10 things from Raptors-Suns
Welcome to the "10 things" recap by theScore features writer William Lou. Below you'll find the major takeaways from the Toronto Raptors' 111-109 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Ugly: The Raptors did the bare minimum to get the win on the second night of a back-to-back. Phoenix paraded to the line in a sloppily officiated game, nearly forcing overtime before an unlikely hero emerged.
Clutch: Pascal Siakam drove in for a lefty layup at the final buzzer for the game-winner. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse drew up the play for Siakam to attack in isolation from the top of the floor, and he blew past Mikal Bridges at the point of attack and finished over Deandre Ayton at the rim. Siakam also timed the move perfectly, as he didn't start his drive until there were only three seconds left on the clock, leaving no chance for the Suns to respond.
Hub: The Suns doubled Siakam for most of the game even though he came in averaging only 15 points, which shows how much the 24-year-old has improved this season. Siakam leveraged the added attention into five assists, and was a factor on the boards.
Audible: Kyle Lowry was initially ruled out, along with Kawhi Leonard, due to scheduled rest on the second end of back-to-back games. However, Nick Nurse explained that Lowry was suiting up instead because he needed game reps to get his conditioning back and to find his shot.
Performance: Lowry labored in his movements, but he was a positive contributor with 16 points, eight assists, and nine rebounds. He worked pick-and-pop magic with Serge Ibaka, forced a turnover in the last minute of the game to come up with a clutch defensive stop, and successfully lobbied the referees for cheap calls.
Motivated: Delon Wright's eyes light up when he faces his nemesis Kelly Oubre. Wright immediately scored an and-1 layup over Oubre when the two checked into the game, and he continuously tormented the forward throughout the night. This unlikely beef started when Oubre said Wright only performed well in home games during last year's playoffs.
Revived: C.J. Miles supplied 13 much-needed points off the bench with the rotation extremely short as both Leonard and OG Anunoby sat out. Miles hit a leaning bank shot to start the game, and that seemed to boost his confidence for the rest of the night.
Debut: Patrick McCaw made his first appearance as a Raptor, and he was far from impressive. He only took one shot (which fell about 10 feet short of the basket), and Devin Booker burned him badly on the other end.
Rare: The Raptors pulled off a seven-point possession in the fourth quarter. Chris Boucher was flagrantly fouled on a dunk, Josh Jackson picked up his second technical for arguing, and Lowry drilled a three when the Raptors got the ball back after converting their two bonus free throws on the play.
Support: Leonard typically watches from the locker room when resting, but he made a rare bench appearance tonight. The two-time All-Star looked especially happy after Siakam's final bucket.