Raptors on the Brink of Playoff Disaster and Friday NBA Takeaways
The Toronto Raptors fell 101-83 in Game 6 on Friday, failing to eliminate the Indiana Pacers in panic-inducing fashion.
If you've ever jumped off a high dive into deep water and then realized early in the swim back up that you're shorter on air and farther from the surface than you thought, you know how the Raptors feel. They believed for a moment that they were just inches from breaking through, from breaching and taking in a deep, badly needed breath.
But the air never came.
An 18-6 first-quarter lead—punctuated by frenetic action on defense, hustle plays all over the floor and a soaring DeMar DeRozan putback—made it seem like the Raps would run away with Game 6. Toronto was all but assured the cleansing inhalation it so desperately needed. Had that lead held up, giving the Raptors the first (seven-game) series win in franchise history, the pressure release would have been immense.
Toronto gave away Games 6 and 7 during a first-round loss to the Brooklyn Nets two years ago, then completed a second-half collapse in horrid fashion by losing a 4-0 first-round sweep against the Washington Wizards last season. The Raps haven't won a postseason series at all since 2001.
Early in Friday's contest, it seemed like all that stuff was about to become a distant memory. Yet even in the midst of that promising start, there was a sense of foreboding.
Here's Eric Koreen of Sportsnet in Toronto:
Indiana assured the Raptors would continue to be haunted by old ghosts, paring the lead down to just two points at the end of the first quarter and then taking the advantage for good with a blitz to close the half. Then, the Pacers pumped the lead up to 19 with a 12-0 run to start the fourth.
The Raptors will have to continue searching for breath. Game 7 will take place in Toronto on Sunday, and it'll be a big one.
Winning it would give the franchise's history of collapse a critical recent counterpoint. Winning it would mean avoiding the ignominy of following up the best regular season ever with a defeat to a No. 7 seed. Winning it would mean avoiding an indelible third strike on the postseason-choke ledger.
Toronto will have home-court advantage, which will help. And you'd have to think the stakes will inspire extra intensity. Although, according to DeRozan, the Raptors intended to play with peak desperation Friday, per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun:
Oops indeed.
Additionally troubling: There are some serious reasons to suspect the Raptors will struggle in Sunday's fateful Game 7.
DeRozan's highlight dunk in the first quarter was an outlier. He shot just 3-of-13 from the field, was again swallowed whole by Paul George's defensive wingspan and is shooting 32.1 percent during the series. With more turnovers than assists and just two made triples in 13 attempts, DeRozan has effectively been erased from competition.
George has owned him, and there's no reason to expect that to change. At least he's staying positive, though, per Wolstat:
Worse still, Kyle Lowry's shooting slump seems irreversible. Bothered by a sore right elbow since the end of the regular season, Toronto's best player has shot under 40 percent from the field during all six first-round games. He was 4-of-14 Friday, and though his facilitation and defensive energy are still immensely valuable, Toronto doesn't have enough secondary scorers to survive if Lowry isn't producing points.
George played 40 minutes in Game 6, and the Pacers have struggled to survive when he hasn't carried them (See: nine-point fourth quarter and massive blown lead during Game 5). The Raptors' best bet might just be hoping PG is tired.
If he's not, he'll continue to obliterate DeRozan and lead the Pacers offense. He contributed 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists Friday.
The Raptors can finish this season out in one of two ways. They'll either complete their third consecutive postseason implosion, scarring the franchise and gut-punching a fanbase that already expects to get decked...or they'll win.
Introspection may be in order regardless, per Bleacher Report's Michael Pina:
The Raptors are still beneath the surface, but they haven't sunk to the bottom just yet. They're tired, they're uncomfortable and panic is setting in.
They just need to breathe.
All Ages Admitted
The Miami Heat didn't care where it came from Friday; they just knew they needed series-saving performances.
They got them from old and young, as Dwyane Wade (34) and Justise Winslow (20) helped produce a 97-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets that will send the matchup back to Miami for a decisive Game 7.
Wade scored 10 of his 23 points during the fourth quarter and, more remarkably, hit two three-point shots after not making one since Dec. 16. He controlled Miami's offense early with efficient work in the post and led the team with four assists.
Basically, his old-man game was in full effect.
Luol Deng, another veteran, scored 21 points and was integral in keeping the ball moving on offense. Unfortunately for him, only Wade got the praise from sidelined teammate Chris Bosh:
Winslow showed the defensive versatility that made him one of the top rookies in the league this year, shutting down Jeremy Lin and helping limit Kemba Walker. ESPN.com's Justin Verrier offered this assessment before Walker got going against matchups other than Winslow:
Walker scored a career playoff-high 37 points, but it wasn't enough to compete with Miami's full age-spectrum attack.
The Heat were dominant at home in Games 1 and 2, racking up two victories by a total of 44 points. They slipped during Game 5, but the Heat's general excellence in Miami (28-13 during the regular season) bodes well for this weekend's finale.
And if Miami gets contributions from old and young alike, it'll take its all-ages show to the second round.
The Clippers Did the Impossible
No, the Los Angeles Clippers didn't win Friday. The Portland Trail Blazers notched a 106-103 victory to seal the series and eliminate L.A.
But the Clips, incredibly, became sort of likable. And in a lot of ways, that was more impressive than winning.
Without Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, with J.J. Redick hobbled by a sore heel, with Austin Rivers getting 11 stitches around his eye in the first half—the Clippers fought valiantly. And everything that has irked observers for years somehow seemed less annoying because of the circumstances.
With the squad undermanned and facing elimination, the complaints about calls and isolation offense (even if the latter was only an issue on the second unit when the roster was healthy) seemed appropriate.
Desperate times and such.
Jamal Crawford propped up the offense during the first half and finished with 32 points, but he was just 1-of-9 in the fourth quarter. Rivers was inspiring, playing with his left eye swollen almost completely shut. He scored 21 points and led the team with eight assists.
It wasn't enough, as the Blazers escaped in the final seconds behind Mason Plumlee's three made free throws.
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 48 points, and they'll test their mettle against a tougher opponent Sunday when they face the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.
It feels like changes are on the horizon for the Clippers. Paul is 30 and aging out his prime, Griffin's days as a top-10 player may be done, and the bench needs more quality options. If this was the last gasp of this version of the Clips, it was an admirable one.
Somehow, the widely maligned Clips were noble in defeat.
Talk about a first-round upset...
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