Samson Folk & Louis Zatzman discuss the latest with the Raptors.
From Samson’s piece:
“At the start of the final frame it was a battle of buckets: Magic vs Barnes. When I tell you the Raptors were wholly dependent on Barnes, I’m not overselling it. Long possessions with many dribbles. Bodies banging into each other. Barnes rising up at the end of it all for bucket after bucket. Barnes circled the Magic and watched them exchange 3 different defenders on him before taking Bane 1-on-1 for a bucket and the first 40 ball of his career. A BLOB ATO from Coach Darko led to an open triple from Quickley who banged a triple for the Raptors first lead since who knows when. Maybe the start of the game. 102-100.
However, the Magic’s more democratic offense sustained a little better in the middle of the quarter. Barnes hit a stamina wall (how could you not?) and the Magic continued to probe and fend off the Raptors help to find open players who would go on to make shots. The Raptors put together a titanic run to step out front, but the Magic answered back and were up by 6 after a short stint where Barnes was resting. The Raptors put their starters back in the game with 4 minutes to go. Ready to rock in clutch time.
Be it missed layups, buttered fingers, or the slow churn and payoff on offense that the Magic kept finding success in, the Raptors lost the rope in this one. They took on the tidal wave of threes from the Magic (I’d be surprised if they have a better shooting game all season) and responded with one of Barnes’ best games as a pro. It wasn’t enough. No man is an island, even when you score 41 points, and the Raptors couldn’t muster a good enough team performance in this one.
“When you lose you have to react.” Coach Darko told me before the game. “I learned this from Coach Pop, he was always saying that every team is gonna react to losing a game. Only great teams react after winning a game. So, we’re in that mode after winning the last game that we gotta react.”
Have a blessed day.
