Raps improve to 3-1 with hard-fought win over Magic
The 104-95 final was a testament to the Raptors' experience and poise in the face of adversity.
The Raptors' Kyle Lowry drives against the Orlando Magic's Nikola Vucevic on Monday night at the Scotiabank Arena. (Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun)
It started out a track meet; it ended up a slugfest.
But the Raptors found a way to prevail despite some foul trouble and a Magic team that hasn't found its way yet but is quickly getting there.
Up by as many as 14 points in the early going, the Raptors held the lead until Terrence Ross — remember him? — drained his first three of the game with just over four minutes remaining to put Orlando up by two.
The Raptors' starting five, which is actually their finishing five so far this season, then knuckled down and brought this one home.
(PHOTOS) Raptors beat Magic 104-95
Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry during 2nd half action against Orlando Magic Terrence Ross at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet during 2nd half action against Orlando Magic Markelle Fultz at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry reacts to a call during 2nd half action against Orlando Magic at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Norman Powell during 2nd half action against Orlando Magic Al-Farouq Aminu at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Patrick McCaw during 2nd half action against Orlando Magic Michael Carter-Williams at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry during first half action against Orlando Magic Markelle Fultz at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet during first half action against Orlando Magic Markelle Fultz at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Pascal Siakam during 1st half action against Orlando Magic Markelle Fultz at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Serge Ibaka during 1st half action against Orlando Magic Michael Carter-Williams at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors OG Anunoby during first half action against Orlando Magic at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Norman Powell during first half action against Orlando Magic at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Norman Powell during first half action against Orlando Magic Michael Carter-Williams at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Patrick McCaw during first half action against Orlando Magic at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet during first half action against Orlando Magic at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet during first half action against Orlando Magic Evan Fournier at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Marc Gasol during first half action against Orlando Magic Nikola Vučević	at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry during first half action against Orlando Magic Nikola Vucevic at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry during 1st half action against Orlando Magic Evan Fournier at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. on Monday October 28, 2019. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia
Rather than crumble when the Magic finally took a lead, the Raptors responded with textbook execution offensively and plenty of that stifling defence that was the team's trademark last spring.
The majority of the offensive execution down the stretch was confined to Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, who ran the same pick and roll to success after success ending any hopes of an Orlando comeback.
Lowry had another solid game leading the Raptors with 26 points along with five boards and six assists as the point guard re-establishes himself as a force at both ends of the court after taking a backseat offensively to Kawhi Leonard a year ago.
Off-season surgery on his thumb put Lowry a month behind his normal pace to begin the season and, despite solid numbers across the board, he says he's basically two weeks away from catching up.
You wouldn't know it by watching him.
Lowry did struggle from the three-point line where he was just 3-of-11 but he more than made up for that with his all-around game. And with the game hanging in the balance he was the man leading the charge to make sure this win didn't get away.
"Nothing really surprises me about him, to be honest with you," head coach Nick Nurse said when asked about Lowry's quick start to the year. "He's just such an experienced guy and such a gamer. I like it. His shot volume is up and (we) say, 'keep shooting them.' He took 11 threes tonight. Ten is the number we're going for so he's getting there."
Fred VanVleet, the other point guard on the team, says Lowry is doing what is asked of him. As long as that leads to winning basketball games, the odds of Lowry complying with the request will be high.
"He thinks he's an all-world point guard, but he still has to shoot sometimes, too," VanVleet said. "He's been doing a good job the last couple games, being really aggressive, being assertive, and taking over when he needs to."
Monday night was a perfect example of that.
Jonathan Isaac was a one-man wrecking crew for the Magic with 24 points and seven boards.
MAGIC NOT QUITE THERE
A short and injury-plague pre-season has Steve Clifford still searching for the best combination of Magic players in his rotation.
Clifford knows he has an above-average defending team with the kind of size he can throw out there, but he's clearly not happy with the offence in the early going.
"We didn't have the training camp we wanted to have," Clifford said before the game. "Not terrible, but not great. We played two games and we've been kind of like the early season is. Everybody talks about continuity and continuity is what you make of it. There are certain things that are out of your control. We weren't healthy and so we are going to get there. We have a good team. We have a terrific defensive roster but we haven't played that well."
BIRCH WAVING THE FLAG
Khem Birch is stuck behind Nikola Vucevic and Mo Bamba so he's not seeing a lot of run right now in Orlando.
But as one of just two Canadian NBAers that answered the call this summer (shout out to a third, Kelly Olynyk, who was injured on the way to China) for Canada's entry at the FIBA World Championships, Birch remains a vocal advocate of Canada's quest for an Olympic berth, which will continue this summer in a Last Chance Qualifying tournament.
Birch says he will use his access to the NBA to remind his fellow Canadian NBA brethren how important it is to represent.
This early in the season the only fellow Canadian he has seen before last night was Tristan Thompson and while he didn't do any recruiting then he didn't feel the need.
"I should have told him but he set the bar high for everyone I feel like when he came from winning the Finals and played in the Philippines (in a last-chance qualifier in 2016) so I know where his head and my head is," Birch said. "Maybe if I see another young guy I'll talk to him but the older vets — Kelly and Tristan — I know where their heads are at. I don't really talk to them about it."
Thompson didn't play in China this summer and didn't attend the training camp but Birch gives him a pass.
"Tristan definitely gets a pass even though he missed this one," Birch said. "He set the bar so high. He's the reason I went (this summer to China). I was thinking of what he did and other guys like Steve Nash."
Birch has yet to play in this season and did not see the floor last night for a third consecutive game but both coach Clifford and team president Jeff Weltman aren't in the least bit worried that Birch will get his shot over a long NBA season.
Birch is being patient but it hasn't been easy.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't (tough) but I've been doing this now for three years and I'm just going to do my same routine that I've been doing because that is what keeps me level-headed and that's what keeps me ready," he said.
TURNING IT BACK
Monday's game was the first of six games the Raptors are packaging as the Rewind 95, a celebration of the 25 years of their existence.
The court is more purple than normal, the uniforms are much more purple and for at least the first game in a really nice touch, the Raptors brought back the Barenaked Ladies for the anthems, more or less the same group that handled anthem duties on opening night 25 years ago. The group has changed a little in 25 years with Steven Page no longer with them but there's still Ed Robertson and Kevin Hearn, Tyler Stewart and Jim Creeggan.
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
It's the year of OG
OK, perhaps that's a little premature given we're only four games into the season but OG Anunoby is doing something special every night it seems. Last night he was showing the kind of footwork and getting to the basket that six-year vets would envy. When he wasn't doing that he was picking Orlando pockets and going the other way for easy transition buckets.
Gasol getting there
Marc Gasol's rough start to the 2019-20 season, explainable as it is with his almost non-existent break between last season and this, is slowly turning around. Gasol had 10 points and eight boards in a foul-shortened 19 minutes last night in what was his best game to date. Gasol is going to be very important for this team and the early struggles will soon be forgotten.
McCaw's role will grow
Nick Nurse has been talking up Patrick McCaw since training camp in Quebec City, and the only owner of the past three championship rings in the NBA finally got on the floor last night. McCaw, who has been out with a knee injury since the pre-season, played 17 minutes and while he only had three points he showed some of that defensive intensity and high basketball IQ that has made Nurse such a fan.
Siakam and fouls still a problem
Pascal Siakam has been a steady contributor on both ends of the floor but he knows better than anyone that to be effective he has to reign in his penchant for fouls. Siakam stayed out of foul trouble early last night but picked up four in the second half and had to play the final five minutes with five fouls and on the verge of fouling out. It's limiting and Siakam has to change that.
Isaac attack
Jonathan Isaac is long and rangy and a defensive nightmare for anyone covering him. He was there a year ago but now he's an offensive force as his career best 24 points last night will attest. Isaac was 5-for-7 from behind the arc and the biggest reason the Magic were able to stay with the Raptors last night.
mganter@postmedia.com
 Raptors win NBA championship: In photos from Mosaic Stadium