Lose to a terrible Denver Nuggets team, shoot 57.8% and triumph over the best defensive team to grace the NBA (in terms of defensive rating heading in) in over a decade. Makes sense, right?
As they say, that’s why they play the games.
Ironically, in a battle against another master of the mid-range game, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan was at the peak of his powers on Wednesday, turning in what to me was probably his best outing of the year (when you factor in how he pulled a Lowry in hoisting the team on his back, and considering the caliber of the competition he was facing).
The first quarter stood out the most – eight points, four assists, four trips to the line – an ailing Kawhi Leonard (bad cheesteak in Philadelphia, apparently), couldn’t stop him.
DeRozan then hit 3-of-4 shots in the second quarter, was decent in the third and helped seal the game in the final frame with some difficult finishes and big responses to San Antonio pushes.
Most importantly, he grabbed the biggest rebound of the game – off of a Kyle Lowry miss with 6.9 seconds remaining and Toronto up by three points, preventing a miracle Spurs comeback.
“DeRozan had two great shots,” Manu Ginobili said afterward.
“I thought Lowry and DeRozan were great as usual,” added Gregg Popovich, saying that Toronto’s backcourt not only scored, but also moved the ball well.
LEGEND
It’s too bad Tim Duncan doesn’t really get the respect he is due, probably because he dominates so quietly. Players and coaches appreciate him though and are still wary of what he can do.
“Legend, one of the best to ever play, especially at his position, will go down in the Hall of Fame,” was how Patrick Patterson described Duncan.
“Such an iconic superstar on and off the court and a great guy. He is the true ideal of an NBA player and an NBA superstar.
“It’s just because Tim Duncan is not flashy (that he isn’t as beloved as Kobe, LeBron, or other greats). You don’t see him on all of these crazy commercials. You don’t see him out in the public eye. You don’t see him doing these public events, all of the other stuff that you see superstar these days do.”
But perhaps the biggest reason: “His presence out there on a court, will change the game. He doesn’t necessarily have to shoot the ball. He doesn’t have to touch the ball.”
How many other stars can you say that about?
Duncan still defends like few others, currently ranking second in defensive rating, fourth in defensive win shares, and first in defensive box plus/minus, per basketballreference.com.
NOT SURPRISED
Kawhi Leonard has been an NBA Finals MVP (two seasons ago) and was named NBA defensive player of the year last season, yet, he’s never played better basketball.
Leonard has upped his scoring average by nearly six points a game and is shooting a remarkable 50% on three-point attempts (over four per game) making him now without a doubt, the premier 3D (three-point threat and defensive stopper) in the league.
Cory Joseph, who was drafted into the NBA alongside Leonard in the first round in 2011 and became close friends with the soft-spoken star, knew this would happen.
“I’m not surprised at all. He’s been doing that at practice a long time,” Joseph told the Toronto Sun recently.
“That’s just Kawhi, you see a little bit more. He gets more experienced and he’s just taking his game to the next level. Everyone knew he can. First game (this season), I think Pop said something like he’s arrived. It’s nothing new. We knew he could do it.”
Leonard had a rare off-night on Wednesday, probably because he was recovering from food poisoning. He didn’t look like himself, which was too bad, considering he only comes through Toronto once a year and I had just put him on my first-team All-NBA for his work through the first quarter of the season.
WHAT A JOKE
I know fans can be, well, fanatical, but it’s one thing to nitpick and say the season is lost when you support a perennial loser or underachiever, quite another to get on the Spurs.
Yet, beat writer Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News showed a few of us a string of tweets that had us howling at the ridiculousness of it all post-game. The anger, frustration and panic from Spurs “fans” was something to see. You’d think they didn’t win it all two years ago, or take home all of those titles in the Duncan era. Sometimes all you can do is laugh, or, as McDonald tweeted back to one person – “18-5 THE SKY IS FALLING.”
It just goes to show, that there’s always going to be someone unhappy about something, no matter how good the team they “support” is or has been.
AROUND THE RIM
That’s splits each of the past two seasons (with one game to go this year in Texas) for the Raptors against San Antonio following four years of losses. Not bad … That shooting percentage by the Raptors was a season-high. Go figure … Raptors starters shot 61.5%, despite the team tying a season-low with three three-pointers … It was only the seventh time ever the Raptors won a game when attempting 64 shots or less and the first time since 2009 … San Antonio does not give up many points off of turnovers on most nights, yet the Raptors outscored the Spurs 14-2 on the fast-break … It was only the second time all season the Spurs trailed entering the fourth quarter.
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DeMar DeRozan’s best game of year comes against Spurs; Rare Raptors win with low shot total; Lighten up, San Antonio fans
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