NBA Portland Trail BlazersToronto Raptors

Portland Trail Blazers Expose Toronto Raptors’ Weakness In Barn-Burner

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By @GoldenPerspectv

Dwane Casey

Steve Dykes – USA Today Sports

Whenever you have a couple of powerhouses going at each other, the majority of time it’s going to be a good game. The Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers did not disappoint. They gave us a duel worth watching along with some bonus basketball. This hard-fought game was more about the Raptors though. Portland knows what they are capable of, so this win didn’t prove much. The way they won, in critical fashion, is an example of how they’ve been playing since last year. This win came in familiar territory for Portland.

On the other hand, the Raptors needed this win for a couple of reasons. It was a significant game for Toronto because now they are closer to sliding from their No. 1 spot in the East. After the Atlanta Hawks demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta closed the gap and were just one game behind the Raptors. With this exhausting loss, the Raptors now only maintain a half-game advantage over the Hawks. Even more daunting is that they still have no word on when DeMar DeRozan will come back to practice, let alone play in a game. Every game counts for this club, especially the ones that slip away in closing moments.

The most significant part of this game was the lack of execution down the stretch. In final minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime, ball movement was scarce. Kyle Lowry seemed rattled by Nicolas Batum‘s defense, as he had difficulty drawing fouls and couldn’t knock down clean looks when he got them.

Their second option would usually be DeRozan, but in this circumstance, it was shared between Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and Lou Williams. Valanciunas didn’t play in overtime, but in the fourth quarter, he couldn’t draw the whistle either. Williams and Ross played as lifesavers by shooting desperation threes, but their luck quickly ran short.

I like the direction that the Raptors are heading, but in tight-game situations, DeRozan is needed greatly. I’m not taking anything away from the MVP-caliber season that Lowry is having or how exceptional the rest of the team has played, but in those type of games, you need multiple guys who can create their own shot to win. The Blazers had that in Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge in this one.

I previously said that the Raptors wouldn’t be in first place heading into the new year, but I admit that I was wrong. For what it’s worth, I believe they will still fall but it’ll take a few games longer. I’m not rooting for them to lose by any means. Lowry is on my fantasy team for crying out loud. However, after looking at their schedule and the Chicago Bulls‘ schedule, I think the standings will shuffle within the first week.

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