The Toronto Raptors handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their first home loss of the season. Who would’ve ever thought!? After a spirited comeback effort against the Mavs, the Raps managed to ride their momentum to put together a complete effort in this matchup against the elite Thunder. Apart from a sluggish third quarter the Raptors were in control for the majority of this contest. The Thunder had the opportunity to put the game away being up double-digits, but the relentless effort of this Raptors team allowed them to persevere. Five Raptors finished in double figures, and the importance of having veterans on this team really showed. It takes a lot of heart and most of all composure to make a successful double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter against the Thunder.
Offence: A
The Raptors didn’t have the greatest shooting night only converting on 39.6% of their attempts. However they also played one of the best teams in the entire league, so I’ll cut them some slack. Kyle Lowry was masterful in setting the tempo early in the game. The Raptors also put up 62 first half points, outscoring the Thunder 37-35 in the second. Let’s avoid talking about the uber-stagnant third quarter for the Raps, because it just wasn’t pretty. I’m so happy that John Salmons is on this team, because he made a lot of big plays down the stretch to put the Raps back in position to win the game…and they did. The Raptors offence looks a million times better than it did a month ago. I thank Masai everyday.
Defence: B+
The Raptors did what they could against two of the best players at their position in Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook. Westbrook got his (you can only do so much), however the Raptors did a great job of not allowing Durant to get into a rhythm. The stingy defensive combination of Salmons and Terrence Ross took him off of his sweet spots. He rarely had a wide open jumper, and they were hitting him when he ran through the paint. Considering Durant finished shooting 31% for the night, that’s definitely a successful defensive effort for the Raps. What I was really impressed with was the ability of the Raptors to focus defensively in the fourth. For the most part their rotations were sharp, and Dwane Casey was making great matchup decisions to exploit the Thunder. Wow. Who would’ve ever thought?
Rebounding: B
Toronto was out-rebounded 47-42 by the Thunder tonight, however they held their own on the glass. The Raptors got up a lot more shots than the Thunder, which really speaks to the pace that this team was playing with tonight. The Raptors put up 91 shots (15 more than the Thunder), which contributes mostly to the Thunder’s defensive rebounding numbers (34). Amir Johnson led the way on the glass this game pulling down 5 offensive rebounds finishing with a total of 13.
Game Ball: Kyle Lowry
I would really hate to see this guy go after a game like this. I love his style of play and most of all his competitive nature. Kyle Lowry stuffed the stat-sheet finishing tonights game with 22 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. The matchup tonight against Westbrook brought the best out of Lowry, proving that he can go head-to-head with the best floor generals in the league. Not only did he produce effectively on offence but he drew three key charges which definitely helped to take the Thunder crowd out of the game. He’s so far removed from the selfish chucker he once made himself to be. Lowry is truly the spark of this Raptors team, he may not be the heart, but he’s definitely the spark.
Honarble Mention: John Salmons
Without his late-game heroics, and defence on KD the Raptors don’t win this game. End of story.
