Toronto Raptors offence lets them down again in rough Game 3 loss
The Toronto Raptors have now dropped two straight games in their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers with one glaring error present.
After putting up a dominant effort in Game 1, it was tough to see the Toronto Raptors having any kind of trouble with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Oh, how things have changed.
It appears the Sixers have found a loose chink in the Raptors’ armour and have used it to their advantage with another dominant performance winning 116-95 in Game 3. Right now only two players have been able to elevate their game in this series; Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam.
Philadelphia knows they can’t contain Leonard after he torched them in Game 1 so they have decided to attack the core around him. Unfortunately, the rest of the team have been passengers and it has cost the team two-straight games.
Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam have scored 109 of the Toronto Raptors' 184 points over the last two games.
— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) May 3, 2019
Leonard and Siakam have done an admirable job keeping the Raptors in the past couple of games but as soon as they are on the bench, Toronto gets into trouble. At the same time, you have to Philadelphia credit because they are putting together a great effort and are getting contributions from all around.
In past playoff appearances, the Raptors were getting nothing from their star players while the depth stepped up and provided a much-needed spark. Now the opposite is happening and you can tell frustration is starting to sink in.
Green on Kawhi: "This is what he does, it's what he's used to doing, it's what he came he for, it's what they brought him here for, to carry that load on both ends. But we've gotta do a better job of helping him, myself included."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 3, 2019
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This is not on the officiating, part of it can also be attributed to the coaching staff and how they manage the rotation but really this is on the rest of the lineup not pulling their weight. Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol combined to shoot 4-of-16 for 14 points, that isn’t going to cut it.
Looking at the boxscore, it’s like the Raptors do not have a bench to rely on which is embarrassing considering Fred VanVleet acknowledged how the team needed to make improvements. Well, now it is time for the team to walk-the-walk.
Not to sound like captain obvious but the Raptors definitely need to make improvements on the offensive side of the ball. They shot 42.2 per cent from the field and a putrid 25.9 per cent from three. They only had 15 assists while the Sixers had 29!
On the defensive side of the ball, Philadelphia outscored Toronto 52-36 in the paint, outrebounded 45-35 and shot 43.5 per cent from beyond the arc. If the Raptors aren’t getting the offensive production from the start, the least they can do is get things done defensively.
Not having OG Anunoby does impact the team’s rotation and Jeremy Lin was unable to play with back spasms. While those players weren’t expected to be big contributors but not having them is providing Nick Nurse with fewer options to go to.
This is why it goes back to the starting lineup needing to set the tone. It doesn’t help the bench to be thrown out there with the Sixers establishing their dominance.
Something has to change and if it doesn’t the Raptors will find themselves in a bad predicament with a lot on the line both on and off the court.
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What did you make of the Raptors performance in Game 3? What needs to change to get back on track? Let us know in the comments below,