2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 13: DeRozan Dominates, Bye Bye Bucks And Spurs Get A TP TBT

On Day 13 of 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, DeMar DeRozan dominates, we say goodbye to the Bucks and Grizzlies and Tony Parker enjoys a TBT performance.

Thanks to Thursday night’s action, two more teams were added to the conference semifinals slate for the 2017 NBA Playoffs.

With the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors knocking off the feisty Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks at home, we’re one step closer to leaving an entertaining and competitive first round behind us.

As we advance deeper and deeper into the postseason, we’ll be taking a look back on what stood out from each day of playoff action. Here’s a look at DeMar DeRozan dominating for Toronto in Game 6, a #TBT performance from Tony Parker and eulogies for both Memphis and Milwaukee.

DeMar. Darnell. DeRozan.

Kyle Lowry has been the face of Toronto Raptors playoff failure these last few years, with his superb regular seasons inexplicably crumbling into no-shows, horrible shooting nights and early postseason exits every time.

The truth is that DeMar DeRozan was not far behind in that regard though, and unlike Lowry, his struggles extended to both ends of the floor. Even in this year’s first round series, DeRozan opened with a 7-for-21 dud in Toronto’s Game 1 loss, and in their Game 3 defeat, he was a horrendous 0-of-8 from the floor.

Much like Lowry in this series against Milwaukee, he eventually found his footing. Unlike Lowry, however, DeMar Darnell DeRozan was the best damn player on the floor when closing time arrived.

In Game 6 Thursday night, DeRozan finished with a game-high 32 points and five steals, shooting 12-for-24 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free throw line.

Unlike years past, he was able to draw fouls as frequently as he did during the regular season, finish at the rim and still operate as effectively from the midrange as ever.

Setting the tone for his team, DeRozan led Toronto with 16 points at the break. Then he pumped in 16 more in the second half to stay consistent.

It wasn’t just Game 6 where DDR stood out though. In Toronto’s four wins of the series, DeRozan averaged 26.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game on 51.3 percent shooting. In the two losses, those numbers plummeted to 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.0 steals on 24.1 percent shooting.

Lowry is the maestro on offense, Norman Powell became the game-changing X-factor and guys like Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker are the unsung heroes because of their defense. But when DeMar DeRozan exorcises his playoff demons like this, the Raptors are a very tough team to beat.