As usual, the Air Canada Centre became a scene of disappointment as the Raptors wasted a double-digit fourth quarter lead and lost to the Jazz in triple overtime. Concerns remained the same: allowing an offensive rebound at a critical time (Utah’s game-tying possession in regulation), post-timeout execution (several times late in the game) and allowing dribble penetration too easily (forcing an unnecessary rotation and providing Paul Millsap with open looks • Millsap doesn’t always shoot corner threes, but when he does, he makes over half of them).
At the end of the fourth quarter, Toronto appeared disorganized after Utah missed a three-point shot and recovered the rebound with about twelve seconds left. Defense was a little chaotic and rather than fouling when up three as time winds down, they chose to trap and left an open shooter. Granted, it was All Jefferson, a player who has only made two three-pointers from above the break in the past three years, but a professional player is probably able to make an open shot from time to time.
Leaving a player open to shoot (he also had enough time to pass to a better outside shooter) increases the odds of overtime relative to if thee Raptors had given the foul, given up two points, inbounded the basketball to Jose Calderon so he could be fouled and forced the Jazz to attempt a desperation three-pointer with very little time remaining.
Of the other choices, I think Options 1, 2 and 3 are the best ideas, 4 is feasible and 5 is a bad ideas, since there was enough time for Randy Foye to get inside, drawn help and given Derrick Favors a shot very close to the basket. Regardless of which option they chose, Toronto would have had a plan and followed through on it. Too often, the Raptors defend these critical late game possessions without much thought and become the victims of their own poor decisions.