This postseason is already going better for Landry Fields than his previous two trips to the playoffs.
Before the Raptors’ Game 2 victory over the Nets, the Knicks castoff was a part of 10 playoff games, nine of them losses. The fourth-year pro enjoyed his finest moments on Tuesday night, when he was called on to hound Joe Johnson and performed well in 18 minutes of action, limiting the Nets star shooting guard to just two points over the game’s final six minutes and coming up with a big steal as Toronto evened the best-of-seven, opening-round series at one win apiece.
“I was just trying to make it as difficult as possible, give him a different look, try to be a pest out there,” the 6-foot-7 Fields said following practice at Barclays Center on Thursday.
Johnson didn’t give him much credit, saying Fields was “nothing more than a fresh body.” Johnson said the Nets watched film of what Toronto did to him and promised “we’ll clean it up for Game 3.”
Fields, however, wasn’t taking the bait.
“I mean, yeah, isn’t that what it’s all about, making strategic moves in the playoffs?” he asked rhetorically. “We can’t ask DeMar DeRozan to go out there and score 30 and then guard one of their best players and expect him to be as effective. I don’t think he said anything that was not already blatant. Yeah, a fresh body was what coach wanted on him.”
When asked what he did to limit Johnson, Fields smiled.
“I was a fresh body and I had a lot of energy,” he said, tongue in cheek.
Since a fast start to his rookie year with the Knicks, Fields’ star has significantly dimmed, his numbers dropping each season. He averaged only 2.3 points per game this year in 30 games and just two starts. In fact, he received double-digit minutes just once since March 2. With John Salmons’ back barking, Raptors coach Dwane Casey called upon Fields, and the former Stanford star produced.
“We love it, we’re happy for him,” point guard Kyle Lowry said. “It helped us win a game. He’s always ready, being professional at all times, and no matter what situation he’s been in all season, he’s been ready to play.”
Fields didn’t score in Game 2 — he didn’t attempt a shot — but made significant contributions. In addition to his defense, he had four rebounds, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot after not getting off the bench in Game 1.
Casey wouldn’t commit to Fields in Game 3 — he said it will depend on matchups and how the game evolves — but the coach was impressed by the performance.
“I thought he played solid,” Casey said. “We need to find out what Landry can do, and he came through.”