Blake Murphy Sports Writing

Title: Fred VanVleet, Raptors bench reward faith amid struggles, help even series
Date: May 21, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about the Raptors bench finally figuring things out and swinging a Game 4 victory more than anybody could have expected.
Read an excerpt!

Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 3: Late-game execution, Leonard vs. Antetokounmpo, hoverboards and more
Date: May 20, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at a double-overtime Game 3 victory for the Raptors where every little thing at the margins mattered, although the general strangeness of the game hid some of that. Read an excerpt!

Title: Raptors survive double-overtime theatre of the absurd, make it a series against Bucks
Date: May 19, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about a ludicrous double-overtime Game 3 between the Raptors and Bucks that was, in my estimation, perfect.
Read an excerpt!

Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 2: Marc Gasol as a screener, starter struggles, Carly Rae Jepsen and more
Date: May 18, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at an ugly Game 2 loss for the Raptors against the Bucks, one that highlights some major issues they don’t have a lot of time to resolve. Read an excerpt!

Title: Raptors have to find way to beat Bucks in minutes Giannis Antetokounmpo sits
Date: May 17, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about a disastrous Game 2 for the Raptors and why they so badly need to win minutes where Giannis Antetokounmpo sits moving forward.
Read an excerpt!

Title: Bucks and Raptors highlight the proliferation of the big-man triple
Date: May 17, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about the historic amount of threes likely to be shot by bigs in the Raptors-Bucks series and what has led the NBA to this point.
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Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 1: Pre-switch pick-and-roll, Bucks packing paint, Lowry relocation threes and more
Date: May 16, 2019
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at a tough Game 1 loss for the Raptors against the Bucks, with some areas for improvement that lend optimism tfor a potential bounce-back. Read an excerpt!