“ Yeah, I sent that one to the moon! », laughs Chris Boucher while speaking of his converted rainbow shot in front of Andrew Wiggins in the final moments of a game won by the Raptors against the Warriors. The kind of shot that symbolizes a player with full confidence at that moment in the game.
This award-winning shot came at the heart of an improbable run signed by Toronto's replacement inside. An authoritarian dunk after dribbling from the corner, then a winning shot in the opposite corner after a feint, yet another later… The native of Saint Lucia planted 17 of his 18 points (7/9 on shots including 3/5 from a distance), with 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 22 minutes, in the last quarter.
“ He made us win this game », summarizes a much more discreet Scottie Barnes in the finale. “ He's a true professional. He comes to work every day. He brings a lot of energy to our workouts. I'm really happy for him when he plays like he did tonight “, adds Darko Rajakovic.
Steve Kerr can't believe it
For his player, who compiled 23 points and 12 rebounds a week ago in Cleveland, it is a sign that patience pays off. For three quarters, he was almost non-existent with only one shot attempted and missed. “ Being patient is important. That's something I needed a little more of, being patient with the ball, knowing that it's not just the shot, that when the ball spins, it's going to come back to you », notes Chris Boucher.
Patience has also been a key concept since the start of his career in the Great League. For the record, the undrafted player made his debut in 2017 with… the Warriors (only one appearance). He was then 24 years old. “ Most of my teammates have been playing since they were four, five years old. I started at 20, it's like I had ten years to catch up. They grew up with the ball, I'm still learning », recalls, in French, the 32-year-old veteran.
“ It's pretty incredible », Qualifies Steve Kerr on the fact that Chris Boucher, whose combination of shooting and interior deterrence had intrigued at the time of the Warriors who had priorities other than development, is still playing in Canada seven seasons later.
The last representative of 2019
“ There I was with KD (Kevin Durant), Steph, Klay Thompson, (Andre) Iguodala… So I had the chance to see professionals at work. When I got here, I saw Kawhi (Leonard), Danny Green, Pascal (Siakam)… I have worked with a lot of professionals. The only thing that has changed a lot is the determination to do something. I was a little too young there, a little too naive “, recalls Chris Boucher, logically believing that he has matured since then.
The one who therefore has the distinction of being the last representative of the 2019 Canadian title, against the Warriors, has also found consistency this year, after a very complicated last exercise. With almost 11 points on average, he displays his best production since 2021.
And as victories are rare this season, he savors this one: “ For morale, it helps a lot. When you lose a lot of matches, it can affect our morale. We always stayed together. Knowing that we can win games against a team with a former MVP is good for us. »
| Chris Boucher | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 28 | 6 | 44.7 | 32.4 | 86.7 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 3.3 |
| 2019-20 | TOR | 62 | 13 | 47.2 | 32.2 | 78.4 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 6.6 |
| 2020-21 | TOR | 60 | 24 | 51.4 | 38.3 | 78.8 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 13.6 |
| 2021-22 | TOR | 80 | 21 | 46.4 | 29.7 | 77.7 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 9.4 |
| 2022-23 | TOR | 76 | 20 | 49.3 | 32.8 | 76.2 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 9.4 |
| 2023-24 | TOR | 50 | 14 | 50.7 | 33.0 | 77.2 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 6.4 |
| 2024-25 | TOR | 34 | 18 | 48.7 | 35.6 | 79.4 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 10.4 |
| Total | 391 | 18 | 48.8 | 33.6 | 78.0 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 8.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
