For the fifth game in a row, the Raptors allowed the opposing team to jump on them. And for the fifth game in a row, the Raptors thought they could just turn it on. Successfully coming back from 10+ point deficits four games in a row will do that for you. The phrase "Comeback Kids" get thrown around next. And before you know it, you come crashing back to Earth after being knocked in the face by the reality of the situation.
That's exactly what happened when the Raptors let one get away in a 130-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers. During yesterday's media scrum after practice, there was a bit of talk regarding the style of attack the Pacers played with. That small ball, green light on any shot kind of offence that gives most teams fits when the ball is going in the net at a good rate.
The Raptors' counter? Stick to your guns. Make Indiana adjust to how you play, and not the other way around.
Unfortunately, the Raptors fell into a trap and played the type of game the Pacers preferred. Nevermind the high scoring first quarter of 34-32. But any fan that managed to catch the game on The Score could spot it immediately - the game was hectic and unorganized. There was absolutely no structure on the offensive or defensive end. By halftime, I had even lost how many times a broken play had occurred, or how many loose ball situations there were.
By the time the Raps realized their season high 5 game winning streak was in serious jeopardy, it was already too late. With an injured DeMar DeRozan, as well as Hedo Turkoglu not being able to give it a go, Toronto already had more than their fair share of hurdles to overcome. And just to throw salt on the wound, the Raps also managed to lose Jose Calderon to injury after rolling his ankle.
With a must win game tomorrow at the ACC against the New Jersey Nets, the Raps must find a way to do something they haven't been capable of doing in the last 5 games, and that's dominate a team for a full 48 minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment