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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO - It didn't take long after Thursday's humiliating loss for Dwane Casey and the Raptors to decide on a lineup change, in fact Norman Powell was told he would be starting the following morning.

Experience was supposed to be Toronto's biggest advantage going into its first-round matchup with the young Milwaukee Bucks but, through three games, that had not yet come to fruition. So here they were, in an ironic turn of events, passing the baton to a sporadically used sophomore with their season on the line.

On the surface this might have seemed like a leap of faith, given what was at stake in Game 4 - down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series - but their confidence in Powell was not unfounded. The precocious 23-year-old is quickly developing a reputation in moments like this.

Last April, Powell turned heads league-wide in his playoff debut. Not only did he crack Casey's rotation as a rookie, he hit big shots, played late in games and guarded four-time all-star Paul George. The lasting image, however, came in Game 5 of the Raptors opening-round series against Indiana, one they would end up winning in seven. The Pacers led by 13 points going into the fourth quarter as George and the rest of Indiana's starters rested. Powell played the final 12 minutes, a stretch in which Toronto outscored the visitors 25-9, en route to an improbable victory. It was his iconic steal and one-handed fast-break dunk that evened the score.

Although he certainly didn't look it, Powell was nervous that night. How could he not be? From the second round of the NBA draft to the big stage in less than 10 months, that was the most important game of his life. Admittedly, he even bobbled the ball while going up for that dunk.

A year later, nearly to the day, those jitters have disappeared but the results remain the same. Despite logging just 20 inconsequential minutes ahead of Saturday's crucial Game 4, Powell helped spark the Raptors to their biggest win of the season, to this point anyway.

"It's more about the mission and the task at hand rather than being thrown in there and trying to make a name for yourself," said the second-year guard, less than 24 hours after the Raptors' 87-76 win in Milwaukee. "There’s a lot at stake, especially in that game, in Game 4, tying up the series and not going down 3-1. It was just being ready and going in there and playing the best, making an impact on both sides of the ball, trusting in the work that I put in. I’m not worried about the stage, I’m [focused on] the confidence that I have in myself and helping my team."

After getting blown out by 27 points on Thursday, a game in which DeMar DeRozan was inexplicably held without a field goal, the Raptors opted to start small, bringing Jonas Valanciunas off the bench for the first time all season. With DeRozan and Kyle Lowry continuing to face aggressive traps from Bucks defenders, the idea was to throw another shooter and playmaker out there to help take the pressure off Toronto's all-star guards. While you can argue Powell should have been playing meaningful minutes earlier, credit Casey for an adjustment that clearly worked as intended.

Powell had 12 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes, a career postseason high. Toronto outscored the Bucks by 15 points with him on the floor.​ He was one of only two Raptors to hit a three-pointer, connecting on all three of his attempts.

The hope early in this series was that Valanciunas' size could be an advantage against rookie Thon Maker, but the Raptors have either been unwilling or unable to utilize it. Instead, the seven-footer would end up clogging the lane, providing little relief for Lowry and DeRozan. With the second unit, Valanciunas was matched up with Greg Monroe, a traditional big man, and served as more of a focal point in the offence, particularly in the second half. Meanwhile, Powell's presence in the lineup gave DeRozan and Lowry more room to operate. Not only is he a threat behind the arc, but he can put the ball on the floor, get to the basket and make plays for himself and his teammates.

"With Norm out there, he’s extremely aggressive so you’ve got to honour that," said DeRozan, who bounced back with 33 points on 12-of-22 shooting in Game 4. "With that, the floor is spaced a little bit more, I was able to find spots, push the ball up. I know Norm’s going to find his spots. It just gives us another option with a perimeter guy out there."

Most importantly, and especially after coming out flat a couple days earlier, Powell gave them the jolt they desperately needed. Although a 19-19 tie at the end of the first quarter hardly qualifies as an electric start, the energy level was noticeably higher out of the gate. That was the message the Raptors' coaching staff - particularly assistant Jama Mahlalela - had for Powell before the game: be aggressive, not that he needed a reminder. One thing you can always count on with Powell, regardless of his role, is effort. It's something he prides himself on and what has set him apart so early in his professional career.

"He has been a pro," Casey said. "I mean he’s a professional. He was out of the rotation a little bit but he stayed ready, worked hard, put in extra time the way most young players should - really all young players should. Be in early, be the last one off the court and he kept a positive attitude. You don’t like your role, but he embraced it and understood the situation. You never want a player to like not being in the rotation and Norm is no different, but he stayed ready and that’s what I tell all the young players."

"That’s a true professional right there," DeRozan echoed. "A guy, still young but understands whenever his name is called, he’s ready. That’s one guy that’s in the gym every single morning, you walk in here, he’s getting his work in and it shows when he gets put in the situation."

Casey has not committed to sticking with Powell in the starting lineup but you have to figure that's just gamesmanship on his part, hoping to keep Jason Kidd and his scrappy Bucks team on their toes entering another crucial game on Monday. Just a few days ago the Raptors' season was on life support and all Powell could do was watch but, at this time of year, the narrative can change in a hurry. Now the team returns to Toronto with home-court advantage in a brand new best-of-three series and Powell, his fingerprints are all over it.