And in the case of the Toronto Raptors’ 117-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday evening, that certainly appeared to be the case.
“It’s a good win, on the back end of a back to back,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. “Again, it’s just wanting to see some progress with this group and figure some things out. I think the thing we figured out tonight was we didn’t have our best juices flowing, just no other way to say it than that, but it’s a long game and you hang in there and you figure out a way to get ‘em flowing.
“Then you start playing really good defensively. Again, it’s a learning thing and continue to make progress with this team.”
Led by another brilliant performance from Pascal Siakam, who has looked more like his old All-NBA self in his last four games, the Raptors managed to pull off a come-from-behind victory Wednesday after a sluggish first half on the second night of a back-to-back against a good Bucks team.
For the third straight game, Nurse opted to go with a starting five of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Siakam, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby.
Granted, three games isn’t much of a sample size, but considering how this season has gone for the Raptors, three contests in a row with the same starting five may as well be a trend.
In the past, Nurse has alluded to a more fluid, shuffled starting lineup according to the opponent, but considering that this smaller five-man unit – that came into Wednesday’s action a plus-10 in 66 minutes played together – was one that probably features the team’s five best players outright, it makes sense that Nurse would like to keep rolling with this group.
And as it turns out, it was the right decision.
This starting group was excellent yet again, combining for 102 points on 48.6 per cent shooting with Siakam leading the way with 33 points, five rebounds and six assists on 13-for-23 shooting.
However, no matter how brilliant the starters may play offensively, it means nothing if the team is unable to get stops and at least some production from its second unit.
Those two aspects of the game nearly sunk the Raptors on Wednesday, but thanks to some second-half adjustments, Toronto was able to walk away with a big win, extending their winning streak to four and improving their record to 18-17 on the season, the first time they’ve been above .500 since Nov. 11.
As well, the win moved the Raptors to within two games back of fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Bucks were without their best player, and former two-time MVP, in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was forced to miss the game with a non-COVID illness, but that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment the Raptors managed to achieve.
On the second night of a back-to-back and facing a very good Bucks team that are fighting for the top spot in the East – even without Antetokounmpo – this game had “expected loss” written all over it for the Raptors, and they simply didn’t allow that to happen, even if things didn’t start the way they wanted.
The Raptors allowed the Bucks to shoot 61.4 per cent from the field and go 13-for-21 from deep in the first half as they hung 77 points on the Raptors in the opening 24 minutes. To make matters worse, Toronto’s bench got severely outscored, 29-7, as only Chris Boucher (three points) and Justin Champagnie (four) scored among the Raptors reserves in the opening half.
Thankfully for the Raptors, they were nearly as hot as the Bucks were in the first half as they put up 68 points of their own, shooting 54.3 per cent from the field. And that strong first-half play was necessary for Toronto as it – as seen previously before this seen – turned things around completely in the second half.
Despite taking that comfortable 77-68 lead at the half, the Bucks squandered their big cushion as the Raptors went on a 7-0 run about five minutes into the third quarter to tie the game up at 85-85 that saw Siakam score five points alone during this spurt. A few minutes later, Siakam made a nice spin move along the base line and laid the ball up and in to give Toronto a lead, 87-86.
Toronto would grow this advantage afterwards to take a 92-88 lead into the fourth quarter as Siakam went off for 10 points in the frame.
More importantly, unlike the first half, the Raptors played a strong defensive quarter, holding the Bucks to just 11 points and 3-of-22 shooting from the floor.
And with this continued defensive momentum that kept up in the fourth quarter, along with continued strong play from Siakam, the Raptors were able to put the game to bed, even as things got a little dicey near the end.
“It was about as two different results defensively in a game that you can have, said Nurse. “I think the first half, when you start not doing some things well and most of it just usually stems from a readiness standpoint.
“We just weren’t running back hard enough to get set, weren’t quite getting out to shooters, we were kinda there, but not quite the way the game plan was set up. [We] just weren’t moving and active enough. There was plays right in front of us and we were kinda right there and could react very well and then it all changed. We got into them, we started getting some deflections, started swarming and flying, we started standing in more on their drives, rebounding well. We just started doing everything better and I think it just came down to some readiness and some energy that we found.”
More encouragingly, in the second half, the Raptors’ bench managed to outscore Milwaukee’s 8-5 and, most importantly, played some strong minutes on the defensive end, bringing lots of energy, with Precious Achiuwa’s six-point, five-rebound fourth quarter – that even saw him drill a three – standing out in particular.
“I thought his effort was great and I think that’s really all we’re asking,” said Nurse. “I think he’s going to make effective plays, he’s so big and athletic, if he’s amped up and playing hard, he’s going to impact the game.
“He was doing a little bit of everything and he throws in a big three. That was kind of a big momentum three there that kind of got us going, too.”
Ideally, you’d like the see the Raptors play a complete game, but showing guts on the road in a tough building to play against a very tough team – again, even without Antetokounmpo – on the second night of a back-to-back that saw the team’s All-NBA player look every bit the part, while the team’s starting unit, in general, looked like one of the best in the entire league the club put the clamps down in the second half to set up the win?
It’s hard to be anything but impressed.
Wednesday night’s Raptors victory isn’t like any of the 17 others the Raptors had earned before. This is a team that’s starting to learn what it takes to be successful.
“You learn that it’s a long game and you’re not always going to be at your best,” Nurse said. “You really want to, you gotta learn that this is a defence-first process and did a good job of not over-reacting to that first half.
“I thought we got into the locker room and I actually said, ‘We’re pretty fortunate, it’s a nine-point game, there’s a lot of ball to be played here, I think our offence is fine, we’re going to score.’ It’s just a matter of can we flip it around and start to do some of the things we need to do defensively and we did.”
So, could Wednesday be considered a signature win?
It just might.
More importantly, it was a win, and that seems to be something the Raptors are getting good at doing again.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents.
Four teams have canceled games against San Jose State: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming, with none of the schools explicitly saying why they were forfeiting.
A group of Nevada players issued a statement saying they will not take the floor when the Wolf Pack are scheduled to host the Spartans on Oct. 26. They cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” though their school reaffirmed Thursday that the match is still planned and that state law bars forfeiture “for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
All those schools, except Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, went ahead with its home match on Thursday night, which was won by the Spartans, 3-1, the team’s first victory since Sept. 24.
“It breaks my heart because they’re human beings, young people, student-athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West basketball media days. “It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee in this year’s presidential race, this week referenced an unidentified volleyball match when he was asked during a Fox News town hall about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I saw the slam, it was a slam. I never saw a ball hit so hard, hit the girl in the head,” Trump replied before he was asked what can be done. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just don’t let it happen.”
After Trump’s comment, San Diego State issued a statement that said “it has been incorrectly reported that an San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball during match play with San Jose State University. The ball bounced off the shoulder of the student-athlete, and the athlete was uninjured and did not miss a play.”
San Jose State has not made any direct comments about the politicians’ “fairness” references, and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about the issue,” Nevarez said. “I don’t know a lot of the language yet or the science or the understanding nationally of how this issue plays out. The external influences are so far on either side. We have an election year. It’s political, so, yeah, it feels like a no-win based on all the external pressure.”
The cancellations could mean some teams will not qualify for the conference tournament Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas, where the top six schools are slated to compete for the league championship.
“The student-athlete (in question) meets the eligibility standard, so if a team does not play them, it’s a forfeit, meaning they take a loss,” Nevarez said.
Ahead of the Oct. 26 match in Reno. Nevada released a statement acknowledging that “a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team” had decided to forfeit against San Jose State. The school said only the university can take that step but any player who decides not to play would face no punishment.
OTTAWA – Travis Green might not have liked the end result, but he’s counting on his team learning from the effort.
Green’s Ottawa Senators were handed a 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils Thursday night in a game that highlighted the importance of sticking with things.
“I thought both teams played pretty well,” said Green. “I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there’s a few moments where it got away. We got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer.
“There’s always momentum back and forth for one team to create some chances. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when you’re playing, two good teams are playing.”
Jacob Markstrom’s 30 saves also played a part, with the Devils goaltender only getting beat with 65 seconds left in regulation as the Senators were on the power play with an empty net.
Brady Tkachuk tipped a Claude Giroux shot to spoil Markstrom’s shutout bid.
“Outstanding,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe of his goaltender. “Just terrible that he doesn’t get the shutout that he deserves in this one here.
“You feel for him when they make that (penalty) call. You can just kind of feel like it’s going to give them a little extra life. But he was outstanding for us, no question.”
The two teams were scoreless after the first period, where each had to fight for every opportunity. Noah Gregor rang a shot off the crossbar for the Senators, but otherwise, neither team was able to generate much offensively.
The Devils capitalized in the second as a power play expired with Erik Haula redirecting a Johnathan Kovacevic shot past Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves.
Less than four minutes later, Nathan Bastian took advantage of a Giroux giveaway and beat Forsberg low blocker for his first of the season with the Devils short-handed.
“I liked our second period a lot,” Keefe said. “We took hold of the game and didn’t give up much, and when we did, I thought it was really from the perimeter, only a couple there.”
The Devils tightened up defensively in the third and were able to make it 3-0 when Paul Cotter was left alone in the slot.
“I think for stretches of the game we played the right way and kind of get in on the forecheck and play that way,” said Senators centre Nick Cousins. “It seems like when we get down a couple goals, we kind of change our game, which isn’t a recipe for success in this league.
“I think we’ve just got to keep doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s 2-0.”
With the Senators just four games in and still learning and adjusting to a new system, Green understands there will be growing pains along the way.
“We’re also trying to define our game,” he said. “I think we’re getting there. Both teams play fast. It was a fast skating game. There wasn’t a lot of room to move out there for either team.”
In his short tenure behind the Senators bench, Green has seen his team play very different styles of games and knows there will be nights like this along the way, but learning from them will be key.
“There’s going to be a lot of nights where you kind of got to earn everything you get,” admitted Green. “It’s not going to be freewheeling. Good teams don’t play freewheeling hockey.
“You learn when you win, you learn when you lose games that you don’t play well. You learn when you lose games that you had a pretty good game but you still lose and you’ve got to find a way. Good teams find a way to win those games.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. They also lost their top minute-muncher in the process.
Matheson logged 7:35 in ice time during the first period but did not return for the second because of an upper-body injury. When or how Matheson sustained the injury was not clear. The Canadiens said he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The game was tied at 1 before he exited, forcing the Canadiens to play with five defencemen for 40 minutes.
“Mike is one of the biggest parts of our D core, and I think losing him — he’s playing against top line, playing power play and we want him on the ice — definitely losing him was a big loss,” teammate David Savard said. “We got to figure out a way to get the two points, even if a player goes out.”
The 30-year-old Matheson of Pointe-Claire, Que., led all Canadiens defencemen with 62 points and a 25:33 average ice time last season.
With his absence, rookie sensation Lane Hutson played a whopping 30:05 in only his seventh NHL game. The next closest player? Kaiden Guhle at 23:09.
Head coach Martin St. Louis was impressed with how the 20-year-old Hutson handled the challenge.
“Lane doesn’t take a shift off,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I love the consistency of his compete level, and he drives possession. For a guy who played 30 minutes, I think he gave everything he could to try and help the team.
“I’m not surprised. I know it’s challenging at this level, losing Mike definitely made him play many minutes, chasing the game made him play many minutes, but I just love his compete level.”
Canadiens fans have been clamouring for Hutson — a five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman with world-class skill — to take Matheson’s spot on the No. 1 power play.
The Canadiens, however, went 0-for-3 with Hutson running the show after Matheson went down. In the first instance, Kirby Dach took a hooking penalty early in the man-advantage to end it. On the second, the Canadiens failed to generate any zone time.
The third came in the final minutes, but the Kings buried an empty-netter.
“It wasn’t a lack of opportunity, lots of ice time, lots of shifts,” Hutson said. “It was good, it was fun, but obviously you want to be on the other side of it, winning.
“Means a lot (to get that opportunity), but obviously, you want to get more out of that opportunity. It’s a lot of ice, and you want to keep taking steps in the right direction.”
‘IMMATURE EFFORT’
The Canadiens fell to a Kings team that had lost three straight games and was coming off a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Under those circumstances, the Canadiens were brutally honest with themselves after the game.
“Definitely disappointed,” captain Nick Suzuki said. “It was an immature effort from us, especially with them playing yesterday and getting in late, so I think we gave them too much life, and let them feel comfortable in the game. It’s on us to be a lot better than that.”
Before the game, St. Louis stressed the need for a good first period against a fatigued Los Angeles side. That’s not what he saw Thursday night.
“I think we had 14 turnovers in the first period. It’s unacceptable. It gives them life,” he said. “Then you’re chasing the game for the second half of it — we didn’t play to our standard.
“I’m really disappointed. Really disappointed.”
BIG SAVE DAVE
Kings goalie David Rittich played his second game in two nights — an unusual occurrence in this day and age of the NHL. He made 25 saves after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Toronto.
“We always believe in him anyway, but he performed today pretty well and bounced back,” defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “It’s probably like most important for himself, that’s huge, and for the team. He played outstanding today.”
LONG ROAD
The Kings are opening the season on a seven-game road trip because of renovations at Crypto.com Arena. They’ve collected six of a possible 10 points so far.
“Pretty much worse (than expected),” forward Phillip Danault said. “We’ve been on the road for three weeks … It’s good team-bonding, whether we should do it again I’m not sure, but it has turned out well let’s say with six points out of 10.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
