The Raptors handled the Sixers in Game 1. They still think they can play better in Game 2.
Despite a 108-95 win in which they led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter, Toronto feels it has to clean up several areas. That doesn't bode well for the Sixers.
TORONTO — After Saturday’s 108-95 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, and again on Sunday, the 76ers expressed great confidence at being able to bounce back for Monday’s Game 2 at the Scotiabank Arena.
“I have gone through the tape three times, and I can tell you, I wake up good to go,” coach Brett Brown said Sunday as the team worked out in a practice gym at the arena. “Like I really feel that we can come in and be better than we were in the first game.”
Nobody would expect anything else from a team that won 51 regular-season games and beat the Brooklyn Nets in five games in the opening series. Yet, here on the other side of this series, the Raptors think that they can play better and weren’t happy with many occurrences in the first game.
The stellar play of Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam, who combined for 74 points, may have masked some of the Raptors’ deficiencies. Maybe that is why they feel no sense of self-satisfaction, despite a convincing win in which they led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.
The Raptors didn’t practice on Sunday but had a film session, and they didn’t like everything they saw.
“We had a lot of breakdowns. Honestly, we had a lot of breakdowns," point guard Kyle Lowry said. "We watched the film. There are things we can adjust, we will adjust, and be a little better on.”
Lowry would not go into the adjustments, but the Raptors have several areas where they can improve.
First, the other three starters, Danny Green, Marc Gasol, and Lowry, totaled only 24 points. And the bench, which was supposed to be a big advantage in this series, scored only 10 points.
The Raptors can’t expect Leonard to score 45 points, as he did on Saturday, or Siakam to shoot 12-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-4 from three-point range, every game.
So the others starters and key reserves will have to provide more offense.
In addition, the Raptors seemed frustrated at the lights-out shooting of JJ Redick in the third quarter. After going 0-for-4, all from three-point range, in the first half, Redick hit 5 of 7 threes in the third quarter to keep the Sixers in the game.
The Sixers cut the lead to 68-64 on a Redick three with 8 minutes, 31 seconds left in the third quarter before the Raptors took off.
“JJ got unbelievably hot and got going,” said Lowry, the former Cardinal Dougherty and Villanova star, who had nine points, eight assists and just one turnover in 37:35.
Fred VanVleet, who also spent time guarding Redick, said that attempting to keep him in check will be a major emphasis in Game 2.
“He is really tough to guard, and, obviously, he is going to take a lot of focus, and we have to key in on him,” VanVleet said.
A good start by Redick changes the Sixers’ dynamic, because it opens the floor. With all the talk of adjustments, one change Redick won’t make is in his shooting approach.
“I felt like the shots I got in the first half were good shots, they didn’t go in,” Redick said Sunday. “I am going to keep shooting and keep getting better.”
Raptors coach Nick Nurse also wasn’t happy his team was outrebounded, 47-40, including 13-2 on the offensive glass.
“I have to look on the bright side — if there are a lot of offensive rebounds, then there are a lot of missed shots,” Nurse said.
With so much talk about adjustments, Game 2 could be about improvement. The Sixers figure to improve in several areas, but so do the Raptors.