Raptors wrestle control from Bucks: 3 takeaways from Game 5

The Raptors took a 3-2 lead over the Bucks on Monday night

The Raptors carried over the same starting lineup from Game 4, opting to begin with Norman Powell as their spark plug and bring basketball Visigoth, Jonas Valanciunas, off the bench.

This appears to be the winning recipe for head coach Dwane Casey, as the Raptors came out with the same energy from their last win, and at one point, going on a 17-0 run during the first quarter.

Serge Ibaka showed his mettle and all the reasons why the Raptors traded for him were on display. In the game’s opening quarter, he hit a 3, put a barricade around the rim, and skied for a pair of dunks over the impossibly-long arms of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Toronto took a nine-point lead into halftime, which just happened to be the difference of second-chance points between the two teams. The lead expanded as they seemed to get every bounce and roll, and made key defensive plays to snuff out any momentum the Bucks started to put together.

Takeaways

Toronto has “been there before.” You can’t be linked to past playoff failure without gaining valuable postseason experience along the way. It’s a rite of passage in the NBA and part of the development process. Everyone on this Raptors team has exposure to postseason defeat, so they weren’t shook by their previous two losses.

In what’s been an up-and-down series for both teams, Toronto went home for a crucial Game 5 and took care of business. They looked seasoned, composed, and just flat out better than the young Bucks squad.

Teams that win Game 5 go on to take the series 82 percent of the time. Unless the Bucks find their fire or make some adjustments, that trend looks like it should continue.

Norman Powell is the Raptor X-Factor.

That’s 6’4” Powell putting an exclamation point on the Game 5 win, dunking over 12 feet of the Bucks’ best shot-blockers.

Since joining the starting lineup over the past two games, Powell’s posted a plus/minus of +19 and a net rating of 19.3 playing alongside the other starters — not to mention, both games were Toronto victories.

On Monday night, Powell picked the perfect occasion to uncork his career-best point total. He finished with a team-high 25 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and consistently finding himself in the right place at the right time.

Toronto grabs control of the series behind a group effort. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry both played great, but blended into the Raptor ensemble. On a night when all the role players stepped up, neither were required to carry the load.

Ibaka set the tone early and put up 19 while looking like his young and spry former self. Valanciunas gave Toronto toughness, physical buckets inside, and tussled with Greg Monroe, most likely over whose beard is more manly.

All of Toronto’s starters finished in double-digits and the aforementioned Powell had the best game of his career.

It was only fitting that Toronto set its franchise playoff record for most assists in a game won in concert.

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In-series adjustments can be what makes the difference between moving on and getting bounced from the playoffs. So far, Dwane Casey inserting Powell into his starting lineup patched the holes on a sinking ship that looked ripe for an upset just last week.

We’ll see what adjustments Jason Kidd has in store for a win-or-go-home Game 6.