Official Game Thread: Hawks at Raptors

[lethalweapon3]

 “Welcome to Jurassaintcominghere Park!”

 

Who is about to find themselves caught up in the Canadian Fly Trap?

I, for one, believe there’s enough international-incident action as it stands. The hope is that the potential for conflict ahead of the NBA Playoffs – or, Play-Ins, rendered unnecessary for the Toronto Raptors if they can beat the visiting Atlanta Hawks this evening (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, TSN in TOR) and the Cavaliers falter down in Orlando – will turn out to be a big ol’ ball of nothing.

I lack the patience to hear about a(nother) random Celtic, or Sixer, past or present, getting canonized by a convoy of cosplaying truckers, this time as the player’s team finds themselves down a man or two during a road playoff game. We all understand what’s required to avoid that scenario and, surely, the suspected players do as well. But if their mindset this late in the NBA season is, “We’ll just win our home games as the higher seed, no problem!”, against the Raptors (45-33; 24-16 in away games, 2^nd-best in the NBA East)? Well, that’s a bold strategy, Cotton.

If the Hawks have to clear Customs and return here to Scotiabank Arena anytime in the coming months, then that would be great news for fans of both teams. Atlanta (41-37; 10-3 over past 13 games) enters today’s action on a five-game winning surge, led by reigning Eastern Conference POW Trae Young, and seeking to secure a winning record following months of uneven struggles. After some stumbles of their own out of the All-Star Break, Toronto figured things out a few weeks faster.

Their 114-109 loss to top-seeded, Jimmy Butler-less Miami, in Kyle Lowry’s return to town on Sunday evening, ended a five-game win streak of their own, and coach Nick Nurse’s team has prevailed in ten of their past 12 contests, keeping them just outside of the soup (2.5 games ahead of CLE, who is 1.5 games ahead of ATL) that is the 7-through-10 Play-In seeding.

Nurse would love to have OG Anunoby (questionable, bruised thigh), who missed the loss to the heat, back in action this evening to haggle Young (35.7 PPG over past 3 games, 11.6 APG over past five). Anunoby was out for the February 26 meeting in Atlanta when Trae went for 41-and-11 (incl. 16-for-20 2FGs) in a 127-100 Hawks win, and the Raps missed his defensive input more than the Hawks missed John Collins.

Earlier that month, with OG in the lineup in Toronto, Young still was able to find his way to the hoop (9-for-16 2FGs, 0-for-4 on threes), and dished the rock with ease (11 assists, 1 TO @ TOR on Feb. 4). But Trae struggled to aid Atlanta from outside, as did every Hawk save for Bogdan Bogdanovic (4-for-9 3FGs on Feb. 4, teammates 5-for-20; 18 bench points and 4 steals, questionable for tonight, sore knee) in a 125-114 Hawk loss. Lately, Young is beginning to get considerable backup support in the backcourt.

Former Raptor Delon Wright (last six games: 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 56.3% on 2.7 3FGAs per game) came through (3-for-6 3FGs) even as Bogi struggled offensively (0-for-6 3FGs) in the Hawks’ essential 122-115 home win over Kevin Durant and the Nets. If Wright, Bogdanovic and one other ex-Raptor, 2015 Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams, can provide the proper fullcourt balance when subbing in for Young or Kevin Huerter (2-for-10 FGs vs. BRK, but 21.3 PPG and 60.6 3FG% in prior four wins), it will take immense pressure off of Young as he adroitly creates for everybody.

Nurse wants his players to be assertive at both ends in beating teams to the ball (NBA-highs of 17.8 deflections/game and 3.5 defensive loose-ball recoveries), wherever it lies. Hanging out on the offensive side of the court, ROY finalist Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch each average over two O-Rebs per game, entrusting Pascal Siakam and Anunoby to get back on defense in transition. Toronto tops the NBA East with a 12.9 O-Reb%, and the entire league with 16.3 opponent TO%.

The Raps’ negative-4.4 differential in turnover percentage points is well ahead of the rest of the league (no other team fares better than negative-2.0). A chunk of the few turnovers Toronto does commit derives from All-Star guard Fred VanVleet’s predictability with passing on drives into the paint (NBA-lows of 40.4 FG% and 3.6 FGAs, NBA-high of 57.5 pass%, 8.0 TO% on drives, min. 10+ drives/game and 40 games played). De’Andre Hunter and Atlanta defenders will have to be mindful on Fred’s forays that the ball is being redirected toward Siakam, when left open, and Gary Trent, Jr. along the perimeter.

Siakam (33 points vs. ATL on Feb. 4) and Achiuwa went a combined 8-for-8 on threes during the Hawks’ last visit to Toronto, the Raptors 63.0 team 3FG% a season-high and their 70.3 team TS% a season high at the time. Nate McMillan’s charges adjusted for the next meeting, and the Raptors’ offense became discombobulated 22 days later in Atlanta.

They needed Spicy P and Precious A (2-for-4 on 3FGs @ATL) to compensate more on the defensive end without Anunoby available, and neither guards Trent nor Malachi Flynn (combined 1-for-9 on threes @ATL) were up to the task of being release valves for VanVleet.

Conversely, Atlanta shot 57.8 percent from the field on Feb. 26, and an off-night from Danilo Gallinari (1-for-9 FGs vs. TOR; questionable for today, flared-up knee) was all that kept that percentage from being a team season-high, too. Young was able to punish the Raptors inside despite their contracting in the paint, while his floormates could swing the ball around to find good looks for Hunter, Huerter and Wright (combined 8-for-13 3FGs).

The Hawks would like to hold off thoughts and discussions of Play-In scenarios for as long as possible this week, and a crucial road win would help them do just that. The Raptors don’t have to leave Canada until Sunday’s finale at New York, but they would rather secure a Top-6 finish tonight than carry the suspense into a back-to-back later this week versus Philadelphia and competitanking Houston.

However things shake out this week, there is comfort in both clubs knowing they are closing out this season competing as well as they have in a while, even without their rosters at full health. Also, unlike other clubs, there aren’t any mission-critical players on their rosters jab-stepping about the jab, imperiling their team’s postseason prospects on some personal freedoms tip.

Talking about being inoculated or divinely exempted or somesuch, this deep into the Twenty Twenties, and thinking that’s going to sway folks North of the Border? Like a pterodactyl from the late Jurassic period, that’s not gonna Fly for much longer, not when the time comes to travel to Toronto as a playoff series fate hangs in the balance. With the Canadian Fly Trap in clear view for every NBA player to see, I’m grateful our squad isn’t going to find itself stuck!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Nothing shaking just yet on the Boo-Boo report as of 5:30 PM Eastern. Bogi and Gallo, and OG for Toronto, all remain questionable and game-time decisions.

Meanwhile, Mister Cooper is still hangin' with College Park as the Skyhawks look to knock off the Go-Go of Capital City at 7 PM today in a one-game playoff round. The victors would travel up to Ontario to take on the G-League East's top-seed, Raptors 905, on Thursday.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[benhillboy]

The Raptors are a fascinating story in team building.  To be 12 games over .500 with that on-paper roster is wildly impressive.

They simply don’t fool with players who didn’t play at a high level D-1 program (only one end-of bench player who didn’t in German Isaac Bonga). Masai is seemingly the new Billy Knight: pretty much everyone not named Van Fleet is 6’9”.  And only an average of 3.3 NBA seasons among their rotational players.

They took it on the chin from a skeleton Heat squad last game, I know Nurse is gonna have them boys on edge.

Edited April 5, 2022 by benhillboy

[LucastheThird]

It's all win or go home from here!

[marco102]

I'm bracing myself for disappointment.  

Reverse jinx in.

Hey it worked against the nets....lol

[Guest]

Toronto up 2-0.  That's it.  Game over.

[ATLHawks3]

Did Ball Sports South East crash or is it just me?

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This team is playing very good on the defensive end so far.  Forcing a lot of long shots, but in the area enough to contest the shots.

Hawks already with 10 assists on 12 shots.

[benhillboy]

Glad Trae didn’t hit a full split there that would’ve been an issue.  
 

By all means let Precious take as many threes as his heart desires.

Brittany Griner out and playing for the Raps?!  Good for her, smoke something!

Edited April 6, 2022 by benhillboy

[benhillboy]

Dammit.  Those are instances where I want Trae to realize only a couple seconds of pressing Van Fleet would’ve prevented that score.  It’s obvious Nate and Nick won’t show him.

Edited April 6, 2022 by benhillboy

[benhillboy]

Jalen Johnson sighting sound the alarms 

[h4wkfan]

1 minute ago, benhillboy said:

Jalen Johnson sighting sound the alarms 

And playing decent d on pascal. At least for that possession. 

[benhillboy]

Delon ratings up to 125 to 112.  Just damn.

As I’m typing he dropped -4 on two possessions, quickly got 3 back making a baseline play for Bogi.

Edited April 6, 2022 by benhillboy

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This unit sorely misses Gallo's ability to get his own offense and score.

[h4wkfan]

That was a foul on Oo how? Cmon now

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Delon with the put back slam . . . WTH?

[benhillboy]

I can’t think of a better offensive rebounding guard off the top than Delon.

Just now, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Delon with the put back slam . . . WTH?

It’s crazy how much Nique used to do this.  It’s so difficult.  Sh•t is all but extinct.

[thecampster]

Toronto is so long. It's really disruptive.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

NIque made a great point.  Toronto had four 6-8+ guys out on the floor.  They used their length and hustle to really take advantage of our 2nd unit.