The Toronto Raptors were punched in the mouth in their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Not only did potential trade piece Kyle Lowry exit the game due to back spasms in the first quarter, but Toronto was also without their head coach Nick Nurse for a significant portion of the second half after he was ejected for receiving his second technical foul in the third quarter.
Despite missing such key pieces, Toronto was able to pull away with a much-needed win, propelling them back into playoff contention.
Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell did all of the heavy lifting, as that offensive trio picked up 93 total points in a game that showed how lethal Toronto can be when they catch fire from deep.
Much needed win vs the Grizzlies 128-113! VanFleet and Siakam leading the way with 32 points each!
— Nabeel Siddiqui (@wethenorthnba) February 9, 2021
The Toronto Raptors fought back against the Memphis Grizzlies
The first half wasn’t pretty, to say the least. The Raptors have now given up 60 or more first-half points in seven out of the last eight games. The lingering impacts of not having Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, continue to epitomize Toronto’s struggles. Jonas Valanciunas took advantage of the Raptors’ lack of depth, posting 18 points and 16 rebounds in just the first half alone.
The former Raptors’ center shot 4-6 from the field and was an impressive 10-10 from the free-throw line. Valanciunas himself made more first half free throws than the entire Raptors team who shot 9-11 from the charity stripe.
Toronto’s struggles continued in the second half, but they were able to close the quarter with great intensity and energy. There was a clear change in tone once Nurse was ejected. After Nurse’s ejection, the Raptors went on a dominant 28-5 run, to take control of the game.
The Raptors’ offensive assault featured a three-headed monster included VanVleet, Powell, and Siakam. Raptor fans were delighted to witness yet another great performance from Siakam, as he looked his All-Star self by finishing with 32 points and six assists on 63 percent shooting from the field. VanVleet tallied 32 points and nine assists, while Powell added 29 points himself.
Forcing Memphis to play through players who weren’t Valanciunas was essential in Toronto’s comeback efforts. Jonas still finished with a monster stat line of 27 points and 20 rebounds, but his second-half productivity wasn’t close to what he was able to do for the Grizzlies in the first half.
A major reason for the downturn in production was the fact that Toronto made it a point of emphasis to attack the paint, seeing as Valanciunas isn’t a shot-blocking presence in the slightest. Doing that made the seven-footer work much harder than he did in the first half. Ja Morant mustering just 18 points on 5-17 shooting certainly didn’t help.
Toronto displayed their championship pedigree, and they were able to get a much-needed win on the road. The Raptors will now direct their focus towards the 5-15 Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.