T'Wolves 112 - Raptors 109: Q4 fade

The Raptors couldn’t hold their solid first-half lead and fell 112-109 to the Timberwolves. It was Minny’s kids making the shots late, not Toronto’s veterans.

The Toronto Raptors have struggled mightily since reaching a high-water mark of 28-13 on January 17. Their choppy season continued last night in Minnesota. A dandy 19 & 9 game from DeMarre Carroll was wasted by a sloppy fourth quarter and Kyle Lowry’s off-night from deep.

Just as they did against the Clippers on Monday night, the Raptors were scoring seemingly at will in the first half. Carroll didn’t miss on his 3 tries from distance (he made both his attempts in the second half as well), DeMar DeRozan was on target. Nine players hit the floor, including rookies Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl, and nine players made the scoresheet.

Feb 6, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) looks to pass in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Target Center. The Heat win 115-113 over the Wolves. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

However, Andrew Wiggins wasn’t surrendering. His jumper looked as smooth as ever, while Karl-Anthony Towns was reminding us of why Minnesota’s future is bright. Meanwhile, the Raptors missed 6 of their 16 free throws, which meant their 10 point half-time lead was vulnerable.

Second-half stumble

In Q3, Towns went to town, scoring 13, and the Raptors’ lead was halved. Still, a 5-point lead against the T’Wolves kids should have been sufficient. Yet it was Minnesota which made the key shots in crunch time. DeRozan’s jumper with less than 2 minutes to play restored Toronto’s lead to 4, but stops weren’t happening when most called for. A DeRozan driving layup (on which he was fouled by Towns, but no whistle) was needed to restore a tie. Minnesota then worked the ball to an open Tyus Jones, who buried a 3-ball. Lowry’s wild shot at the buzzer wasn’t close.

Coach Dwane Casey’s roster management in Q4 is open to severe questioning. Jonas Valanciunas and Lucas Nogueira took one shot between them as Casey elected to go small. Toronto’s offense suffered as a result, and their defense didn’t improve. I don’t know if Casey’s decision was punishment for poor rebounding or what, but it backfired.

When our centers got their chances, the ball went in. Our big men in the middle took 10 shots, and made them all.

The Raps have time off until Sunday, when the Pistons are in town. Let’s hope Patrick Patterson’s knee improves.