It was another oddball, but this time the Toronto Raptors came away with a victory regardless.
On a night that saw Fred VanVleet carry the load for the vast majority of his minutes, Chris Boucher shake off a downcast start to the year, and OG Anunoby make some understated all-star plays, there was one moment that will stand out more than any other: The reaction to the shot that sealed the game.
“We’re going to keep that between the team,” VanVleet said with a smile in the post-game interview. “But you know, I was just excited, man. If you’re not having fun with this, you’re doing it wrong. We’re working extremely hard and you’ve gotta enjoy it when you can.”
As a note: Sam Cassell is currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. Enough said.
On the second night of a back-to-back (albeit against a team as depleted as the 76ers), Toronto came away with yet another road win to put them back over .500 and snap a three-game slide.
Here are three key takeaways from the Raptors night that was:
Fred VanVleet as Sisyphus
Not too long ago, VanVleet played the first game of his career in which he looked like a true maestro, controlling everything from start to finish in a dominant performance that showcased just how potent the Raptors can be when every element of their collective game, as an extension of VanVleet, is clicking.
But on Thursday night, that collective game wasn’t there, and so VanVleet was left to his own devices, delivering yet another stellar performance that elicited memories of Kyle Lowry, but this time by virtue of its Sisyphusian nature.
“He’s your point guard, your veteran leader,” Gary Trent Jr. said. “He gets it going for you, it’s a great thing, a great night. He set the tone for us tonight, he willed us, helped get us this much-needed victory.”
Indeed, the Raptors survived the first half thanks largely to VanVleet’s herculean efforts (and solid play from Scottie Barnes), as he took over the scoring load on nearly every half-court possession, draining shots from every angle. He dropped 15 points in the first quarter alone, heaving the team onto his back and forging forward through the muck.
“When we come out and Freddy’s [VanVleet] getting some buckets and making some plays like that,” head coach Nick Nurse said, “I think that automatically gives us a boost of spirit and confidence, just all over the place, that we know that he’s got it going and he’s getting past people and he’s making some shots. You love to say your offence doesn’t affect your defence, but it sure does, man.”
His efforts were not in vein, either, as numerous teammates stepped up in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter, and their play bought him some much needed rest early in the frame so that, by the eight-minute mark, he was able to return and help nudge them over the finish line (and, again, deliver a celebration that fans will use as a .gif for quite a while).
By the time the game was over, he had 32 points, six rebounds and seven assists with only a single turnover on 67.3 percent true shooting in 40 minutes of action. He was a game-high +14 to boot.
It was an impressive showing of visual leadership, particularly on the second night of a back-to-back.
Chris Boucher breaks free
If one was to pick an anthem for Boucher’s evening, Queen’s “I Want To Break Free” wouldn’t be a bad choice.
After an undeniably dismal start to the season that’s seen him average just 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds on 41.5 percent true shooting (18.2 percent from three), Boucher finally found himself against the 76ers, particularly to kick off the fourth quarter.
During those key opening minutes of the final frame, and with VanVleet sitting on the bench for some much-needed rest, Boucher completely erupted as the lone big man on the floor (his minutes alongside Precious Achiuwa did not go well), finishing lobs in the pick-and-roll, blocking shots both at the arc and at the rim, and running the floor in transition for dunks.
“Great game by Chris [Boucher],” Nurse said. “Really a factor and really important scoring; tip-in at the rim, couple dunks, timely three.”
To say it was his best game of the season would be a massive understatement—the 17 points he finished with totalled more than his previous five games combined (14). He also added six boards and two blocks, and posted an efficient 66.0 true shooting percentage.
“Eventually I had to get a little groove,” Boucher said. “But it’s just a mindset. I think the team did a good job of keeping me focused and knowing that it can’t always go down like that. I put in a lot of work also in my game and it’s coming back.
“I came back from an injury [dislocated finger] and there’s a lot of change, a lot of positions, a lot of players that can do a lot of things on this team and it’s all about figuring out a role and where to take the shots and find the confidence that I had last year. I think today was a big step for me just to find my confidence again and realize the way that I have to play.”
It’s fair to criticize players when they aren’t performing well, but it’s necessary to point out when they’ve turned things around, too, even if for only one night. Boucher will hope that he can carry this momentum forward, of course, and so will the Raptors—when he plays like this, it adds a completely separate dynamic to the team.
OG Anunoby, Designated Raptors Closer
It was a fairly clandestine night for Anunoby, who finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists on 59.7 percent true shooting.
Understandably, most people’s eyes had been on VanVleet all night, and discussion had also shifted from Barnes’ solid play to Boucher popping off as the game marched towards its conclusion.
But when things were tight late and the Raptors needed some big-time plays to close out the night, Anunoby was the guy they went to – and he delivered.
In particular, he had two back-to-back possessions in which the Raptors gave him the ball up top and asked him to make something happen. Both times, he sleekly migrated into the deeps of the paint, until he was essentially under the basket, and as the defence collapsed upon him, he immediately fired the ball to the open man in the corner, having made the proper read already.
The first time, the ball found Trent Jr., who released it almost as soon as he caught it with a closeout coming, and splashed home.
“Coaching staff’s been on me about standing in the corner,” Trent said. “I’ve watched film where I’ve had multiple times where I could have gotten a flair screen, went to the corner and gotten shots in previous games. Just from coaches showing me, Freddy [VanVleet] setting a good back-screen, it just happened.”
Then, repeating the exact same sequence nearly beat-for-beat, the ball nestled into the hands of VanVleet, who drilled the game’s dagger on the way to becoming the night’s most popular meme.
“I think it helped that we got him a little more faced up instead of back-to-the-basket and working in such tight quarters,” Nurse said. “He knew exactly what he was going to do on that last one. He got [Andre] Drummond switched on him, he stretched him out all the way, as far as Drummond would go, and then he took off and I think he knew the convergence was gonna come. He threw a bullet, big hit by Freddy [VanVleet].”
Most people will likely remember VanVleet nailing that shot (as they should!), but just as important was Anunoby’s execution, generated from nothingness, to make the Raptors win possible.
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