Raptors Post Game Report Card: Shameful Loss for the Raptors
Well, this one was certainly embarrassing. The 95-90 loss to a very solid Pacers team is acceptable, but what isn’t acceptable is how they lost it. The Raps missed 4 free throws in the last two minutes of the game. DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson missed their respective free throws after they scored an and-1, but couldn’t convert, failing to give the Raptors the lead both times.
Here’s where the embarrassment starts. 91-90 for the Pacers with 17 seconds left, and David West misses his 2nd free throw. What’s unfortunate is that Tyler Hansbrough out-hustled all of the Raptors, grabbing the board. Amir Johnson fouls him, and Hansbrough hits both. On the other end, Jamaal Magloire gets fouled. He airballs his first free throw, and bricks his second. Disgusting.
With the loss, the Raps drop to 4-8. Sure, they didn’t have Andrea Bargnani or Jerryd Bayless, but the Raps had multiple opportunities to win the game, and they blew them. Both players figure to be questionable for tomorrow’s game at Chicago.
Let’s get to the report card:
Offence- B
Positives
DeMar DeRozan finally broke out of his slump, pouring in 23 points to lead all scorers. Leandro Barbosa was solid with 20, and Jose Calderon posted a near double-double with 15 points and 9 assists.
Negatives
Nobody stepped up down the stretch for the Raps, and it costed them the game. Their free throw shooting was also awful, shooting at a poor 63%. The three point shot wouldn’t fall for the Raps either, hitting only 24% of threes attempted.
Defence- B-
Positives
The Raps had yet another solid defensive game, holding the Pacers to 95 points. The improved defence from the Raptors has allowed them to compete night in and night out, and Dwane Casey’s defensive system has been phenomenal.
Negatives
The Raps had no answer for George Hill as he dropped 22 off the bench. Also, the Pacers scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, and seemed to turn it on when it mattered the most.
Rebounding- A-
Positives
Ed Davis lead the game in rebounding, with a season high 10 boards.
Negatives
The Raps gave up a few key rebounds down the stretch, and this was another factor in the loss.
Overall, the Raps could have done much worse without their star Andrea Bargnani. Mistakes down the stretch costed them, and this one should have been a W. They don’t have much time to dwell on it, as they travel to Chicago for a showdown with Derrick Rose and the Bulls tomorrow night.
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