Toronto Raptors Lack Mental Toughness In Loss To Rockets

By Justin Rowan | Mar 26, 2016

Mar 25, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) reacts after getting his second technical then evicted from the game against the Houston Rockets in the second half at Toyota Center. The Rockets won 112-109. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

The Toronto Raptors collapsed mentally at the end of the game against the Rockets, something they must correct before playoffs.

The Houston Rockets had more to play for Friday night against the Toronto Raptors. Their playoff lives were on the line and that desperation showed. But the Raptors’ leaders mentally collapsed down the stretch of a close game, something they have been criticized for in the past and one of the main reasons people have shown trepidation picking the Raptors to make a serious run in the postseason.

With 2:59 remaining in a nine-point game, DeMar DeRozan missed a jumpshot, secured his own rebound and went back up to cut the Rockets’ lead to seven — a big-time, clutch play from one of the catalysts of the team. But he felt that he was pushed from behind on the play and that he should have received an and-one.

In the heat of the moment, he began arguing with the official, earning a technical foul. But he didn’t stop there and quickly earned an ejection from the game. James Harden converted on one of the two technical free throws, undoing most of the good DeRozan did on the previous play, but the ejection cost the Raptors their most dangerous offensive option on the night.

Kyle Lowry followed suit in the closing minutes of the game. After missing the first two free throws on a three shot foul, Lowry lost his cool after being called for a foul on James Harden and was promptly ejected. The Raptors, without their two stars, managed to make it a one-possession game in the closing seconds of the game, but the hole was ultimately too deep for them to dig themselves out of.

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When things aren’t going your way, frustration can be understandable. The Raptors have been on the wrong end of some missed calls this season that have cost them the game, as several teams have. But in this instance the team took themselves out of the game and worsts of all, the mental mistakes came from the two players that are supposed to lead this roster by example.

There is going to come a time in the playoffs where calls are not going to go Toronto’s way, and everybody is going to be waiting to see how they respond to that adversity. Will they crumble and allow themselves to be caught up in things that are out of their control? Or will they worry about the next play and do the type of things that championship teams do?

With all of the drama and uncertainty surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Raptors must prepare themselves to be the mentally tougher team if they want a shot at an upset and for the franchise’s first ever berth to the NBA Finals. They are not the better team, but they can be the mentally tougher one.

The other concerning takeaway from this game is the lack of defensive intensity once again displayed by the Raptors. The Rockets were gifted with many open looks and the team allowed them to get confidence early on by allowing them to open the game on an 11-3 run.

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Toronto needs to accept that they are now the hunted, no longer the hunter. With that means that you have to expect every team is looking to make a statement against you and you need to have the mentality of punching them in the mouth at the start of the game to let them know that you are in charge. The Raptors need to stop giving people reason to believe that they won’t answer the bell when times get tough.

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