5 ideas recap – Toronto Raptors 118, Phoenix Suns 101

It took the Toronto Raptors about four minutes to shake off the rust that set in after an 11-day break and run out to a huge lead over the Phoenix Suns. It gave the impression of a laugher from there, however the Suns refused to move easily — even though the end result was once by no means in reality unsure.

Is there anything to learn from a 17-level win over a foul workforce while nonetheless lacking two key rotation avid gamers? perhaps no longer, but some ideas regardless:

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Because notion underlies many human actions and interactions, figuring out its bodily and metaphysical origins and its results has been a longstanding intention of many educational disciplines including philosophy, linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, biology, sociology and cognitive science.

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five ideas recap: Toronto Raptors 118, Phoenix Suns one hundred and one

All-celebrity Rust

Both teams came out cold as ice, as you could predict after the All-superstar smash. It looked, in brief, like the Suns had snapped out of it first, as the Raptors struggled to make common basketball performs:

However the Raptors didn’t let that go for long, thankfully. back up via their defense (we’ll get to that!) and some magnificent play from Pascal Siakam, they soon jumped ahead and ahead of you knew it, led with the aid of 24 at halftime.

5 ideas recap: Toronto Raptors 118, Phoenix Suns one hundred and one

The Suns attempted to make a recreation of it within the third with the assist of some questionable officiating, and acquired inside thirteen about midway via — however a sixteen-4 run pushed the lead back to 93-68 and I believed this one was put to bed needless to say.

unluckily, the Suns felt otherwise.

They virtually Gave Away some other Lead!

I’ve written before in regards to the Raptors’ propensity for letting teams (unhealthy groups, particularly) hold around, they usually did it once more remaining night time. They gave up a 15-zero run after taking that 25-level lead, and shortly sufficient the Suns have been inside six, ninety six-ninety, with eight minutes to play.

Skill received out finally — regardless of missing Marc Gasol, Norman Powell and Patrick McCaw the Raptors are just in a different category than the Suns. but as soon as once more we must ask: is this an issue? Can the Raptors really afford to be lackadaisical and suppose they are able to flip the change on every occasion they need?

I’m now not going to fret about this one. First game again from the spoil, in opposition to a nasty Suns group… and a group that would really like to knock off the champs on their own building… that you can forgive the Raptors for playing relatively uninspired.

But we’re going to find out over the following couple of weeks — heck, perhaps even the following two video games — if the Raptors can get up for big video games towards good opponents, and maintain that switch flipped on the “on” position for 48 minutes.

(assault the) Block birthday party

After we discuss about the Raptors’ excellent security, we usually discuss their rotations, their intelligence on switches, their capability to drive turnovers and their ability to combine up coverages and schemes. Phew!

What we don’t frequently talk about is shot blocking off, but within the first 1/2 remaining night Toronto confirmed us they are able to do that too — they had eight swats at the 1/2. Pascal Siakam opened the night time blocking a Devin Booker three, then Serge Ibaka deliciously stuffed Kelly Oubre, Jr. at the rim. OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher every blocked threes in the first half as neatly — and Boucher blocked any other in the 0.33. They completed with thirteen, and Anunoby led the way in which with four.

Typically I’m not a proponent of defenders leaping at three-point shooters. just rotate, shut out quick and get a hand up, as a result of likelihood is you’re now not going to block a 3, and there’s a good chance you’re going to fall for a faux and prove fouling.

However I’m a proponent of cool and fun performs, and swatting threes is cool and fun! So, towards the Suns? Go for it.

Against the Bucks? maybe not a lot.

where Would We Be without Serge?

With the Suns threatening within the fourth and the Raptors in search of solutions, it used to be, once again, Serge Ibaka who supplied them.

A banked in triple? positive thing! We’ll take it!

There aren’t sufficient just right things that may be said about Serge’s season. I think when you polled Raptors lovers three years ago, most would’ve agreed that the Raptors overpaid to keep him in free company, and that he’d by no means reside as much as that contract. i would’ve been one of them.

Now? neatly, the Raptors wouldn’t have beaten Philadelphia within the playoffs with out him, and so they wouldn’t be forty one-15 without him this 12 months. Add in his profitable character and his off-the-court lovability, and that contract is sort of a cut price.

Regardless of missing a long stretch bridging the 0.33 and fourth quarters with foul hassle, Ibaka completed with 16-6 ultimate night and is now averaging 18 points and eight.7 boards as a starter, on .640 true capturing.

Kelly Oubre, by no means trade

Why, after a year-and-a-half (and an NBA title!) do I still take such delight in Kelly Oubre Jr. getting punked by means of the Raptors?

I’m certain I’m no longer the only one who remembers the “feud” between Oubre and Delon Wright within the 2018 playoffs, that ended with the Raptors outscoring the Wizards by using 15 within the fourth quarter of recreation six in Washington to win by means of 10… and Wright blocking off Oubre’s shot on the ultimate buzzer.

It was once the goofiest, shortest, most one-sided feud ever. And but it has caught in my head and i will be able to’t help but revel in it each time the Raptors play Oubre (although he’s now not in Washington anymore, nor is Delon Wright in Toronto!).

So, yes, I cackled with pleasure when Ibaka blocked Oubre’s dunk try, and when Anunoby blocked his three-level try, and particularly when Oubre dribbled a ball off his foot on a fast spoil while Phoenix was once making a run (literally as Matt Devlin stated “Phoenix is gonna in finding themselves back in this sport!”).

Good day, it’s a long season. You gotta find joy in the little things.

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Now, because the expression goes, s**t gets real. The Raptors host Indiana, Milwaukee after which Charlotte, sooner than going on a five-recreation West coast street travel. That two-seed is a ways from sewn up!