Stopping Luka Doncic a whole lot tougher right now for Raptors

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Luka Doncic gave the Raptors fits when they had a mostly healthy and full roster to defend him two weeks ago.

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What will the damage be Saturday night when the two teams close out the season series and the Raptors won’t have Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa or Otto Porter Jr. to help contain the Mavs’ one-man wrecking crew.

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In Dallas on Nov. 4, the same night Siakam went down with a groin strain when he slipped on a wet spot on the court that has kept him out ever since, Doncic went off for 35 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a one-point Dallas win.

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In that game Nurse had Siakam, Barnes, Achiuwa and OG Anunoby to throw in waves at Doncic and he still torched them.

By simple process of elimination, that would seem to leave Doncic a full-time Anunoby problem, but as Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse points out, Anunoby has some other important duties these days as well and he can’t be on the court for all 48 minutes.

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“I think it makes it hard to do that only because of what happens if O.G.’s not out there, subs out or he’s in (foul) trouble,” Nurse said. “Like, you’ve got to be careful because he’s our absolute number one option on offence right now too. Right?

“So, will he have his moments where we let him guard (Doncic)?,” Nurse began. “Yeah, I would imagine so. But we’ll have lots of schemes put in to do some things. I’d imagine that to be the case as well. Haven’t decided all that stuff yet. But I will before game time Saturday.”

In a perfect world, or at least a healthy Raptors’ world, Nurse would have two or three of his best Doncic defenders out at all times to pass the baton and collectively combine to try and keep Doncic in check.

Instead, he’s going to have to piecemeal it together with Anunoby and potentially a returning Fred VanVleet and maybe Thad Young and Khem Birch.

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“We just have to game plan with what we think we’re going to have Saturday,” Nurse said. “Obviously we put all those guys in the situations today through the walkthroughs, just lean on ’em to execute better, right, execute what we’re trying to do better.

“I think that that’s my thought in general is we’ve done a heck of a job, man, we’ve really played some good basketball, we did not in the second half the other night, and most of that came down to execution,” Nurse said. “And just being in rhythm and feel and stuff so we got to continue to get back to some of those other games where no matter who’s out there, we still need to execute what we’re doing because if we can do that, that gives us some chemistry, keeps us on the same page, gives us it gives us a fighting chance.”

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WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT? 

Officially VanVleet and Dalano Banton are both listed as questionable but based on the fact that both practised Friday, the chances are good both could be back.

Siakam also practised, including contact drills, but his return won’t come until at least Wednesday in New Orleans and possibly the game after that in Brooklyn next Friday.

Unavailable for Saturday’s game for certain are Achiuwa, Barnes, Justin Champagnie, Porter Jr. and Siakam.

The Mavs are pretty much injury free with Maxi Kleber expected to return from a back strain.

STILL PITCHING IN 

On Friday Nurse revealed that he gathered the team together to remind those getting minutes these days that this is an opportunity for them and the best way to take advantage is to play hard while executing the schemes they are being asked to execute.

“That’s what’s going to give them a chance to play even when guys come back healthy,” Nurse said. “Here’s their opportunity and Pascal’s saying ‘you have to seize it’. And mostly they have, except for the second half (against Brooklyn). A lot of these games they’ve played really good basketball, but they were executing the game plans to a T and that’s what we’re asking.”