With Anunoby shining on both ends, Raptors avenge last week's loss to Nuggets

Sometimes the obvious answer is the correct one, or at least a long way towards it.

When Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone was asked why O.G Anunoby has been a good defender for Nikola Jokic over the years – these things being relative – he skipped by the appetizers and when straight to the steak.

“Have you seen his legs?” Malone said of the 6-foot-7 Raptors forward whose support structure does have the look of bridge pilings. “You mention his size. But that guy is strong.”

There’s more to it, and Malone touched on those details too – smarts, toughness and the will to do the job – but for Anunoby his strength as a defender and in particular when guarding up a weight class against some of the league’s bigger and more dynamic players – begins with his strength. Normally when the Nuggets’ two-time (and counting) league MVP gets a smaller defender on him he can simply use his wide, 6-foot-11, 260-pound frame to overwhelm them in the post.

No one is overwhelming Anunoby. Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jokic? He’s guarded them all and lived to tell the story.

The sixth-year Raptors forward had another chapter to talk about after he was instrumental on both ends in helping Toronto to a much-needed 125-110 win over the visiting Nuggets, avenging a close loss to the Nuggets in Denver last Monday that ended in a refereeing controversy.

This time around Anunoby won’t be able to say he forced the Nuggets star and leading MVP candidate off his game or well below his season average. Jokic’s line of 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists was more than respectable, but Anunoby’s defence on Jokic at the point of attack meant the rest of the Raptors defence didn’t have to help too often or too early against one of the game’s best passers.

And Anunoby chipping 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting was welcome too. The Raptors forward was plus-13 while matching his minutes precisely with the Nuggets star, who finished minus-8 even while having a decent night on the score sheet.

“He posted a lot more tonight [than in Denver],” Anunoby said. “He's very versatile. He can play any role, he has handles, he does everything. You have to have your head on the swivel at all times, and communicate and just be on your toes, be ready.”

His ability to hold his own or better against a player of Jokic’s quality makes life easier for everyone around him.

"It helps a lot, it helps tremendously having a guy who could guard these types of guys and you can build a game plan around that knowing that he’s gonna make life tough,” said VanVleet. “I hate looking at the box score on Jokic because you feel like you did a good job and he’s 10-for-13 and he’s got [28-8-7]  … but I thought O.G. did a great job on him, that’s how good [Jokic] is. That helps build out your game plan from there … it just changes the dynamic so it’s a great luxury to have."

With Jokic accounted for, no one else among the Nuggets jumped up to hurt Toronto, which snapped a three-game losing streak and improved its record to 33-36.

For example Jamal Murray – making his first appearance in Toronto since December 2018 after two COVID-interrupted seasons and another year off due to his ACL recovery kept the Kitchener native away from (near) home – scuffled his way to 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting, well below his season standards.

Denver lost its fourth game in a row and fell to 46-22 on the season. Toronto shot 52.7 per cent from the floor and 12-of-30 from three, while the Nuggets shot 56.3 per cent from the floor but only 6-of-25 from three.

The Raptors helped themselves with a 14-4 edge on the offensive boards and scored 25 points off the Nuggets' 14 turnovers compared to 15 points for Denver on Toronto’s 11 giveaways. 

But Murray – who was questionable coming in with soreness in his left knee – said later he was happy to be playing in front of friends and family again after such a long break and was able to put a positive spin on the Nuggets' recent troubles.

“I think it’s good. I’m happy we’re being tested. Because if everything is easy we go to the playoffs and first round they take us out of something and we don’t know what to do. So it’s nice to have to make adjustments, talk to each other, get on each other and go through the play calls, the audible and all of it. We need this. It’s not going to be easy, but we need to be tested and we’re getting that.” 

All five Raptors starters were in double figures, but it was Fred VanVleet who provided the jet fuel as he exploded for 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting to go along with seven assists.

Anunoby scored seven points in the final eight minutes as he helped Toronto push back after Denver had pulled within three in a game Toronto led by 24 early in the third quarter, but it was a VanVleet triple – his eighth on the night in 12 attempts – over Jokic that put the game out of reach as Toronto led by 15 with 3:04 to play.

“It was a good day. Sometimes you just have a rhythm and an energy, and a flow and my body felt good,” said VanVleet.

“[The ball] wasn’t really touching the rim tonight, so you just try to find looks and try to keep getting open. I had a look down and make sure my feet were set and if I saw the rim, I was being aggressive. When they were up I made the right play and tried to keep the ball moving. We need these wins so whatever that means for our team, some nights it will be like this and other nights I will take nine shots and hopefully we can leave with a win.”

For Anunoby, the Jokic assignment was just the latest career-long project where he’s drawn the opposition’s best player and been expected to neutralize them. He’s done well against bigs like Jokic, Lakers' Anthony Davis and even Embiid this season, but more than holds his own against smaller wings and guards.

“Well he's a really good defender,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. “I don’t know if he gets talked about for defensive player of the year much but ... I don't know who else in the league guards that many positions. Like last week he went [DeMar] DeRozan, [Bradley] Beal, Beal [Toronto played the Washington Wizards twice in succession], Jokic, Davis. I mean that’s quite a variety of positions and talent and he did really well on all of them.”  

The Raptors showed no ill effects of a difficult west coast trip where they dropped three straight games, beginning with a tight one in Denver that featured some controversial calls down the stretch and a last-minute ejection of Scottie Barnes.

Anunoby was excellent that night even though Jokic still mustered 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. That he only took eight shots and was held eight points below his season average was proof. Once again Jokic had a hard time generating offence early as Anunoby picked him up full court in transition and denied him the ball in the half court.

Jokic was limited to just two shots and created just two assists in the first quarter. Meanwhile Anunoby was at the forefront of one of the best quarters Toronto has every had as he scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting as Toronto jumped out to a 49-30 first-quarter lead while shooting a scorching 71.4 per cent from the floor and six-of-nine from three.

The first-quarter explosion broke the franchise record for points in an opening quarter set on Jan. 11, 1997. It was more fuel for the fire burning at the core of the Nuggets, who arrived in Toronto on a three-game losing streak having played the worst defence in the NBA over that stretch.

“I learned a long time ago, learn to understand why you win and why you lose,” said Malone, referring to his club’s defensive lapse.

They remain solidly in control of first place in the West, but they’re a team going through something, that’s for sure.

The Raptors have their own issues and most of them stem from how they play when their starting lineup is on the floor. In their previous six games, Toronto’s starting lineup was plus-32 while any other lineup was minus-53.

Toronto was up 13 when Gary Trent Jr. checked in as the first sub and were up 19 at the end of the first, helped by Trent Jr. – 2-of-20 from the floor in his previous two games – hitting his first two shots. Toronto cooled down in the second quarter where they shot just 8-of-21 from the floor and missed all eight three-point attempts, but held the Nuggets to 26 points, forced four turnovers and saw non-starters lineups eke out a one-point advantage as Toronto led 72-56 at half.

But Jokic and the Nuggets began heating up in the third quarter. Toronto had pushed its lead to 24 after a 14-7 run early in the second half. But the Nuggets picked up defensively, and as the Raptors shot just 3-of-14 in the final eight minutes of the third, Denver began using Jokic in the middle of floor near the free-throw line, which made it harder for the Raptors to double him effectively. It also made it easier for Jokic to either get into a move that would take him to the front of the rim or pass on the go.

He finished the third with 12 points and three assists in the period and had helped cut the Raptors lead to 98-94 to start the fourth.

But Anunoby’s offence was helping carry the day by that point. When he checked in after four minutes played in the fourth – matching Jokic’s substitution pattern – he used his strong legs to power up for an alley-oop dunk and step out for a deep three that helped push the Raptors lead to 13 midway through the fourth after Denver had pulled within three.

The Raptors were able to assert control from there and, with six of their next seven games at home, have a chance to assert some control in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament as well.