TORONTO - When you’ve let as many close ones slip away as the Raptors have this year, even the ugly wins are good wins.
Admitting ugly was a better word than describing the night as not exactly tidy, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey saw his team close one out for a change, defeating the Washington Wizards 99-92.
Sure there were bumps along the way, the most obvious ones at the defensive end where the Raptors have lost that all-for-one, one-for-all approach, but the ability to win despite that going on at least showed this team taking a step forward in learning how to close out a game.
In that regard, DeMar DeRozan’s approach was a big step forward.
Through the first half he had managed just two points and attempted not a single free throw.
Following the break at the half, DeRozan returned more aggressive than ever, hunting the tri-coloured Wizards uniforms like his life depended on it.
He went from a two-point night to a solid 15-point effort with seven of those points coming from the free throw line.
DeRozan has averaged ten shots from the line over his past four games and while the respect from the league’s referees has been slow coming, he has seen progress.
“You can’t slow down,” DeRozan said. “I think the refs see that. If you continue going strong eventually it’s going to be your call and that’s what we got tonight. Even if you go five, six games in a row without a call, you just have to keep going. I’ve seen a definite change.”
As for the difference at winning time Sunday, DeRozan saw a team that has been down this road enough to stay with it and stay positive through the final buzzer.
“Tonight we didn’t get discouraged, even when (Jordan) Crawford hit that three (to get Washington to within three with 20 seconds left),” DeRozan said. “We just have to lock down, continue to execute and if they foul us knock down those free throws.”
BREAK OUT THE ANTACIDS
Easy buckets against his team make coach Casey’s stomach hurt.
He went home after Sunday’s game with both pockets full of Tums and looking for a 24-hour convenience store to buy some more.
OK, we don’t really know that, but during his halftime interview of Sunday’s game with Washington he did make the comparison of his team’s defensive focus and help rotations going the way of the buffalo.
Even with wins in two of the past three including Sunday night’s against the Wizards, there is a scary trend developing that threatens to undermine the biggest steps this team has taken in the lockout-shortened season.
The defensive buy-in that has made this trying season bearable is showing real signs of slippage.
Those blow-by drives from the top of the arc are back, as are the uncontested buckets from under the basket.
Kevin Seraphin may be an improving big man, but there’s no way he should be as wide open and have as many unchallenged shots as close as he was camped out to the basket all night.
Sunday’s game marked the fifth game in a row the Raptors have been outscored in the paint, an area they once led the league in but have since slipped to fourth. They were first back on March 16th.
Casey talked pre-game about the horrible job his club has done recently of containing the basketball and the lack of urgency in getting over once that first line of defence has been penetrated.
Post game, he was promising to make it the No. 1 priority over these final three weeks.
“That’s going to be our challenge as a staff to keep in tune defensively the rest of the way and not lose what foundation we have,” he said. “We got it back the second half but we can’t mess with the game like that. We have to make sure we stay with a focus and have that pride every time we walk on the floor.
“We just can’t lose our foundation.”
WHERE 'TANK' IS A DIRTY WORD
The term tanking gets thrown around rather liberally with respect to the Raptors.
Fans and some members of the media see it as the quickest way out of the depths of the NBA standings.
Just don’t expect Casey to buy in.
Casey is a competitor first and foremost and even the mention of the term seems make him cringe.
“I despise even talking about it,” Casey said. “It’s against my nature and it’s just against everything I stand for. I understand the fans want that and hear that but my job is to develop this program and you don’t develop a program by tanking games. My job is to develop learning how to win and we have a big enough job doing that.”
At one point Casey started to apologize to the fans for his feelings but quickly took that back.
“No, I don’t apologize, but I know what the fans are saying but it goes against everything I stand for,” Casey said.
