Raps overpowering early and late in Game 1 win over Nets

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse began the game with Matt Thomas and Rondae Hollis Jefferson among his first guys off the bench leaving rookie Terence Davis behind.

But when Nurse needed an energy boost from his bench with the Nets pressing late in the third and threatening to vapourize all of that 33-point lead, it was Davis he turned to and Davis responded with six points in nine minutes, helping turn what had been an eight-point Raptors lead into a more comfortable 14-point edge.

But if Davis was the energy boost, the Raptors backcourt of Fred VanVleet and Lowry were the igniters and, as it turned out, the finishers.

First, it was Lowry coming out of the gate like it was Game 6 of last year’s Finals all over again with eight quick points.

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When the Nets adjusted to that and Lowry lost the range, the offence started to run through VanVleet who midway through the third quarter had already set a career high for points in a game on his way to a 30-point, 10-assist opener and his first ever double-double in a post-season game.

Pascal Siakam got going early but settled for 16 on a night where his aggressiveness got him nine free throw attempts but from the field he was just a pedestrian 4-for-13.

From the bench, it was Serge Ibaka who has been so strong all year, much of the time as a starter with Marc Gasol limited by injury, leading the way with 22 points in just 26 minutes.

Toronto’s defence, so strong throughout the seeding games, was locked in early on but give the Nets and interim head coach Jacque Vaughn credit. When it became apparent that Caris LeVert was not going to get any looks at the basket, LeVert became a facilitator and the offence starting coming from elsewhere led by reserve Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot who finished with a team best 26.

The Raptors and Nets will tip it off again for Game 2 on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

mganter@postmedia.com

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