Change. That’s what Game 2 was meant to bring after Saturday’s rough showing against Cleveland. That might have looked like a bigger role for Brandon Ingram, more responsibility for CMB, or any number of defensive changes to better contain James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Yet, as the Raptors began the game that would end in a bitter 115-105 loss, I could not help but be overwhelmed with a sense of deja-vu.
Game 2 emerged the same way as Game 1 from the start. Cleveland’s passing was on point, Scottie
began the game on the perimeter, and James Harden looked incredible as Brandon Ingram was shut out of the game, double-teamed. Poeltl looked active in this quarter, as the Raptors pulled starters to use an interesting lineup focused on individual scoring and defence, running Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili, along with Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Ja’Kobe Walter. A Max Struss three pushed the lead to ten points as the quarter came to a close.
Mounting a comeback beginning of second quarer, off Ja’Kobe threes and Scottie jumpers, every call to push ahead was answered by Donovan Mitchell splashing threes. He would finish the half with 15 points shooting 50% from three. A beautiful Mamu jam brought the game to within six points – the story of the half. The Raptors weren’t getting blown out, but couldn’t cross the two-possession threshold to develop a lead. The Raptors were settling for jumpshots a lot of the time, and were making only 42% of their field goals in this half.
Adding insult to injury was a James Harden possession where he ran into Scottie at the top of the key, knocked him to the floor, and shot over a lunging Brandon Ingram. As the ball bounced high, I got flashbacks to Kawhi in 2019, and Harden in Houston, mashed together in some otherworldly combination of Raptors-based cosmic horror, as the ball rattled off the rim into the hoop for three.
The half ended, 54-48 Cleveland. Brandon Ingram’s stats in the half: 0 points, 1 assist, 3 turnovers.
As the third began, the Raptors let the game get away from them. Harden makes a three, Scottie on the fast break passes out to Shead, who misses a wide open three. Donovan Mitchell makes a three. Two minutes in, Ingram makes his first basket of the night, a midrange field goal, immediately followed by a three pointer from the left wing. But of course, it was answered by an Evan Mobley three. Trends repeated themselves. Scottie had a great block on Jarrett Allen. CMB, block on Mobley. Offensive rebound Cavs, James Harden floater for 2. From there, the game proceeded along the same lines: Raptors pick up a few points, Cavaliers kill from three or in the paint.
With 2 minutes left in the game, a Ja’Kobe Walter three fell as if from heaven, getting the lead below 10, and while a beautiful Scottie dime to RJ brought the game to within two possessions, Cleveland pushed back to widen the gulf again. The quarter ended 84-77 Cavs.
The first bucket of the fourth was a Sam Merrill three pointer, which was followed immediately by a brief confrontation between Scottie, RJ, and Jaylon Tyson, who made his own three to counteract Barnes’ and-one layup. The two teams traded blows all quarter, with Toronto unable to pull ahead, and as as the last minute of the game saw a Donovan Mitchell bank shot, the writing – already on the wall – was highlighted. This game was over. Toronto played aggressive defence until the bitter end of the game, not pulling their starters down 12 with seconds to go.
With grit and discontent, the Raptors went down 0-2 in the series, shooting 27% from three with 22 turnovers. Scottie Barnes led the Raptors in scoring with 26, while CMB had a bench-high 17 points. The Cavaliers had Harden, Mitchell, and Mobley combine for 83 points, scoring 25 or more buckets-a-piece. Jakob Poeltl played only 9 minutes, as Murray-Boyles emerged as a diamond in the rough at the centre position. Toronto will return home to play the Cavaliers in Toronto for Game Three on April 23rd.
