The Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic to clinch the Atlantic Division for the second year in a row. What did we learn from the game, though?
Looking to get one over on a potential first-round opponent, the Toronto Raptors welcomed the Orlando Magic to the Scotiabank Arena. So far this season, the Magic had proved that they can more than just hang with the Raptors, they’ve beaten them twice.
The task would be that bit harder as the Orlando Magic were winners of seven of their last eight games and were desperate. Half a game back of the Miami Heat and the eighth seed, the Magic needed a win much more than the Raptors did.
Although, the Raptors did have something at stake in this one. A win would clinch the Atlantic Division for the second straight year, and while it’s not an NBA Championship, it’s a sign of progression and stability.
To say the first quarter was a snooze fest would be totally false. We saw a high-scoring first quarter from both teams. The Magic led by seven and were having their way on offense, the Raptors were sluggish on defense and couldn’t contain the length of the Magic.
Danny Green kept the Raptors treading water with 16 points on 6-7 shooting in the first quarter, leading the team back into the game. His game would go on to be the standout point of the evening.
The second quarter was a complete change in fortunes for both teams. The Raptors held the Magic to 37-percent shooting in the quarter while shooting 55-percent themselves, that created a huge swing which saw Toronto lead by ten at the half, and holding Orlando to 16 points in the quarter.
The Raptors all but put the game to bed in the third quarter, scoring another 33 points and outscoring the Orlando Magic by ten, by the end of the quarter, most of the starters were out the game and wrapped up in bubble wrap.
The fourth quarter did see the Magic claw their way back into the game, but by then it was already too late and the Raptors ran out 121-109 winners. With that win, it was official, the Raptors had won the Atlantic Division for the second season in a row. A great achievement for a team that was in the dark ages less than 10 years ago.
The goal now is simple: a title.
Here are my three big takeaways from the game.
1. Danny Green: The hottest three-point shooter in the league
No, that’s not hyperbole. Danny Green is the hottest three-point shooter in the league.
In the 19 games he’s played in since the All-Star break, Danny Green is averaging 55-percent from three on 5.9 attempts per game. Wow.
Last night was no different for Green, who had a season-high 29 points on 70-percent shooting from three, every shot just looked like it was going to go down. He’s knocking down three-pointers from everywhere on the court, too. His lowest percentage zone is from above the break, where Green is still shooting 43-percent on 241 attempts.
His current season three-point percentage will lead the Raptors all-time, and undoubtedly makes Green the best three-point shooter in Raptors history. No, it’s not Jason Kapono.
2. Jonathan Isaac is not a fun match-up for Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam just didn’t have it going against Jonathan Isaac last night, but that’s been the case all season when these two match up. In the 129 possessions across four games where Siakam has been guarded by Isaac, he’s accumulated only 11 points on an effective field-goal percentage of 25-percent.
Conversely, Isaac is averaging seven points per game when guarded by Siakam. His offensive role on the Magic is a lot less significant than Siakam’s with the Raptors though and has an effective field-goal percentage of 70-percent.
Isaac’s combination of size and speed makes him the perfect antidote for guarding a player with Siakam’s unique offensive skill set, and he helped hold Siakam to just six points last night.
3. Reduced minutes all around
It’s been said a million times already but the key between now and the end of the season is to survive, plain and simple. The best way to do that is to keep your best players rested and healthy.
No one on the team played more than 30 minutes tonight, with Danny Green, Pascal Siakam and Kawhi Leonard leading the team in that category, clocking in at just over 27 minutes apiece.
Initially, Nick Nurse rolled out a nine-man rotation until the Raptors blew the game wide open in the third quarter, leading by 20 points heading into the fourth quarter. That meant we got to see the likes of Chris Boucher, the G-League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, in action, along with Jordan Loyd and Malcolm Miller.
Make sure to check out our takeaways after each game at RaptorsRapture.com