5. Norman Powell
Opponent: Los Angeles Clippers
Stat line: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Just when the Raptors were finally healthy and reintegrating everyone back into their system, the Raptors lose another player to injury in Fred VanVleet. VanVleet has proven to be a valuable piece to this team, so other players needed to step up on the offensive end to fill the void. That man proved to be Norman Powell.
Against the Clippers, he was a man on a mission and refused to give up for the entire game when it seemed like almost everyone else on his team did. The night started off slow for Powell as he only scored four points in the first quarter with the Raptors leading by five points heading into the second. Los Angeles, unfortunately, dominated the second quarter with no one, including Powell able to do anything to stop them. Powell ended the first half with eight points as the Raptors were down 18.
The third quarter is where Powell really stepped up. He took the fight right to the Clippers and scored 12 points in the third alone. His heroics cut the deficit to as little as seven points, but unfortunately for Powell and Toronto, nobody else stepped up to the plate. With no one else pitching in, Powell only scored two points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors lost by 20.
When given the opportunity Norman Powell has consistently delivered 20 point performances. He has been a great scoring punch for the team at the shooting guard spot. Powell continues to show that he truly is an NBA caliber starter.