Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from big Game 3 win vs. Magic
The Toronto Raptors took care of business on the road against the Orlando Magic. The tightly contested Game 3 ended 98-92, bringing the to series 2-1.
Hosting their first playoff game since 2012, the Orlando Magic were relentless until the bitter end, while the Toronto Raptors, despite not performing at their best, were able to come out with the road win in Game 3. In doing so, the Raptors have now re-established their home-court advantage with a 2-1 lead in the series.
According to head coach Nick Nurse, Kawhi Leonard was ill and unable to practice leading up to Game 3. It was Pascal Siakam who took over as the team’s superstar for the night, as Leonard struggled throughout the game. In just under 42 minutes played, Siakam contributed 30 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists and three 3s on 13-for-20 shooting overall.
Despite feeling under the weather and submitting the worst postseason performance of his career, Leonard was determined to help his team get the win, chipping in a double-double of his own with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal. He only shot 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) in 37 minutes of play. A large part of Leonard’s poor play could be blamed on the officiating or his illness, but credit Orlando’s defense, which minimized Toronto’s ability to penetrate the paint on drives through set plays or in transition.
Toronto was up by as many as 17 points in the third, but it was Orlando’s determined will and home court providing the necessary energy to their players to play themselves back into the game and take their first lead in a game since Game 1. Fortunately for the Raptors, the Magic had no answer for Siakam, who constantly deflated any overbearing momentum the home team could muster.
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Nikola Vucevic had his comeback game despite the loss, after posting 8.5 points per game in the first two contests. He contributed 22 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, a steal and two crucial 3s that helped Orlando get that aforementioned lead in the third quarter. Terrence Ross coming off the bench was crucial in their third and fourth quarter runs, as he contributed a team-high 24 points, three rebounds, and two steals on 5-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc, including a half-court buzzer beater to end the half.
The rest of the Orlando’s starters were less than sensational, none of whom shot better than 40 percent from the floor. Only two others not named Vucevic posted double-digits in scoring. If Orlando has any chance of a comeback in this series, it needs more from its starters, especially Evan Fournier, who was 1-for-12 on the night.
Overcoming early foul trouble, Kyle Lowry was nothing short of sensational. His stat line of 12-10-5-1-1 on 40 percent shooting won’t leap off the page, but he was an absolute pest on the defensive end, and provided a game-saving offensive rebound. Here are three main takeaways from the highly entertaining Game 3 against the Magic.