The Toronto Raptors were facing a potential quick exit in the Eastern Conference Finals, down 0-2 against a potent Milwaukee Bucks team that proved formidable at home. Yet Raptors coach Nick Nurse expected the same of his players that he got from them throughout the regular season.
Asked how these Raptors managed to come back from a two-game deficit to put the top-seeded Bucks at the brink of elimination, Nurse did his best to recapitulate.
“This isn't the sexy answer, but from the first day of training camp we've been saying we're going to stay level,” Nurse told ESPN's Tim Bontemps. “A s***ty preseason game is just gonna get written off. A great win at Golden State, same thing. A terrible game in San Antonio, ‘Let's bounce back.'”
“And we've done it all year. We've kept it even-keeled. Kawhi [Leonard] has helped that. Kyle [Lowry] has been so much less emotional and a great leader. Marc [Gasol], even Serge [Ibaka], those older guys, when things have gone s***ty, it's not questioning guys, it's ‘Let's figure it out.' I think it was the same today.”
The Raptors have won three straight games by adjusting their game plan and honing on Giannis Antetokounmpo, frustrating him and making him a supporting character in the fourth quarter of games.
Along with some much-needed clutch play from the bench unit, the Raptors have taken an eight-man rotation and made it work beautifully, now one game away from the NBA Finals.
Needless to say, Toronto has stayed even-keeled, “level” if you will — constantly keeping in mind what is at stake and not letting emotions like panic or frustration seep into their aspirations of an Eastern Conference crown.
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