Toronto Raptors: Fred VanVleet was the x-factor in Game 5 vs. Milwaukee

Fred VanVleet clutched up with a remarkable 21-point performance for the Toronto Raptors in their Game 5 win to give them a 3-2 stranglehold in the ECF

After going down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors have responded in the best way possible with three straight wins to take a 3-2 stranglehold in the series.

Once again in Game 5, Kawhi Leonard led the way with 35 points in the 105-99 victory. But the pleasant surprise and the sole reason Toronto was able to win this game on the road was the contributions from Fred VanVleet off the bench.

VanVleet dropped 21 points in this game in just 37 minutes while going 7 for 9 from 3-point range. So essentially, all of his points came from downtown. But in a day and age where 3-point shooting is at an all-time high in the league, it’s not surprising that a player can score all their points in one game from long-range.

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Getting himself open

The majority of the looks that VanVleet had in Game 5 were relatively open because he did a really good job of moving around the perimeter to find open space. Since he was in a groove from downtown, it was evident that VanVleet wanted to keep shooting the 3.

His teammates, whether it was Norman Powell or Kawhi Leonard on numerous occasions, did a great job of drawing defenders towards them as they drove into the paint then dished it out to VanVleet for wide-open 3’s.

Credit definitely needs to be given to his teammates who saw that he was heating up from long-range, therefore they continually tried to find him open looks.

VanVleet averaged just 11 points per night during the regular season, so this was definitely a big game for him. It was about time he stepped up though because the 25-year-old is only averaging  5.5 points per game in the playoffs. But if Game 4 and 5 are glimpses into what he can do as these playoffs go on, then it’s good news for the Raptors. He dropped 13 points and six assists in game four as well so it looks like he’s getting into a groove.

The impressive part about his performance was the fact that he barely slept prior to this crucial away game. He was back in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois on Monday for the birth of his son, Fred jr, then flew back to Toronto in time for game four on Tuesday. Then before game five in Milwaukee, VanVleet drove to Rockford to see his girlfriend and newborn.

A small nap before Thursday night’s game and he was ready to go. VanVleet is an absolute competitor. There’s no question about it. Although he has struggled to shoot the ball in the playoffs, it looks like he is finally finding his touch.

Adversity has been the name of the game for Fred VanVleet during his NBA career as an undrafted free agent out of Wichita State back in 2016. No sleep? That certainly didn’t phase him as he put up his best performance of these playoffs yet at the most clutch time possible.

The Toronto Raptors will look to make history as they head into Game 6 on home soil with a chance to make their first-ever NBA Finals on Saturday night.