Veterans Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam have the Raptors climbing in the East

They came together, they have grown up together, they respect each other and have become one of the most imposing duos in Raptors history.

Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam will always be linked to each other and their combined performance on Tuesday night is a prime example of why.

VanVleet drilled seven 3-pointers as part of a 33-point night, his third straight game with 30 or more, and Siakam coincidentally threw a jewel of 18 points and 12 rebounds when the Raptors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 129-104 at Scotiabank Arena. .

“We have guys who find shooters, who are aggressive, and I’m just trying to hunt down those wide shots … because I feel good in that role and those are probably the easiest shots I guess.” VanVleet said. “I’m just trying to take advantage of it.”

The longest-serving Raptors (Siakam was a first-round pick in 2016, VanVleet was signed as an undrafted free agent that same summer) helped Toronto win its third game in a row and lead the team to .500 for the first time since beginnings of November.

Now 17-17 on the season, the Raptors are advancing to the middle of the Eastern Conference standings. And while .500 is a good benchmark, it is not a target.

“I think it’s something,” coach Nick Nurse said before the game. Let’s put it that way. I think we have some aspirations that we are not .500 or less than .500, certainly way over the top. “

No two players are more responsible for that streak than VanVleet and Siakam.

VanVleet became the first Raptor since Kawhi Leonard in 2019 to have three straight games with 30 or more points with Tuesday’s performance, and he is 30 of 57 from a three-point range in his last five games.

“I think we’re finding our natural rhythm of where our team will be for now and obviously (I) feel pretty good,” VanVleet said. “I’m not the best at receiving compliments or talking about myself, so… I feel good. I leave it like that. ”

Siakam’s night started ignominiously with two fouls in 68 seconds and a quick trip to the bank. And while there have been nights that such a bad start would have weighed on his mind, affected his game and taken out of the game, it was a measure of his confidence and maturity that didn’t happen on Tuesday.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise because Siakam’s play of late has been outstanding in more areas than just points and assists, a fact Nurse is quick to point out. In three games before Tuesday’s meeting with the Spurs, Siakam averaged 24.3 points and 7.5 assists on more than 50 percent shooting from the field to anchor an offense that averaged 115 points per game, but also averaged 13 rebounds and played defense. above average. .

“I know he can score, and I know he can draw (doubles) and pass and do some things, and I also know he can defend,” Nurse said. “He’s a really good defender and we have to keep seeing that.

“And I think it was wonderful to see the rebounds and the shots in the basket and… all that kind of thing. So there are a lot of things it can do and we are starting to see all the phases. “

Siakam attributes his resurgence to the game of good health and a full return to form. He missed all of the summer training and skill building process to recover from shoulder surgery and he also missed the first 11 games of the season getting in shape. He missed two more over Christmas when he was once again locked into NBA health and safety protocols.

“I feel good, my body feels good and I think I am taking one more step, also just to take care of my body and make sure I do everything right to stay fresh,” he said. “And just a change of mind in terms of being a versatile player. I feel like I have that ability and not many players have that ability to be able to defend, to be able to pass, to be able to rebound and also to score ”.

It helps, of course, that he is now surrounded by better teammates that he is familiar with. Having a full or nearly full roster puts Siakam in a position to be both a facilitator and a dominant scorer.

The full version of the Raptors is egalitarian, they have a handful of No. 1 picks and will change nightly based on matchups and hot hands. There is no need to designate anyone as the go-to person because anyone from Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. or Scottie Barnes could be.

It takes a load of individual pressure off someone like Siakam, who seems just as comfortable positioning his teammates as he is taking over.

“I know what Gary likes to do, I know what OG likes to do, and I know what Fred likes to do and I think that makes me even better and more comfortable on the court,” he said.