It was glaringly obvious within the first 5 minutes of last night's contest. The Raptors weren't playing with the urgency of a team down 0-1 in the NBA postseason. The Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2nd half of Game 2 with a comfortable 20-point lead that would persist until the final buzzer. For once, the scoreline actually illustrated the levels of exertion put forth by both sides.
The Raptor's 125-103 loss to their Eastern Conference rivals should be reflected upon by all members of staff and the team, not just Marc Gasol - who in speaking with the press after the game, valiantly took the blame for his sides' woes."The beginning [of the game] set us in a really bad spot," Gasol said. "We couldn't get a grip of the game early on, and I take full responsibility for that."
I for one, don't think Gasol is to blame for the Raptor's stagnant energy, but think of it this way: when the Raptors went down 9-0 in the opening frame, it was Marc Gasol who bricked the Raptor's first three shot attempts, allowing Giannis and the Bucks to set the tone in the contest.
When all was said and done in the contest, the veteran floor-spacer only salvaged two points on 1-for-9 shooting limiting him to 19 minutes of playing time. Bear in mind, Gasol's Game 1 wasn't any prettier: over two contests, he's shooting an atrocious 3-for-20 from the field. With all that said, do you think the Raps have a chance in hell of evening up the series on home soil? Hit us with your thoughts.