Lowry in absentia as Raptors lose another playoff opener at home
It's become a rite of spring in Toronto: the Raptors losing their postseason opener, usually in front of a home crowd. The young Milwaukee Bucks did the honors Saturday, handing Toronto a 97-83 defeat to take a 1-0 series lead.
The loss drops the Raptors' record to 0-9 in first-round playoff openers:
| Date | Venue | Score | Raptors lowlight | Ultimate series result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr. 15/17 | Home | Bucks 97 Raptors 83 | Lowry 4 points | ? |
| Apr. 16/16 | Home | Pacers 100 Raptors 90 | Lowry & DeRozan combine for 25 points | Raptors in 7 |
| Apr. 18/15 | Home | Wizards 93 Raptors 86 | Ujiri fined for Paul Pierce comments | Wizards in 4 |
| Apr. 19/14 | Home | Nets 94 Raptors 87 | Clock malfunctions | Nets in 7 |
| Apr. 20/08 | Away | Magic 114 Raptors 100 | Magic starters shoot 57% | Magic in 5 |
| Apr. 21/07 | Home | Nets 96 Raptors 91 | ACC shirts match Nets unis | Nets in 6 |
| Apr. 21/02 | Away | Pistons 85 Raptors 63 | Raptors shoot 29.9% | Pistons in 5 |
| Apr. 22/01 | Away | Knicks 92 Raptors 85 | Vince Carter held to 13 points | Raptors in 5 |
| Apr. 23/00 | Away | Knicks 92 Raptors 88 | Loss in playoff opener | Knicks in 3 |
The Raptors losing a postseason opener at home in front of excited crowds inside and outside the Air Canada Centre is probably not that shocking to those who have followed the team closely, but Kyle Lowry's play in the postseason is something of concern.
Few have forgotten his terrible start in last year's playoffs, when the Raps' best player shot 30.6 percent from the floor and 16 percent from deep in his first eight postseason contests. While he eventually righted the ship in the second round against the Miami Heat, the early numbers aren't good at all.
| Lowry playoff opener | PTS | AST | FGM-FGA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 4 | 6 | 2-11 |
| 2016 | 11 | 7 | 3-13 |
| 2015 | 7 | 4 | 2-10 |
| 2014 | 22 | 8 | 7-18 |
Related: Lowry takes responsibility for Raps' loss: 'I have to play better'
There were legitimate matchup concerns the Raptors had going into the series with the Bucks - Milwaukee's length and athleticism first and foremost. Giannis Antetokounmpo demonstrated that throughout Game 1, scoring a playoff career-high 28 points. In the regular season's earlier meetings, DeMarre Carroll checked the 22-year-old reasonably well, but that was no longer the case Saturday. Antetokounmpo indisputably had free reign.
GIANNIS IS TOUCHING THE GROUND AND THE RIM AT THE SAME TIME pic.twitter.com/72jCGlP869
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 15, 2017
Another thing to escape the Raps in the playoff opener was their 3-point shot, much of which comes back to Lowry's disappearing act. The point guard was 0-for-6 from deep and the team as a whole was 5-for-23 from beyond the arc.
The Bucks also exhibited more toughness than the Raptors as the game went on, something a little vexing given the difference in the two teams' experience. Toronto only had four points in the paint in the second half.
Still, the Raptors are simply a better team than the Bucks at this stage, and a series loss would be unacceptable for the Toronto organization. Slightly better news for the Raptors: The franchise is 5-6 all time in playoff Game 2s.