With just a few minutes remaining in the third quarter of Game 2, Toronto found themselves back in the game after a frenetic push to close the gap on a 13-point halftime deficit. They managed to whittle down the difference to just a single point — and then came the mistake that has plagued the Raptors all postseason long.
Nick Nurse pulled three starters out and placed Norman Powell, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet in the game all at once.
Not only has this kind of substitution killed critical runs and game-shifting momentum for Toronto, it’s proved to be fatal for all three players’ effectiveness and confidence.