Game 6 hasn’t necessarily been kind to The Six.
The Toronto Raptors have a mixed-bag of results in game six of playoff matchups:
- Game six: 6-7 (one during the NBA bubble)
- Facing elimination: 2-3
- Home: 2-2
- Away: 3-5
For the Raptors to extend their current series to a seventh game, they must exorcise a familiar demon in the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday.
This looks familiar
If it feels like both teams have been here before, it’s likely because Raptors and Cavaliers fans remember their 2015-16 playoff matchup. It was the first post-season meeting between the two organizations,
and ultimately ended up being the most competitive series in the ‘LeBronto’ three-parter.
Like in the current series, the Raptors had strong starts to games one and two before subsequently falling apart in the second half. Led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Toronto protected its home court with a convincing Game 3 win and a gritty Game 4 performance.
Much of the criticism in Cleveland was directed at the team’s tertiary star, Kevin Love. During their nightmarish visit to Toronto, the dynamic power forward averaged 6.5 points on 21.7 per cent shooting. Defensively, Love recorded one block and zero steals during this stretch. But in Game 5, the veteran responded with 25 points while shooting 80 per cent. Love also finished with two blocks and one steal. After struggling in this year’s trip to Toronto, Evan Mobley also bounced back in Game 5 with a team-high 23 points, three blocks and one steal.
The Cavaliers secured the series win ten years ago in the following contest, this time with their Big 3 of Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving combining for 83 of the team’s 113 points. While the Raptors certainly struggled with the infamous trio, it was a combination of J.R. Smith catching fire (15 points, five three-pointers) and the bench’s efficiency from the perimeter that pushed the Cavaliers to the finish line.
Realistically, Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden show up in the close-out game tonight. But for the Raptors to force a seventh game, they can’t let a bench option like Dennis Schroder explode for 19 points as he did in Game 5.
It must be a team-effort
In the times the Raptors have ended up on the victorious side of a Game 6, it has typically involved a committee-like approach. Getting this far into a series often means teams are familiar with each other’s playbook. This leads to offence being generated from either elite on-ball creation or players getting open looks due to a rotating defence.
The last time the Raptors won a Game 6, it was during a 125-122 win against the Boston Celtics in the bubble. Six players finished with double-digit scoring. March Gasol also recorded eight points. Even with the generational Kawhi Leonard in 2019, the Raptors needed their depth. Against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6, Toronto had four players with at least 14 points. Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell also contributed nine points each. In the title-clinching win, the Raptors had five players record at least 15 points.
With Brandon Ingram’s heel issues and Scottie Barnes dealing with a right quad contusion, the Raptors may not have enough firepower – of the healthy variety – to produce a team-wide offensive explosion. But if they are to muster something, it begins with the foursome of RJ Barrett, Collin Muray-Boyles, Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter.
Barrett must rediscover his shooting form, both from the three-point line and the charity stripe. The Canadian wing averaged 27.3 per cent from deep and 46.2 per cent from the free-throw line in the last two games. Any kind of spacing Barrett can manufacture will be invaluable on a team that might be missing its two best shooters in the starting lineup. Simply put, Barrett also needs to be a better free-throw shooter for the amount of time he’s on the court, and especially due to his wrecking-ball play style.
Murray-Boyles is clearly dealing with multiple injuries. At times, it looks like his body could fall apart at any moment. Despite his visible impact, the rookie is only averaging 20 minutes per game in the series. With the emergence of Schroder and the big man duo of Mobley and Jarrett Allen showing up in the last game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic needs to keep Murray-Boyles on the court as long as possible.
Shead and Walter provide a similar archetype that isn’t fully appreciated until an elimination game. They are at their best when they’re knocking down triples and playing a type of defence that doesn’t require support. We know the pair can do the latter. While Walter is arguably the best shooter on the team, Shead might end up being the true X-Factor. The Cavaliers dared the former Houston Cougar to beat them from outside when it mattered most in the fourth quarter of Game 5. Shead had multiple attempts and couldn’t make Cleveland pay. Expect the Cavaliers to double-down in Game 6.
The others
The post-season typically boils down to unexpected players having moments. It would be nice if Jamison Battle could catch lightning in a bottle (again). Jakob Poeltl – despite playing limited minutes – will probably continue to be efficient with his usage and take advantage of the rare size advantage.
But there could be a massive game in store for Sandro Mamukelashvili. The sharpshooting power forward recorded 10 points in Game 5 after scoring a combined two points in the prior two contests. Mamukelashvili was debatably the most valuable bench option for Toronto during the regular-season. If he can help negate the impact of the Cavaliers’ bench, it’ll go a long way in forcing a final game.
