Kelly: Toronto Raptors’ Game 1 loss to Orlando Magic sets a terrible first impression — one that will last via Globe_Sports
Orlando Magic guard D.J. Augustin drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry defend during second half NBA basketball playoff action in Toronto, on Saturday, April 13, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank GunnPros like to talk about entering their “playoff mode.” Kyle Lowry’s must work a little like Ctrl+Alt+Delete. When the post-season starts, he shuts off and on a few times in order to get things running again.
Toronto was decently organized when Lowry was on the court, but in the end it all went sideways. Lowry’s errant pass with a couple of minutes left sparked a breakaway that put Orlando up. When the winning three-pointer was scored by Magic point guard D.J. Augustin, Lowry was standing under the basket watching it go in. He’d long since waved the white flag on that match-up.
The whole zero points thing was such a poor look that, though no one asked him about it, Raptors coach Nick Nurse felt the need to defend the fact that he’d had Lowry in for the final minutes.“I thought he was a positive factor in the game,” Nurse said, pointing to Lowry’s plus/minus numbers. “Which is why we went with him.”
Kawhi Leonard was a monster from the tip. He went to the bench with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. He didn’t re-enter the game until halfway through the second. When he returned, he was stone cold and his team fell into lethargy. Though it was an ugly outing, it isn’t a disaster. Orlando is not Cleveland. D.J. Augustin is not LeBron James.
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