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As it unfolded, the conclusion to last night's Game 5 seemed incomprehensible. The Raptors swung the game and did it in lightning quick fashion. A half-day removed, though, and it's easy to see how that 21-2 run to start the fourth quarter happened. The Raptors entirely new, impossibly small lineup wreaked havoc defensively (seriously, Terrence Ross and DeMar DeRozan at power forward). Frank Vogel was too confident in sitting Paul George and George Hill at the same time. And yeah, the Pacers kind of choked as a zealous Air Canada Centre got in their heads.
Today, the Raptors and Pacers attempted to explain those key storylines from their vantage point. Bismack Biyombo, the team's centre down the stretch, talked about he views screen-setting in today's NBA.
Bismack Biyombo says when he sets a screen for an open shot, he counts it as an assist
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) April 27, 2016
3.2 per game according to: https://t.co/m4LnDjrsBO https://t.co/pi0j33yUD1
— Leigh Ellis (@LeighEllis) April 27, 2016
Norman Powell got the podium too, and kept it simple. Typical Norm.
what makes you nervous?
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) April 27, 2016
"nothing." pic.twitter.com/Iqg7yIvPmZ
DeRozan talked about the atypical lineup, with Cory Joseph, Kyle Lowry, Powell, Biyombo and himself getting most of the run.
DeRozan on weird lineups: "Playoffs, you just gotta do whatever it takes to win. We might need (@ekoreen) next game. You never know."
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) April 27, 2016
Finally, coach Dwane Casey apparently wasn't shy about how poorly his team played in the first 36 minutes of last night's game.
What did Casey say to spark his team ahead of the 4th quarter? "I can't repeat it... and TNT did a good job of cutting it out"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 27, 2016
"Show them the film of the first three quarters." - Coach Casey on how to help motivate the players for Game 6. pic.twitter.com/W0oco0Bo2W
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 27, 2016
On the other, and frankly more interesting, side of things: the Indiana Pacers. After scoring just nine points in the fourth, there was plenty of blame to go around. Paul George stopped shy of calling his teammates out, but made his frustrations known.
When asked where did it go wrong in 4th Q PG mumbled words then said: "I think our guys individually know that they have to bring it….
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
More PG: "I’m not about putting guys down, putting teammates down but individually everybody has to bring it."
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
Vogel, meanwhile, gave some perplexing reasoning behind trusting his second unit to start the fourth quarter (who were utterly demolished). Rodney Stuckey, a maligned member of that unit, tried to unpack the quote.
It's interesting. I wasn't in Vogel's press conference - I wanted to survey locker room. So I missed him saying "I chose to trust" 2nd unit
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
Not knowing what Vogel had said, I asked a couple of the bench players this exact question: "Why should the 2nd unit be trusted?"
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
Stuckey on why 2nd unit should be trusted: "It's up to coach & whatever they want to do. Whatever they decide to do, that's pretty much it."
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
Poor Stuckey, by the way. His 1-for-10, three turnover night was made worse by falling into the lap of Drake right in the middle of his team's collapse. He touched on that, because of course he was asked about it.
Stuckey was candid, saying he played "shi—y" Said he didn’t even know this happened:https://t.co/a2BhvgsilW
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
Stuckey on Drake taunt: "Jordan actually showed me when I was in the shower. I didn’t recognize that he was right behind me…"
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 27, 2016
Still awaiting Drake's comment on the situation.