Toronto Raptors: Top five performances from a perfect week six

4. Norman Powell

Opponent: Orlando Magic

Stat line: 33 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

Known for his up-and-down play, Norman Powell has been a model of consistency over this long stretch of games without Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka. Being inserted into the starting lineup has helped him immensely as he is now getting the touches he was looking for to start the year. He’s no longer forcing the issue, allowing the game to come to him.

This is now the third time that the Raptors have played the Orlando Magic so it was definitely a familiar matchup for Powell and Toronto. Early on, the Raps struggled to put the ball in the basket. They were missing shots, running sloppy sets, and forcing the ball unnecessarily. However, their defense kept them in this contest.

After the first half of the game, it would be safe to assume that Powell didn’t expect to hit his career-high. He only managed seven points at halftime as the Raptors were down 47-40.

Powell really caught fire in the third quarter, however, as he scored an impressive 18 points in that frame alone, including a run where he scored 10 straight points. His 3-point shot was falling at an absurd rate as he hit three in a row during the quarter. With the Raptors up seven points heading into the fourth, Powell dropped in the finishing touches, as he scored another seven points and led the Raptors to the victory.

It was especially important for Powell to step up in this game as both Siakam (18%) and VanVleet (35%) were both shooting poorly. Only time will tell how Powell’s role will look like going forward as the Raptors get healthy once again.