GANTER: Raptors show great focus in first game since coach Nick Nurse bombshell

Article content

On the court Sunday afternoon, the Raptors took care of business rather easily, dispatching a Charlotte club that had more threats on the bench in street clothes or injured than they had in the lineup for the Sunday matinee with Toronto.

Article content

But the more interesting part of the day was how the Raptors would respond in the first game after head coach Nick Nurse dropped a grenade for many, suggesting his return to the team after this year might not be the given many expected it would be.

Article content

For those who missed it, Nurse volunteered his uncertainty about returning next season in a pre-game availability with the media Friday in Philadelphia, suggesting he would take a hard look at both his relationship with management and his own desire to remain in Toronto past this year despite another year and a reported $8 million left on his deal.

Article content

Despite opening the discussion Friday, Nurse moved quickly to shut it down again on Sunday prior to tipoff. Even before the first question about what he was trying to accomplish with that tactic Friday could be finished, Nurse cut the questioner off, saying he would not be talking about his personal situation again and invited the media to talk about the team and where it’s at and the upcoming game.

Article content

Article content

All things considered, that’s probably best, but there still remained the question of how the team would respond to their head coach, who sounded very much like he was preparing for his own departure six games before the season had even ended.

Credit the Raptors, led by the veterans in particular like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, for putting to bed any notion that Nurse’s comments would have any effect on how this team operated over the remainder of the season.

Led by VanVleet, the Raptors established themselves early on and refused to let an eager and very young starting five of the Hornets harbour any of those upset ideas.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

That may not sound like a big thing, but had the Raptors followed the lead of their head coach and started looking beyond the task in front of them as he did on Friday, even a mostly inexperienced group of professionals like the group the Hornets threw out could have pulled off the upset and further sidetracked the Raptors as they attempt to close out the season on a high note.

Article content

With the workmanlike win on Sunday, the Raptors at least maintained their tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta.

The Hawks were hosting Dallas later in the evening while Chicago hosted their own afternoon matinee with Memphis.

Atlanta, which owns the tiebreaker with Toronto, could maintain pace with the Raptors with a win and match Toronto’s 39-39 record with four games remaining.

Chicago would need a win to remain a game back of both teams in 10^th with the same four games left on the schedule.

The Raptors ended a five-game road losing streak with the win and will look to continue that with another when they face this same Charlotte team on Tuesday.

Article content

BIRTHDAY BOY CELEBRATES IN STYLE

Siakam has enjoyed his visits both to and previously from Charlotte this year.

But on his 29^th birthday, Siakam pushed things up another notch, going off for 36 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in his most complete game against a Charlotte team he has frankly dominated all season.

Siakam, complete with a fresh pair of birthday themed shoes courtesy of Nike, could not be stopped.

The young Hornets’ starting five Sunday had previously amassed 25 starts between them and while they weren’t shy about getting shots up and were actually pretty successful getting them to go in, they just overmatched when it came to putting up any defence against Toronto.

Toronto shot 54% from the field for the game, but more telling was the points in the paint battle. Toronto scored 90 from within the painted area, an area most teams make their priority. The Hornets, without a single regular starter even in uniform, are more interested in maintaining or even improving on their draft position than what they do to finish off the year.

Article content

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

EVER-CHANGING BENCH

The back end of the Raptors rotation has been a continuously changing mix as Nurse and his coaching staff have tried to come up with a mix that they are comfortable throwing out there.

A lingering back injury to Gary Trent Jr. that saw him miss his sixth game in the row has only added to the mixing and matching.

At least over the past two games the team has appeared to settle on a four-man group behind the starting five. Those four reserves begin with Chris Boucher and include Christian Koloko, Precious Achiuwa and backup point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr.

Dowtin Jr., though, is on a two-way contract and as such cannot exceed 50 games with the parent club. Dowtin Jr. hits 50 with Tuesday’s game, meaning the Raptors are either going to have to sign him to a contract, meaning they will have to cut someone else, or go the rest of the way without him.

Dowtin Jr. has earned the trust of his teammates with his up-tempo and unselfish play. He’s not necessarily flashy or high scoring, but he makes few mistakes and efficiently gets the offence in a decent groove when he comes into the game.

The belief is that if the Raptors do decide to sign him following Tuesday’s game the likely sacrifice would be newcome Joe Wieskamp, a three-point specialist who was signed earlier this year.

[email protected]