The Toronto Raptors are through to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, defeating the Indiana Pacers 89-84 in Game 7 on Sunday evening in Toronto, winning a seven-game series for the first time in team history.
Over the course of the game, the only time the Raptors trailed was at 21-20 with just over four minutes to go in the first quarter. They took the lead back a minute later and never looked back, pushing the lead to as many as 15 in the third and 16 in the fourth before Indiana whittled it down to three. But the Pacers couldn’t get any closer and the Raptors tacked on a couple more courtesy of DeMar DeRozan foul shots to send their home fans home happy and punch their ticket into the second round.
DeRozan led the way with 30, but it was hard earned and ugly, as the shooting guard went 10-for-32 from the floor and 9-for-9 from the line. There were moments when he pressed too hard and tried to claim victory all by himself, but thankfully for DeRozan and Raptors fans, he got some quality help off the bench, as rookie Norman Powell scored 13 and Cory Joseph put up 8 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds while showing the value of his playoff experience from his days with the San Antonio Spurs.
Toronto also got solid contributions from Jonas Valanciunas (10 points, 15 rebounds) and Patrick Patterson, who hit a trio of triples en route to 11 points. While Kyle Lowry continued to struggle with his shot, going 5-for-14 for 11 points, the All-Star point guard handed out nine assists.
George led the way again for the Pacers, collecting 26 points and 12 rebounds, while the backcourt combo of George Hill and Monta Ellis combined for 34. If there was a disappointment on the Indiana side of the ball, it was rookie Myles Turner, who was just 2-for-11 from the floor for 4 points, looking green in the biggest game of his young career.
Now that the Raptors have exorcised the ghosts of Playoffs Passed, it’s on to unfamiliar territory for this group – a second-round match-up with the Miami Heat, who trounced Charlotte 103-76 earlier in the day to claim a Game 7 win in their series.
Toronto won three of four against the Heat this season, losing their first meeting, but claiming the final three, including a 20-point win in January and an overtime victory in South Beach in their final meeting. Miami, who is playing without former Raptors star Chris Bosh, got a balanced effort on Sunday, led by Goran Dragic, who put up 25 to pace their performance.
On paper, this is a good match-up for the Dinos – position-by-position, they compare favourably with the Heat and Toronto’s bench has been more reliable – but everything hinges on whether DeRozan and Lowry can rediscover their shooting form and start being more efficient. If they can, Toronto has the pieces to beat the Heat and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but that’s a big if.
The series kicks off on Tuesday in Toronto, with Game 2 on Thursday, Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday.
Reduced Rotation: Coach Dwane Casey shortened his bench on Sunday night, using Terrence Ross for just five minutes, opting instead to go with Powell, Joseph and Bismack Biyombo alongside the starters. It will be interesting to see if he sticks to that limited rotation or works Ross back into the mix against Miami, as Powell has been significantly better not just in this series, but over the last two months as a whole.
Wright Brothers Battle: There will be some brotherly bragging rights on the line in this one as brothers Dorell and Delon Wright go head-to-head. Neither have been seeing much time in the postseason, so they won’t be playing pivotal roles in determining whose team comes out ahead, but that won’t matter – whoever wins will certainly lord it over the other for at least a little while.
