In crucial moments the other day, the Raptors appeared to be finding ways not to win. Down zero to two and with their backs against the wall in the Eastern Conference Finals, they came up with a crucial adjustment that allowed them to battle the otherwise-superior Bucks to a standstill until crunchtime of Game Three: They solved the problem that was Giannis Antetokounmpo by slotting top defender Kawhi Leonard on the presumptive Most Valuable Player along with a consistent blitz, and it worked. Unfortunately, their own offense continued to sputter, and especially with the outcome of the match on the line in regulation.
Fortunately for the Raptors, Leonard was again up to the task of translating opportunity to success. Through a career-playoff-high 52 minutes of play, he proved to be their most consistent source of points. True, Marc Gasol contributed early on and Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell made up for the poor production of Danny Green, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet. On the other hand, it was clear to all and sundry that no one was better than him at playmaking under pressure. And so they gave the ball to him again and again. And he delivered, again and again.
Considering Raptors head coach Nick Nurse’s predilection for falling back on Leonard when push invariably comes to shove, predictability would still have reigned at the end of Game Three. He would still have been the main feature in isolation sets even if All-Star pointguard Kyle Lowry didn’t foul out midway through the fourth quarter. That he was bothered by leg issues from the first period on didn’t matter. That the Bucks overplayed him didn’t matter. Only the final score did, and it showed the hosts winning by six in double overtime, with eight of their last 10 points courtesy of his exertions.
Today, the Raptors will have to rely on their defense anew to carry them. How well Leonard has recovered from his physical concerns will determine their competitiveness, or lack thereof, against the Bucks; for a marquee name whose regular season was defined by “load management” borne of caution, durability becomes a critical factor. Perhaps that’s why they opted to have a film session instead yesterday. They know enough to preserve their energy for Game Four and beyond. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo & Company will be making adjustments, with Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe due to break out. It’s still an uphill battle for them, but they’ve made strides, and they figure to keep generating confidence from hope.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
