Raptors report card a good one after thrilling win over Indiana Pacers
If you like offence, you definitely enjoyed this one
Hoo boy. Wednesday night’s 132-131 win at Indiana was an epic game all around and plenty of Raptors earned strong marks for it. It was inexplicable (considering how bad the team has been offensively most games), nail-biting (all of those missed free throws at the end) and a bit exhilarating and not enough Raptors games have been like that. Here’s the report card:
PASCAL SIAKAM
This was a clinic run by Toronto’s most decorated player. Siakam was unstoppable. Indiana is a terrible defensive team, but still has the type of rim protector in Myles Turner that Siakam has had some trouble with in the past. Not in this one. Siakam scored 13 points in the crucial third quarter, handed out four assists (three of them creating three-pointers) and even hit a three-pointer for the second time in three games. That doesn’t sound like much, but he’d missed 15-of-16 threes before making one against Detroit. Even as the Raptors figure out what to do with Siakam in the offence and long-term, you have to admire his professionalism in turning in performances like this.
A
DENNIS SCHRODER
Schroder appears to be feeling better since tweaking his knee and was quite strong offensively in this one. He was creating, hitting shots (over 60% from the field for the second straight night) and even grabbed six boards, his second-most as a Raptor. Like every Raptor, Schroder couldn’t slow down Tyrese Haliburton and Co., but so far nobody in the NBA can.
SCOTTIE BARNES
Not a perfect night, the late free throw miss and three turnovers would indicate that, along with 7-17 shooting, but Barnes was still really good. He had a game-high 12 rebounds, four steals and hit a couple of three-pointers in another one where he did a little bit of everything. His driving dunk also was one of the key plays of the game.
MALACHI FLYNN
Two big-time quarters for Flynn were enough for us to say this was Flynn’s best game of the season. In a second quarter that saw the Raptors completely flip the game, Flynn hit all three of his shot attempts, two of them three-pointers and hand out two assists. He was even better in the fourth, helping the Raptors stay close to the Pacers and eventually win. Flynn got to the hoop easily in the quarter and made a big impact.
JAKOB POELTL
Not a flashy game for Poeltl, but a quietly effective one on offence. Poeltl handed out six assists, finally showing the element of his game we’ve seen so often either last season or while he was with the Spurs. Five of the helpers led to points in the paint. On the other hand, he took a season low four shot attempts, but has at least made 19 of his last 22 shot attempts.
OG ANUNOBY
One has to wonder just how many points the Pacers would have scored had Toronto’s best defender not been able to play in the state where he went to college. Anunoby at least made things slightly tougher for Haliburton and the rest, including on a key defensive play late. He also had four assists and got a lot of looks in the paint. Anunoby wasn’t really hitting his shots, but there’s no question the Raptors play far better with him on the court.
D+
GARY TRENT JR.
Honestly this might be too harsh, but Trent missed the two free throws late, somehow lowering his 57% free throw percentage in the process and he looked lost at times. He hasn’t been himself this year in most games and it’s part of the reason the Raptors have yet to meet expectations. It’s extremely bizarre to see a player who has shot 82% from the line for his career, including 84% and 85% the last two seasons, getting the yips like this.
INC.
OTTO PORTER, CHRIS BOUCHER
THREE STARS
1 Pascal Siakam
2 Tyrese Haliburton
3 Buddy Hield
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