Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Timberwolves Have No Answers for Pascal Siakam's Playmaking as Raptors Continue to Cruise
The Toronto Raptors are a team nobody wants to face.
They might very well be the hottest team in the Eastern Conference right now, downing the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-102 on Wednesday night to move back into a tie with the Chicago Bulls for the fifth seed in the East thanks to a 10-2 record over their last 12 games.
1. Anunoby Makes a Huge Difference
Having a healthy OG Anunoby on the court makes such a difference for Toronto. He may not have had the kind of developmental season that some had hoped for, but his floor-stretching ability forces teams to stretch their defenses and pick their poison between collapsing around Pascal Siakam or defending that corner three-point shot.
All season the Timberwolves, like the Raptors, have been content to give up corner threes, and on Wednesday that allowed Anunoby to feast from behind the arc. He single-handedly turned a 46-42 Raptors deficit into a 53-53 tied game midway through the second with 13 straight points for Toronto.
He's not going to create much off the dribble and nail pull-up jumpers often, but he does the little things at a high level for Toronto by nailing catch-and-shoot threes, running in transition, and playing lockdown defense at the other end. On a team that has so many inside scorers, Anunoby's three-point shooting is a huge advantage. He shot 4-for-4 from behind the arc, finishing the night with 22 points.
2. Wolves Pay Respect to Siakam
When Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch first joined the Raptors as an assistant coach last season he said he wanted to get Siakam back to his pre-pandemic days by improving his playmaking and turning him into a do-it-all forward for Toronto.
"I think also finding new opportunities for the likes of Pascal to score, or put the ball in hands to create opportunities for his teammates," he said in December 2020. "A little more unpredictability there, maybe some misdirection."
Just over a year later, it's clear Finch hasn't forgotten just how dynamic the 27-year-old Raptors star can be. Much like Toronto's defense against the league's best, Finch pressured Siakam all night, forcing the ball out of his hands and making Toronto's secondary pieces nail their shots in the half-court. It worked early, as Jarred Vanderbilt held Siakam to just 1-for-7 shooting and two points in the first half, but Siakam made the T-Wolves pay, finding three-point shooters to the tune of 14 points off assists in the first half including a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Fred VanVleet.
"It's good to see Pascal back to his pre-Bubble form," Finch said pre-game.
Unwilling to change their defensive strategy, Siakam kept at it, finishing the night with a career-high 13 assists, 12 points, and 10 rebounds for his second career triple-double.
"Every time I was driving there were like four or five people around me so definitely tough to get to the rim and do the things I usually do," Siakam said. "But then it opened up things for everyone else around me. I think it’s just part of the experience of seeing teams sending bodies at me. I just used it to my advantage and got guys involved.
"It was just like pick whoever you want to pass it to because they are going to be open and then it’s up to them to make the play. I just figured it out, tried to attack in transition, and then once I get into the halfcourt whatever is open, make the play."
It was his fifth game this season with 10-or-more assists, the most of his career.
3. Trent Jr. Finds his Groove
Gary Trent Jr. looked much better in his second game back from his toe injury. He moved with ease, getting to his pull-up game and making the Timberwolves pay whenever they pressured the paint. His 29 points on 9-for-13 shooting led all Raptors.
4. Achiuwa Sways Momentum for Toronto
Toronto was down 26-18 when Precious Achiuwa checked in late in the second quarter for the Raptors. It had been an ugly start without much defense as the Timberwolves repeatedly got the ball in deep and found shooters dotting the arc.
Then Achiuwa entered and everything seemed to change.
He nailed a trio of three-pointers in the first half, turning a 17-points Timberwolves lead into a two-point Toronto lead just before halftime. His defense began slowing Minnesota's inside attack and Raptors coach Nick Nurse was so impressed he decided to start Achiuwa over Scottie Barnes to begin the second half.
"He was a part of that decision too. He just thought that KAT, Precious should matchup on him and he's like, I'll come off the bench and let Precious go guard him and it was good," Nurse said of the Barnes' benching.
Achiuwa finished the game with 13 points off the bench on 5-for-9 shooting.
"He’s crossed over some kind of psychological thing where he really believes he can make ‘em," Nurse added on Achiuwa's three-point shooting. "He’s taking them with conviction, he’s been doing here for about a month, when it comes to him it’s just going up. I think that’s the biggest thing, he’s got a lot of confidence in it right now and he’s willing to take ‘em."
5. VanVleet Shows All-Defense Prowess
Even when the shots aren't falling for VanVleet, the 6-foot-1 guard is a menace on the defensive end. He was everywhere for Toronto, swiping five steals and deflecting passes as the Raptors forced Minnesota into 22 turnovers.
"Thought he was unbelievable defensively tonight," Nurse said. I thought that was as fast as Fred’s moved and in a few games."
Highlight of the Night
The 33-year-old Thad Young got up for a massive slam dunk in the fourth quarter in another stellar performance off the bench.
"That’s his name, right? Thad Young? He’s Young," Siakam joked. "That boy was up there. I didn’t expect that. I was trying to get the ball from him and he was saying 'screw Pascal, I’m just gonna jump off a trampoline and dunk this thing.’ It was impressive. I don’t even think I can jump that high. So, yeah, shoutout Thad."
Up Next: Orlando Magic
The Raptors will hit the road for a brief pitstop in Orlando on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.
