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Post game report card: Raptors edge out Suns at home

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In a surprising turn of events, the Toronto Raptors were forced to stave off a late comeback from its opponents tonight. After a solid three quarters, the visiting  Phoenix Suns caught fire in the final frame to make for an interesting night at the ACC. Behind remarkable performances from  Jonas Valanciunas (27 points, 11 rebounds),  DeMar DeRozan (23 points) and Kyle Lowry (14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds), Toronto was able to secure a 104-100 victory and remain atop the Eastern Conference. The young and energetic Suns saw a notable performance from  Eric Bledsoe with 25 points, six assists and seven rebounds. One-time Raptor  P.J. Tucker added 11 points and eight rebounds in the losing effort. The Raps improve to 12-2 on the season and will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday against their conference rival Atlanta Hawks.

Let’s just take a moment to soak it all in. Fourteen games into the season. Number one in the East. Number one in the division. Number one IN THE NBA. Here’s a feel good song by Toronto jazz trio  BADBADNOTGOOD to complete this magical evening (followed by our post-game report card):

Offense: A

Valanciunas scored a career-high 27 points tonight. He came out aggressive and dominant on the block. , putting up buckets over the likes of  Markieff Morris and Alex Len. For a while, it seemed as if the third-year big man simply could not be stopped. This is the kind of performance Raptors fans have been waiting for, and we can only pray that it’s a sign of things to come. JV was backed by Toronto’s dynamic backcourt, as well as Lou “The Legend” Williams, who added 17 points (including a couple of patented cold-blooded threes). All in all, the Raps shot a respectable 45% from the field and were able to execute in the closing moments when it mattered most. Patrick Patterson came up huge with two late free throws, while DeRozan added a pair of his own. The only complaint from an offensive standpoint is the home team’s dismal 23.5% mark from beyond the arc. We saw unnecessary takes from three-point land that should be limited going forward.

Defense: B

The Raptors’ interior defense was solid in this contest. The Suns shot 46.4% from the field and trailed through three quarters. Unfortunately for the Dinos, their opponent laid out a blistering performance from three-point territory in the fourth quarter and made the final minutes a bit more interesting. Phoenix mounted an incredible run in the late comeback, shooting 7-10 from three and 11-16 from the field. The Raps’ perimeter defense failed to adjust, and as a result, the visitors closed the double-digit gap in short time. The defensive MVP of the night is Lowry, who instigated a crucial jump ball at the expense of offensive coordinator Isaiah Thomas which ultimately secured the W.

Rebounding: A

Toronto lost the battle of the boards 37-42 tonight. It’s not a significant deficit, and there were no real causes for concern on the glass. Aside from the aforementioned output by Valanciunas and Lowry, Patterson added five rebounds of his own.

Game Ball: Jonas Valanciunas

The big fella deserves this one. It was easily his best outing of the season (possibly one of his best games ever) and hopefully offers a glimpse into his true potential- a dominant centre capable of high-volume scoring and rebounds. Congrats on the “wictory”, Jonas.

 

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