On Tuesday night, the Toronto Raptors raised their first ever championship banner in an emotional ceremony that lifted an entire country, proceeding to win a double overtime thriller against a game New Orleans Pelicans squad. In the second game of the night, the new look Los Angeles Clippers - led by former Raptor Kawhi Leonard - took down LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers.
Toronto Raptors 130 New Orleans Pelicans 122
TOR: Pascal Siakam 34 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists; Fred VanVleet 34 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds
NO: Brandon Ingram 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists; JJ Redick 16 points
Pascal Siakam looked every bit worth the maximum contract extension he signed earlier in the week, making his impact on the game from the get go with high energy and urgency. He proved that he can be the leader of this team and proved that he is the new star of the franchise.
VanVleet was also outstanding, missing just 6 shots from the field, hitting clutch shots, and playing with the high motor and aggressiveness that he is known for. It is clear that after that game, that he and Siakam are the future of that franchise, which is remarkable when you consider that VanVleet was undrafted and Siakam wasn't playing basketball at all 10 years ago.
The Pelicans got a strong bench lift from Nicolo Melli and Josh Hart, with the pair finishing with a combined 29 points (7/10 from three), and also got 16 from JJ Redick (4/6 from three). Brandon Ingram looks like he's going to turn a corner this year and morph into the scorer we expected him to be, as he led the Pelicans with 22 points. Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball struggled, going a combined 8/22 for 21 points.
The Raptors were able to get the comfortable win thanks to a strong overtime period, but it took fantastic nights from Siakam and VanVleet to do it. They'll need better contributions from their veterans (Gasol, Ibaka, Lowry were a combined 10/34, though Lowry did finish with 22 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds) on a nightly basis to take the pressure off of Siakam and VanVleet.
Los Angeles Clippers 112 Los Angeles Lakers 102
LAC: Kawhi Leonard 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals; Lou Williams 21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds
LAL: Anthony Davis 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists; Danny Green 28 points, 7 rebounds
Kawhi Leonard was the best player on the floor Tuesday night, asserting himself early on, blitzing the Lakers for 11 points in the first 4 minutes of the 2nd quarter. He hit difficult mid-range shots with ease all night, found teammates for open shot opportunities, and led the charge defensively of what looks like a very stout defensive unit for the Clippers.
Lou Williams added 21 off the bench, and Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell provided the toughness and energy that we have come to expect from them every time out on the floor. The Clippers got 17 points from Harrell, 12 from Jamychal Green and 10 from Mo Harkless also, for a total of 60 bench points. What makes the Clippers victory even more impressive is that they were without Paul George, who will miss the first month of the season recovering from shoulder surgery. When he gets back, the team is going to be downright scary.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James shot a combined 15/40 from the field despite James' near triple double of 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists to compliment Davis' big night. Danny Green's 28 points were the most ever in a Laker player debut, and he looked right at home as the perfect compliment to a pass first player like James and point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed the game with a sore calf.
The Lakers looked like they lacked chemistry, which is understandable when you bring in new surrounding talent and a new coach like they did in the off-season. They missed Rondo big time, who would have controlled the offense, played at a faster pace, and make sure everyone was in their correct spots. Their bench play was poor, with Quinn Cook, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Troy Daniels going a combined 1/10 from three. Dwight Howard also scored just 3 points in 19 minutes. Rondo will get him easy looks at the rim as he also will for Anthony Davis. They also missed Kyle Kuzma, who would've provided another scoring threat. They didn't look great last night, but they were going up against a great defensive team and they will take time to gel. As the season goes along, they will round into form. It is going to be fun all season long to watch them battle with the Clippers for LA supremacy.
Comments