Given the way the Toronto Raptors were destroyed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5, we can only hope DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph had better luck at the casino before the game than they did on the court.
According to Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun, Carroll and Joseph were spotted at a Cleveland casino just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning — less than 24 hours before the Raptors lost by 38 points in a pivotal game. The two players apparently decided to hit the town after a Tuesday night team dinner.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, unaware that Carroll and Joseph were out until the wee hours following the team dinner, did not seem all that concerned.
“This isn’t why we lost,” he said. “This is the NBA, they’re grown men. These are grown men. These things happen.”
You have to wonder if Casey was as dismissive of the casino rendezvous behind closed doors. Just when the Raptors looked like they were going to be steamrolled by LeBron James and the Cavs, they won two games at home to even the series at 2-2 and take back the momentum. Then Game 5 happened.
While you can’t assume that Carroll and Joseph were any less prepared because they went out, stories like that always look bad after a loss. They look worse after such an embarrassing performance.
“It was an 8:30 game. That’s the good thing I guess,” Casey said. “They kicked our butts. That’s the bottom line. We didn’t meet that standard tonight for whatever reason. It’s embarrassing tonight. But it’s one game. We need the same focus and physicality to meet what Cleveland is doing. We won two, they won three.”
If you want to know how bad the game was for Toronto, just check out Kyle Lowry’s reaction to the box score. Carroll scored just five points on 2-of-7 from the field and went 0-for-4 from three-point range. Joseph played just 10 minutes and hit 1-of-5 field goal attempts.
The entire team was horrendous, so you certainly can’t blame the casino. That doesn’t mean it’s a good look.
H/T Ball Don’t Lie
