Recent History: Toronto pulled out a 105-99 comeback victory to take Game 5 in Milwaukee on Thursday. The Raptors trailed by 14 points in the first quarter, but continued to chip away, trailing by three at the half and three again after three quarters. The team then used a 17-6 run to open the fourth quarter to take control and hold on for the road victory. The 14-point deficit marked Toronto’s largest comeback in this year’s postseason. The Raptors made 18 three-pointers in the win (18-for-43), and had more makes from beyond the arc (18) than inside it (13). Kawhi Leonard once again led the way, scoring 35 points for the seventh time this postseason, while Fred VanVleet scored 21 points off the bench and Pascal Siakam added 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. The Bucks were led by 24 points, six rebounds and five assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo and an 18-point, 11-rebound performance from Malcolm Brogdon.

- All-NBA: Just days after being named to the All-NBA Defensive Second team, Kawhi Leonard was also named Second Team All-NBA. Leonard has scored at least 35 points seven times this postseason and at least 30 points 11 times, making him just the seventh player since 2000 to score 30+ in 10 or more postseason games. Leonard finished with a game-high 35 points in Game 5, as well as a career-high nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 40 minutes. As the Raptors went on a 17-6 run to start the fourth quarter, Leonard outscored the Bucks team himself, 12-6, and went on to finish with 15 of Toronto’s 33 points in the final quarter.

- Bet on Fred: For the second straight game, Fred VanVleet has been a force off the bench. After scoring 13 points and dishing six assists in Toronto’s 120-102 Game 4 victory, VanVleet one-upped himself, scoring a playoff career-high 21 points in Game 6. He shot 7-for-13 from the floor, including 7-for-9 from beyond the arc, with two of his three-pointers in the decisive fourth quarter. "Obviously, [things have] turned around for me a little bit these last two games," VanVleet said after Game 5. "I've gotten more -- feels like I'm getting more better looks, more open looks, and as you make them, your teammates start to look for you more and more and the game kind of opens up all at once. Just staying confident, staying in there ready to knock them down when I get the opportunity, and just staying locked in."

 - Whatever it takes: Saturday’s game brings an immense opportunity and the team understands the gravity of the moment. “It's a 'whatever it takes' game,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said to the media in a conference call on Friday afternoon. “It's an unlimited-minutes night. This is just like any other critical must-win games. Again, I stress this is a great team we're playing, the same team we played in Games 1 and 2 and double overtime in Game 3. We've had to play really super hard and super well to get any victories. So we're focusing our thoughts on the first part of that, playing super hard.” With the series on the line, Toronto knows Milwaukee will be giving their best effort when the ball goes on up Saturday. Though the Raptors hold the 3-2 series lead, Nurse was quick to remind everyone that each win in this series has been earned: “As hard-fought as all these [games] have been -- and believe me, they have been -- I expect this one to be the hardest fought of them all.”

game-6-preview-raptors-vs-bucks

Game 6 Preview: Raptors vs Bucks

Toronto Raptors (2-2) @ Milwaukee Bucks (2-2)

- Injury report: For the Raptors, OG Anunoby (appendectomy), Jordan Loyd (coach’s decision) and Patrick McCaw (personal reasons) are out. For the Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis) and  Pau Gasol (left foot surgery) are listed as out. 

- All square: The Raptors are on the road in Milwaukee to play Game 5 against the Bucks. Thanks to a huge Game 4 win at Scotiabank Arena, the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series is tied at two games apiece. In Tuesday's Game 4 victory, Toronto’s bench unit outscored Milwaukee's reserves 48-23 as the Raptors had six scorers reach double figures.

- Recent History: The Raptors picked up a strong 120-102 Game 4 win in Toronto. Toronto led by one after the first quarter, 10 at the half, and 13 after three before breaking the game all the way open early in the fourth. The Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry’s 25 points, a 19-point effort from Kawhi Leonard and a 17-point, team-high seven assist night from Marc Gasol. The bench was huge for Toronto with Serge Ibaka adding 17 points and 13 rebounds and Norman Powell scoring 18 points. The Bucks were led by a 25-point, 10-rebound, five-assist, three-block performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo and 30 points from Khris Middleton in the loss.

- All-defence: The NBA announced on Wednesday that Kawhi Leonard has been named to the 2018-19 NBA All-Defensive Second Team. This is his fifth selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team, and the first time in franchise history that a Raptors player has received the honour. Leonard averaged career-highs in points (26.6) and rebounds (7.3) to go with 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 34 minutes per game in 60 games this season. In the postseason, Leonard’s averages have gone up as he’s averaged 31.2 points 8.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 39 percent from beyond the arc. In just his first season with Toronto, Leonard is already fourth on the list of franchise playoff scoring leaders, trailing Jonas Valanciunas for third place by just 45 points.

- Playoff Norm: For the third straight game in this series, Norman Powell has been huge for Toronto off the bench. On Tuesday, Powell led all reserves with 18 points in 33 minutes of action. He added five rebounds, three assists and a steal, but most impressive was that the Raptors were a +29 when Powell was on the floor. Toronto is a perfect 9-0 this season (regular season and playoffs combined) when Powell scores at least 15 points.

- Quick scorer: Kyle Lowry had a huge Game 4 effort, leading the team in scoring with 25 points, but also adding five rebounds and six assists in his 34 minutes. He shot 6-for-11 from the floor, 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. “I do feel like Kyle sees opportunities for himself in this series,” Nick Nurse said of his starting point guard. Lowry scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half as he helped Toronto build a 10-point advantage heading into the break. “I think Kyle is usually an early, early scorer,” Nurse said. “He knows leads are precious and he’s trying to jumpstart that. He was humongous last night. We didn't get off to a great start and I think he automatically changed that by himself.” Lowry needs eight points to tie DeMar DeRozan as the franchise leader in playoff scoring. Lowry is already the franchise playoff leader in three-pointers made, assists, steals and minutes played.

game-5-preview-raptors-vs-bucks

Game 5 Preview: Raptors vs Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks (2-1) @ Toronto Raptors (1-2) 

- Injury report: For the Raptors, OG Anunoby (appendectomy), Jordan Loyd (coach’s decision) and Patrick McCaw (personal reasons) are out. For the Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo (Bilateral heel bursitis) and Pau Gasol (left foot surgery) are listed as out. D.J. Wilson (left ankle soreness) is listed as questionable.

- On the board: The Raptors took Game 3 to get on the board in the series, even if it took some extra time. Toronto now looks to even the series at two games apiece when they host the Bucks on Tuesday for Game 4. With Sunday’s victory at Scotiabank Arena, the Raptors have now won three straight playoff games at home.

- Recent History: The Raptors outlasted the Bucks to win a wild 118-112 double-overtime victory in Game 3. Despite Kyle Lowry fouling out midway through the fourth quarter, Norman Powell fouling out toward the end of regulation, and Marc Gasol playing with five fouls for much of the fourth and both overtime periods, the Raptors dug deep and were able to hold on for the victory, which has become an instant classic. Kawhi Leonard again led the way, scoring 36 points for the Raptors, while Pascal Siakam added 25 points and 11 rebounds. The Bucks were led by 24 points from George Hill, 20 points from Malcolm Brogdon, and a 12-point, 23-rebound, seven-assist effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo in the loss.

- Ring it up: Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 36 points in Game 3. He played a career-high (and game-high) 52 minutes, adding nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Leonard shot 11-for-25 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. He also became just the seventh player since 2000 to score at least 30 points in 10 or more playoff games in a single season, joining Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Amar’e Stoudamire and Dwyane Wade. In three games against the Bucks, Leonard is averaging 32.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals.

- Trusting the grind: After Norman Powell provided a boost in Toronto’s Game 2 loss in Milwaukee, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said that Powell would play a bigger role in the series moving forward. Powell came off the bench to play 30 minutes on Sunday. He would have played more, if not for fouling out with a minute remaining in regulation. Powell was huge for the Raptors in Game 3, scoring 19 points while adding four rebounds, three assists and a steal. He was efficient from the floor as well, shooting 7-for-13, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.

- Righting the course: Marc Gasol had a huge role in Toronto’s Game 3 victory. Despite picking up his fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter, Gasol played the entire fourth quarter and both overtime sessions without a break. He played solid defence, never picking up a sixth foul, and he finished with 16 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, team-high seven assists, a steal and a game-high five blocked shots. He shot 5-for-10 from the floor, 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and 2-for-2 from the foul line. After struggling in Game 2, it was a welcomed bounce back. Gasol was asked after the game if he was happy to be able to contribute in such a big win.“Yes,” he said. “Especially because of the win. [If] you play like crap and your team wins, it’s a lot easier to sleep and obviously the last 48 hours [after Game 2], you feel pretty crappy. So I’m happy we won tonight and now we have to have the same mindset for Game 4. There’s no other way to beat this team. You have to have the same mindset and do it possession by possession by possession, continue to chip in.”

game-4-preview-raptors-vs-bucks

Game 4 Preview: Raptors vs Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks (2-0) @ Toronto Raptors (0-2) 

- Injury report: For the Raptors, OG Anunoby (appendectomy), Jordan Loyd (coach’s decision) and Patrick McCaw (personal reasons) are listed as out. For the Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo (Bilateral heel bursitis) and  Pau Gasol (left foot surgery) are listed as out.

- Home court: The Raptors are back in Toronto to continue their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Milwaukee Bucks at Scotiabank Arena after dropping the first two games of the series on the road. Toronto is 5-2 at Scotiabank Arena in the postseason this year.

- Recent History: The Raptors dropped a 125-103 decision in Game 2 on Friday in Milwaukee. Though Kawhi Leonard topped the 30-point threshold once again this postseason, his 31 points and eight rebounds were not enough as the Raptors gave up a 31-point, 17-rebound, five-assist performance to Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of six Bucks players to reach double figures. Things fell apart quickly for Toronto in Game 2. The Bucks led by 18 in the first quarter, held a 14-point lead after the opening 12 minutes and led by 25 at the half. The Raptors didn’t get closer than 13 points in the second half.

- Points on the board: Kawhi Leonard’s 31 points in Game 2 were a team-high. This is the second consecutive game where Leonard has scored 31 points against the Bucks. This was also the ninth time this postseason that Leonard has scored at least 30 points, making him the eighth player since 2000-01 to record at least nine 30-point playoff games in a single postseason. Leonard also leads all players in the 2019 postseason with 444 total points scored through 14 games played. 

- Understand the grind: Though the Raptors struggled throughout Game 2, Norman Powell came off the bench to provide a much-needed boost, joining Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry as the three Raptors players to reach double figures. Powell scored 14 points in 25 minutes on Friday, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, while adding four rebounds and two assists. His energy and efforts didn't go unnoticed. “I thought Norm had a good game,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought defensively he was good and just playing hard. He was into people and up guarding and blocking people out with some physicality -- some of the things that we also need, so he should play a big role here going forward.”

- Take another look: As a result of the strong play of Powell and the slow start Toronto got off to in Game 2, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse made it sound as though the team could look to shake things up with respect to the rotation in Sunday’s game. “I think there could be more than one lineup change coming at us,” Nurse said in a conference call on Saturday. Though he mentioned looking at changes, he also spoke highly of his team’s starters and the trust they have earned from the coaching staff over the course of the regular season and playoffs. “I kind of trust these guys, who they are," Nurse said. "I believe in them and know they're better than they played [Friday] night and [they] have shown that on bounce-back situations usually.”

game-3-preview-raptors-vs-bucks

Game 3 Preview: Raptors vs Bucks

Toronto Raptors (0-1) @ Milwaukee Bucks (1-0)

- Injury report: For the Raptors, OG Anunoby (appendectomy), Jordan Loyd (coach’s decision) and Patrick McCaw (personal reasons) are out. For the Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo (Bilateral heel bursitis) and Pau Gasol (left foot surgery) are listed as out.

- Bounce back: The Raptors continue their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Bucks in Milwaukee for Game 2 before the series shifts back to Toronto for Games 3 &amp; 4. After dropping a tough 108-100 decision in Game 1 in on the road, Toronto is hoping to bounce back with a Game 2 victory and tie the series at one game apiece.

- Recent history: Toronto fell 108-100 in Game 1 against the Bucks, despite leading for much of the game. Toronto led by 11 after the opening quarter, eight at the half, and seven heading into the fourth. The final quarter is where things fell apart for the Raptors who were outscored 32-17 as the Bucks first tied the game with 9:56 remaining in the game and then took over the lead for good on a Brook Lopez dunk with 2:20 remaining. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points to lead all scorers, and Kyle Lowry had 30 points in the loss. The Bucks were led by 29 points from Lopez and a 24-point, 14-rebound, six-assist effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

- Full 48 minutes: Heading into Game 2, the Raptors know they’ll need to piece together a full 48-minute effort. After leading throughout the second and third quarters in Game 1, when things flipped in the fourth, they really flipped. In addition to being outscored 32-17 in the quarter, Toronto also shot just 23 percent (5-for-22) in the fourth while giving up 50 percent shooting to the Bucks. A stand-out stat: Kyle Lowry was the lone Raptors player to have a field goal in the quarter, as he shot 5-for-7 from the floor and scored 14 of Toronto’s 17 points in the fourth.

- Defence turned up: Both teams had their defence dialled up in Game 1, with the Raptors shooting 37 percent in the loss while holding the Bucks to 40 percent shooting in a comeback victory. The Raptors became the first team since the 2004 Detroit Pistons to start three consecutive playoff series by liming their opponent to 40 percent shooting or less. In 13 playoff games, Wednesday against the Bucks was just the fourth time that the Raptors have given up 100 points to their opponent.

- Intangibles: Despite trailing for much of Game 1, the Bucks came out on top in many categories on Wednesday. Milwaukee won the battle of the boards 60-46, including 15-8 on the offensive glass. The Bucks also scored 20 points off 12 Toronto turnovers, while the Raptors converted 15 points off 13 Bucks turnovers. Milwaukee had a 44-26 advantage in points in the paint, a 24-13 advantage in second-chance points, and a 25-17 edge in fast-break points. Though it feels as though the Raptors let one get away, Kyle Lowry is already looking ahead to Game 2. “Every game is different,” Lowry said. “Every series is different. Every situation is different. We're down one game. We have the opportunity to go in here and win a game on Friday and go home and protect our home court. We can't worry about this, that and the other. We've got to worry about what we learned from yesterday, move forward today and get better for tomorrow.”