The Toronto Raptors sure didn’t look like the No. 3 seed in the east on Saturday during their 97-83 blowout home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. They were outworked, out-hustled and outplayed to the frustration of everyone in Toronto, not the least of which was head coach Dwane Casey, who was still a bit hot under the collar Sunday.
Citing intensity as a key factor, Casey blasted his team for failing to rise to the occasion in the first game of their best-of-seven series against Milwaukee.
Raps coach Dwane Casey on Game 1: "We didn't play with playoff intensity. We played like it was a mid-season, February game."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) April 16, 2017
Casey also appeared to suggest his players were getting caught up in feeling sorry for themselves about getting picked off on screens, whether illegal or not.
Casey questioned Bucks screening: "We had numerous occasions where they were cracking us with screens, whether illegal or not."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) April 16, 2017
Casey – "If they're going to call them that way, we've got to set screens that way. We can't complain about it … turnaround is fair play."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) April 16, 2017
Last season, the Raptors parlayed a No. 2 seed into a Conference Finals appearance against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Ultimately, they were found wanting but did manage to show signs of promise.
Though it’s still early, they have some serious work left to do in order to get past the upstart Bucks, who came into this series raring to rumble with a huge chip on their shoulders.