After San Antonio fiercely fought again from a 20 level halftime deficit to shut the third quarter, the Spurs – with out their 4 of their prime gamers – answered the bell each time in crunchtime, and behind Keldon Johnson’s key offensive rebounds and numerous heroic buckets from Blake Wesley, Sandro Mamukelashivili, Malaki Branham, Chris Paul, Stephon Fortress, Harrison Barnes, and Johnson himself, efficiently accomplished their comeback. The ultimate Spurs discipline purpose of the season fittingly was an alley-oop from the 39-year previous Paul to the longest tenured Spur (Johnson) [with Castle ceding the airpsace to Keldon] to safe a 125-118 victory.
San Antonio’s presumptive Rookie of the 12 months Fortress (20 factors, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists) had a advantageous recreation to shut out the primary of many higher campaigns. Harrison Barnes continued out his latest string of productive video games with 18 factors and 5 rebounds. Johnson (23 factors and 9 rebounds), Mamukelashivili (12 factors), and Branham (11 factors) figured most prominently within the second half comeback alongside Paul (15 factors, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) to supply the followers and viewers a memorable finale.
Toronto’s former rookie of the 12 months Scottie Barnes (35 factors, 11 rebounds, and eight assists) put up spectacular numbers that have been eclipsed within the first quarter-plus by rookie Jamison Battle (25 factors and 9 rebounds). A.J. Lawson chipped in 14 factors off the bench.
Battle was the second straight rookie to place up a formidable quantity of shot makes an attempt from the tip, however not like Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn, he made 6-for-7 from distance to place up 18 gorgeous factors for Toronto. Harrison Barnes continued his torrid taking pictures tempo to assist maintain San Antonio afloat. Fortress and Julian Champagnie have been the one different starters to attain because the bench chipped in 11 factors. The free-flowing 12 minutes of play yielded a 37-32 lead for the Raptors.
Toronto was rewarded for its increased vitality stage and looking for out higher photographs to leap forward by as a lot as 12. Jamal Shead and Scottie Barnes, specifically, have been essential in making that second quarter push. Johnson and Mamukelashvili gamely tried to match the Raptors’ tempo and energy, however their taking pictures contact betrayed them over the remaining minutes. Scottie Barnes caught hearth late within the half to place the Raptors up 20.
Paul and Champagnie provided the Spurs’ firepower for the primary half of the third interval, and so they have been capable of get as shut as eight. San Antonio put collectively its finest two-way play to shut out the body and made what seemed like a Raptor blowout right into a hotly contested second half. Johnson had an acrobatic lay-up and, after Blake Wesley stole the following inbounds cross, gathered Wesley’s cross to attain and tie issues at 91-91. Scottie Barnes single-handedly prevented the Raptors from squandering their massive lead solely. Undeterred, San Antonio’s 39-21 third introduced them inside two.
Observations
It’s at all times my pleasure to contribute to this web site and am ceaselessly grateful to J.R. Wilco for the possibility to be PTR’s Blake Wesley.
Beloved that the telecast introduced within the Invoice Schoening feed halfway by means of the primary.
Paul performed all 82 video games!?
Harrison Barnes and Scottie Barnes – first time I’m actually having fun with typing out the complete names for a number of gamers that share a final identify in a Closing Rating.
Squint exhausting sufficient and Toronto’s Jonathan Mogbo seems to be just a little like 2012-2013 Kawhi.
I by no means thought Depeche Mode’s ‘Private Jesus’ would get utilized in a business, however I’m joyful that it’s not Wingstop!
Sequence of the Sport #1: Late within the first quarter, Wesley floated baseline and lofted a fairly dime to a reducing Malaki Branham for a lay-up.
Sequence of the Sport #2: Partway by means of the second, Harrison Barnes and Paul mixed to strip Scottie Barnes, and Mamukelashvili streaked down the court docket for a solo slam.
Sequence of the Sport #3: In the course of the third quarter comeback, Malaki Branham knocked down a wing three, and instantly adopted it by swiping the ball from Scottie Barnes and changing a tricky transition lay-up.
Sport Rundown
In a gap quarter with noticeably few breaks exterior of timeouts, Toronto’s Battle hit two early threes to offer his group a slight lead, whereas Harrison Barnes put up a fast eight of his personal. Battle unofficially had greater than half of the Raptors’ factors all through the whole thing of the interval. Keldon Johnson got here in and made a direct impression, however Battle continued to… battle from behind the arc together with his fourth, fifth, and sixth threes! After a formidable lay-up, Branham fell awkwardly into former Spur Garrett Temple’s knee and he went down in main ache. The Raptors’ eight threes within the stanza, together with a slipshod final second foul by Jordan McLaughlin on a 3 try, allowed them to depart the body up 5.
San Antonio held possession for nearly a minute to begin the second quarter, however couldn’t will a shot house. A pair of scores by Scottie Barnes adopted by rookie Jamal Shead hustling his approach into a few scores made the lead swell. Battle’s twentieth level put Toronto up a dozen. Fortress’s first hit from three and a transition dunk by Mamukelashvili stopped the bleeding briefly. For the reason that Spurs’ exterior photographs fell astray, Fortress and Johnson attacked the rim to blended outcomes. Paul missed a trio of makeable jumpers, whereas Toronto continued to inch additional forward. The groups traded baskets till Scottie Barnes asserted himself from completely different spots on the ground to place the Raptors up 74-54 on the break.
Champagnie encouragingly related on two threes to begin the third, and Paul’s first discipline purpose got here two minutes later. Paul’s second and third makes helped provoke San Antonio over the center minutes of the body. Paul then adopted a Harrison Barnes floater together with his patented baseline jumper to trim the deficit to eight. It helped that the Spurs have been capable of get constant stops in comparison with the sieve-like first half outcomes. Branham and Mamukelashvili had a number of invigorating performs late within the third to assist get the Toronto benefit all the way down to 4. Johnson adopted go well with with a set of manly baskets to tie the sport briefly. The Raptors went to the fourth up a scant two factors.
For the Raptors fan’s perspective, please go to Raptors HQ.
I stay up for doing playoff Closing Scores for Pounders these upcoming weeks!
