Hope was justified in Raptors’ fake comeback

50 seconds before clutch time, IQ hit a difficult floater and the Raptors inched within two points against the mighty Knicks.

After a strong third quarter to erase a poor stretch in the second quarter, the Raptors had a chance – a real chance! – against an Eastern Conference powerhouse who they have been 0-3 against this season.

It seemed like the tides were turning as the Raptors’ sixth man – the Scotiabank crowd roaring and chanting “Defense!” in unison – infused palpable energy into the game. 

Barnes and BI subbed back on, but the Raptors’ clutch offense was anything but that. It turned into Kmart chucklefuckery, only scoring two points in the final 5:50.   

Jalen Brunson who hit back-to-back buckets earlier in the fourth stomped on all of Toronto’s hopes. He hit a 3 to make it a seven-point game. 

After BI hucked up a tough mid-range jumper and missed the Raptors’ fourth consecutive shot, KAT hit a BI-esque mid-range jumper on the other end as if to mock him. That came right after the Knicks became an offensive rebounding machine on their offensive possession. But BI kept the Raptors on life support, especially after a poor second quarter stretch as he scored 26 points in the first half.

It got even uglier as Barnes had a live turnover and continued to argue at the ref mid-play right alongside Darko. Jamal Shead, who had subbed off for IQ, had to escort Psycho Darko away from the sidelines. Brunson finished through a Scottie contact, had some choice words, and completed the and-one. 

All hope was dashed, but there were a lot of positives in this game, especially in the third quarter, the only quarter that this team won (24-19).

The IQ in the Wizards game, the IQ we had hoped for emerged in the third frame. Early in the second half, IQ found Scottie in the perimeter, who attacked baseline by taking a dribble inside the arc. Scottie swung the ball out to a trailing BI who hit IQ as he relocated and clapped for the ball – he got the ball back and splashed it. BI made the second of the team’s back-to-back 3s. Then, BI attacked the paint, sprayed the ball out to IQ in the corner as he pump faked, slid over, and banged the 3. Smoooth operator.

Towards the end of the third, BI took advantage of a pissed-off Mohamed Diawara during a Raptors’ 8-0 run. Diawara was furious, thinking he was fouled by BI on an offensive possession, so the latter stole the ball and scored easily. Then, Ja’Kobe Walter forced a turnover on an inbound play and Scottie layed it up in transition. Diawara had two consecutive turnovers. 

In the third, there was a lot done right even from a process point of view. Scottie kept playing solid defence on Brunson, even when he made the shot early in the third. The Raptors asserted themselves defensively – Poeltl fouling OG as the latter tried to crown him and Scottie attempting a block on KAT (and being called for defensive goaltending). Offensively, the play that preceded Poeltl blowing an lay-up down low was the right process, and Mamu’s big offensive board were all positive signs.

The hope of a comeback justifiably lingered as RJ hit a nice mid-range jumper to make it a three-point game. Then, he hit a triple to inch within four points, forcing a Knicks timeout. 

But it doesn’t take long for great teams to establish their dominance in short windows. That’s exactly what they did. Brunson killed the Raptors in the clutch and his Knicks have now swept the Raptors 4-0 so far this season.

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