Cory Joseph has done some fine work for the Raptors against the Heat. Let’s give him some love in return.
The Toronto Raptors All-Star backcourt were back in form on Wednesday night for game 5 against the Miami Heat, combining for 59 of the Raptors 99 points.
While most of the media and fans focus on the lack of performance that DeRozan and Lowry have had during the series other Raptors players are picking up the slack under the radar. One in particular – Pickering, Ontario’s Cory Joseph.
In game 5 his stats may not jump off the page as the Raptors were -12 when he was on the court. Joseph had 9 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals during the Raptors 99-91 win at the Air Canada Centre. Something that Joseph brings to the team besides his playoff experience is his momentum-changing energy.
“It’s given me a chance to rest and play off the ball and roam a little more,” Kyle Lowry said after game 4. “Even now the last couple of games, me being off the ball and him using pick and roll they haven’t tagged off of me as hard and we’ve gotten in the paint. Having Cory has been unbelievable.”
The Raptors have been neck and neck with the Heat this series even without DeRozan and Lowry playing at their best. A big part of that is their bench players like Joseph. On Monday in the Raptors OT loss in Miami he put up 14 points, one rebound and one assist. He is forced to step up and almost always comes through including his 15 points in game 5 of the Raptors first-round series with the Indiana Pacers. Joseph is averaging 53% from the field in the post-season, up from his 44% in the regular season. In the post-season, Joseph has had six double-figure scoring games off the bench for the Raptors, the most by a reserve in the 2016 playoffs.
Joseph has been getting in the Miami players’ heads. He literally gave Dwyane Wade a light tap on the head during gave five that led to a foul and a possible Oscar nomination for Wade. Joseph was instrumental in keeping Wade at -19 and to 20 points.
In game 4 Joseph was like a pit bull on Miami’s Goran Dragic who has been one of the Heat’s best and highest-scoring players in the series. During the game Joseph clearly got into Dragic’s head, at one point it looked like Dragic took a swing at Joseph’s face when the two got tangled up under the hoop. Dragic drew a retroactive technical foul and a $2000 fine. “Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Didn’t happen,” Joseph said on the no-call during the game.
“It was just a physical play,” Dragic told reporters Wednesday. “I was trying to get a rebound and he was holding my arm. I kind of tried to let it go. I swung it a bit but there was no contact, nothing.”
Have a look for yourself.
Toronto ranks 3rd in the playoffs for team loose balls recovered at 6.4. Joseph is critical in that when he is on the floor he fights for every possession and more than once a game you will see him on the floor, diving to save a ball.
The Raptors off-season acquisition of Joseph has proved to be beneficial for the Raptors. He’s been a key figure in keeping them in this series.