Toronto Raptors: 6 Revelations From Game 5 Win Over Wizards
By Demar Grant
The Toronto Raptors clamp the Washington Wizards in the 4th quarter, suffocating the visitors in a double-digit victory and pushing their series lead to 3-2.
In a radical twist of fate, Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey turned to Jonas Valanciunas in the fourth quarter to close the game against a small Wizards lineup, and it worked. If I told you Casey would look to Valanciunas as a closer in the fourth quarter in 2015, you’d have laughed me out of the building, flamed me on Twitter and possibly never talk to again. And yet, here we are; what a time to be alive.
Welcome to the fourth playoff edition of Raptors Revelations. We’re doing 6, because, you know, Toronto… Drake… Raptors… It’s gonna be fun so strap in.
These are the sobering, snarky or dare I say, smart thoughts that stick with me when I watch Raptors games. These are the revelations.
1. The Trash Bros. are dead, Long Live the Trash Bros.
If you’ve been following the league for more than a year, you’d know the Golden State warriors have two sharpshooters on their team in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, nicknamed the Splash Brothers. They’re the greatest 3-point shooting tandem of all time.
If you’ve been following the Raptors for more than a year, you’d also know they have two historically underperforming post season guards in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, infamously know as the Trash Brothers. The moniker has stuck throughout Twitter and Reddit for years, but the nickname is slowly melting away under the heat of performances like Wednesday night.
DeRozan and Lowry exploded on the Wizards for a combined 49 points, 15 assists, four rebounds and three steals, while also shooting 6 of 10 from distance. And after Wednesday’s game, DeRozan is averaging a statline of 29 points, four rebounds and five assists, while shooting 45 percent from the field, 45 percent from deep and 80 percent from the line throughout the entire series. The Wizards have no answer for him.
Lowry, and DeRozan in particular, have been amazing this post season. The offensive system is helping both players and when they’re doubled it can run without them. Really, everything is working as intended, but it’s still admirable to watch what everyone wanted to happen come to fruition.