2016-2017 Raptors Thread: We Know No King
- Thread starter Kin
- Start date
hockeyfan1
New member
Raptors 92 Bucks 89 Toronto wins series 4 games to 2.
Just to recap, the Raptors won their series against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 in Milwaukee, to advance in their next round against LeBron James' Cleveland Cavs.
Thursday's Game 6 was supposed to be a sure-fire victory as the Raptors had promised, not wanting to repeat history as happened in last year's playoffs, (Game 7s were needed in both successful rounds for Toronto).
Well, with the Milwaukee crowd at it's feet and raucously cheering their Bucks on, Milwaukee did the unthinkable and went on to erase the 25 pt. lead that the Raptors had built.
Huh? In a playoff with their series-winning game on the line? It was actually more a case of the Raptors sloppy, disorganized play (again?) that allowed their opponents to dissipate their lead.
Toronto hung on, fought back and their resiliency paid off in taking the win & thus the series. Whew.
DeRozan, Lowry and Ibaka led the way on the court.
Next stop, finding a way to compete and win against the upcoming Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round.
GO RAPTORS GO!!
Game story recap:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-hold-beat-bucks-advance-second-round-six-games/
Just to recap, the Raptors won their series against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 in Milwaukee, to advance in their next round against LeBron James' Cleveland Cavs.
Thursday's Game 6 was supposed to be a sure-fire victory as the Raptors had promised, not wanting to repeat history as happened in last year's playoffs, (Game 7s were needed in both successful rounds for Toronto).
Well, with the Milwaukee crowd at it's feet and raucously cheering their Bucks on, Milwaukee did the unthinkable and went on to erase the 25 pt. lead that the Raptors had built.
Huh? In a playoff with their series-winning game on the line? It was actually more a case of the Raptors sloppy, disorganized play (again?) that allowed their opponents to dissipate their lead.
Toronto hung on, fought back and their resiliency paid off in taking the win & thus the series. Whew.
DeRozan, Lowry and Ibaka led the way on the court.
Next stop, finding a way to compete and win against the upcoming Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round.
GO RAPTORS GO!!
Game story recap:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-hold-beat-bucks-advance-second-round-six-games/
hockeyfan1
New member
Cavaliers 115 Raptors 94 Cleveland leads series 3 games to 0.
No matter how the Raptors slice it, it comes up LeBron James.
Even though the Raptors competed with James & co., blocking shots, passes, jumping, what have you as they threw everything they had defensively at James and his Cavs, even though the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan scored a personal playoff best of 37 points, even though the Raptors had been taking the lead from the Cavs and played eye to eye and foot to foot with them, even though they played aggressive and in charge dictating the game...
...even though they did all of that...it..was..just..not..enough. Especially when one considers the Cavs fourth quarter 20-3 run that decided the game right there and then. With a fatigued DeRozan on the bench to rest, along with other key players such as Joseph & Powell (who practically tagged LeBron all night), the Raptors and the Cavaliers made changes from the bench to the court and the results speak for themselves.
Cleveland took clear advantage from that point on and they never needed to look back. Even without LeBron going at his usual full tilt, just give him and his players space and see what you get. Such is the making of a championship team, as Cleveland so aptly is. Having LeBron out there spells enough trouble for the opposition.
Of course, it doesn't mean that the Cavs should be unbeatable. Why, the Raptors won two games against them here at the ACC in last year's playoffs. So, what is it about this supposedly improved Raptors team that has so far played nothing short of dismal in these playoffs? They're simply not good enough, not when one depends on a single player such as DeRozan to power the offence while the rest of the team underperforms offensively. Three point field goals were practically absent, while Cleveland made good on theirs.
Kyle Lowry did not play due to a sprained ankle sustained in Game 2. DeMar certainly could have used Lowry as support. Then again, as with all things Raptors, considering Lowry's poor playoff performance thus far, who knows?
https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2017/05/05/cavaliers-take-third-win-in-best-of-seven-series-against-raptors.html
No matter how the Raptors slice it, it comes up LeBron James.
Even though the Raptors competed with James & co., blocking shots, passes, jumping, what have you as they threw everything they had defensively at James and his Cavs, even though the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan scored a personal playoff best of 37 points, even though the Raptors had been taking the lead from the Cavs and played eye to eye and foot to foot with them, even though they played aggressive and in charge dictating the game...
...even though they did all of that...it..was..just..not..enough. Especially when one considers the Cavs fourth quarter 20-3 run that decided the game right there and then. With a fatigued DeRozan on the bench to rest, along with other key players such as Joseph & Powell (who practically tagged LeBron all night), the Raptors and the Cavaliers made changes from the bench to the court and the results speak for themselves.
Cleveland took clear advantage from that point on and they never needed to look back. Even without LeBron going at his usual full tilt, just give him and his players space and see what you get. Such is the making of a championship team, as Cleveland so aptly is. Having LeBron out there spells enough trouble for the opposition.
Of course, it doesn't mean that the Cavs should be unbeatable. Why, the Raptors won two games against them here at the ACC in last year's playoffs. So, what is it about this supposedly improved Raptors team that has so far played nothing short of dismal in these playoffs? They're simply not good enough, not when one depends on a single player such as DeRozan to power the offence while the rest of the team underperforms offensively. Three point field goals were practically absent, while Cleveland made good on theirs.
Kyle Lowry did not play due to a sprained ankle sustained in Game 2. DeMar certainly could have used Lowry as support. Then again, as with all things Raptors, considering Lowry's poor playoff performance thus far, who knows?
https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2017/05/05/cavaliers-take-third-win-in-best-of-seven-series-against-raptors.html
hockeyfan1
New member
The laughable Knicks claim to seek out the Raptors' Masai Ujiri as a replacement for the fired Phil Jackson. Relax Raptor fans. Here's why it won't hqppen:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-ujiri-not-fleeing-knicks-time-soon/
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/raptors-ujiri-not-fleeing-knicks-time-soon/
Kin
Active member
After trading Demarre Carroll to the Nets yesterday the Raps have traded CoJo to the Pacers for CJ Miles.
So things are shaping up pretty nicely for next year. Trading Joseph lets Wright step in as the backup PG. On the wing they'll have Powell, Miles, Anunoby and whatever they can get out of Caboclo. The big man rotation is Ibaka, JV, Nogs and Poetl.
So things are shaping up pretty nicely for next year. Trading Joseph lets Wright step in as the backup PG. On the wing they'll have Powell, Miles, Anunoby and whatever they can get out of Caboclo. The big man rotation is Ibaka, JV, Nogs and Poetl.