"I messaged Capital City Go-Go head coach Cody Toppert, who's an expert on the pick-and-roll coverages, before the game, and he told me that the Raptors would have to be extra physical to avoid advantages given a smaller backline. "Expect [the Raptors] to late switch at the FT line to take away rolls and force tough floaters. Will hurt them on the rebounds tho," he texted me."
"After the Raptors established a 14-point lead, we saw a glimpse of the much-feared Kristaps Porzingis-Trae Young pick-and-pop combo. But Agbaji and Mamu switched, and Abaji got his hand on the ball as Porzingis tried to drive on him. This allowed Mamu to get the steal and hit Scottie for a two-handed flush to make it a 7-0 run and 101-85 with time still left in the third frame. It dealt a mental blow to the bad guys."
Pre-game expectations favored the Atlanta Hawks because of superior size and an elite pick-and-roll attack. The Toronto Raptors mounted a decisive 16-2 run late in the third quarter that cemented their lead and shifted momentum. Capital City Go-Go head coach Cody Toppert predicted the Raptors would use extra physicality and late switching at the free-throw line to deter roll actions and force floaters. Defensive efforts by Mamu included a steal leading to a Scottie dunk and a rejection of Okongwu at the rim. The Raptors neutralized size mismatches, walled off perimeter options, and benefited from Hawks' missed open threes and a late foul by Trae Young.
Read at Raptors Republic
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