Shorthanded Raptors lose in Charlotte in a complete performance by the Hornets bench
The Toronto Raptors fell 138 - 133 to the Charlotte Hornets in a game with plenty of swings and surprises. Coming into the game, the Raptors were without many of their key players due to injuries.
Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Immanuel Quickley, Ja'Kobe Walter and Scottie Barnes didn't play due to injuries. All players have no timetable for their exact return, but Walter was recently listed as questionable for the Lakers game on Friday.
As a result, this game was a great opportunity to see how the Raptors rookies would react to more opportunities. Jonathan Mogbo made his first NBA start and finished the game with 11 points on a steady diet of dunks and layups. He also grabbed four rebounds and recorded two blocks.
Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle both came off the bench to different results.
Shead finished the game with seven points, banking in a three pointer as one of his shots. He struggled guarding Hornet Tre Mann in the first quarter, but did get on steal on him. Battle finished with zero points on 0-2 from the 3-point line.
It was a very back and forward game full of runs and impressive 3 point shooting from the Hornets bench. The Hornets started the game on a 9-0 run and finished the first quarter leading by 14 points. The Raptors responded by going on a 31-13 run at the end of the first half to cut the score to 64-59 in favour of the Hornets going into the break.
The third quarter was pretty even with the Raptors taking the lead briefly before Charlotte went on a 12-0 run to end the quarter. At the end of the game, LaMelo Ball drove the ball against Jakob Poeltl making an inside hand layup to make their lead five with 29 seconds to go. He only finished with 19 points, but dished out six assists.
Raptor Gradey Dick finished with a career-high 30 points and was automatic in the mid-range, making multiple elbow jumpers.
But the story of the game was the contribution of Hornets Cody Martin and Tre Mann.
Martin finished with a career high 25 points on blistering efficiency shooting 9-11 from the field and 4-6 from three. Mann finished with 27 points, shot 50 per cent from three and was a perfect 3-3 from the free throw line.
The next Raptors game is against the Lakers this Friday at 5:30 p.m. while the Hornets play the Celtics back to back days starting this Friday at 5 p.m.
Raptors drop home opener to Cavaliers, lose key player to injury
It wasn't exactly how the Raptors wanted to start their 30th season, losing by 30 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 136 - 106 game. There was plenty of excitement and fanfare surrounding the game with multiple former Raptors in attendance including Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire. The Raptors brought back purple jerseys inspired from the early 2000s.
Carter joined the broadcast with Matt Devlin and Alvin Williams to see the Raptors lose a home opener to Cleveland for the first time. The Raptors now have a 4-1 record against Cleveland in home openers.
To be fair, the Raptors aren't completely healthy to start the season. RJ Barrett, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and rookie Ja'Kobe Walter are all out with injury.
Immanuel Quickley started the game with a step-back three for the Raptors over Cavs center Jarrett Allen. He finished the game with 13 points and was a defensive presence in the first quarter, pressuring Evan Mobley into a turnover and stealing the ball from Donovan Mitchell.
But near the end of the second quarter, Quickly went up for a rebound and was accidentally undercut by Cavs point guard Darius Garland landing on his back. He left the game with 2:33 left in the first half with a right pelvic contusion.
At the end of the first half, the score read 69 - 49 in favour of the Cavs.
Mitchell was difficult for the Raptors to handle as he finished the game with 21 points on 50 per cent from the field. He picked up the slack for Garland, who picked up three fouls in the first quarter alone and finished with only seven points.
Mobley also performed well for the Cavs scoring a team high 25 points and having his way in the paint against Scottie Barnes and Bruno Fernando. He also knocked in a three and blocked three shots.
For the Raptors, Barnes had a miserable performance shooting 3-14 from the field finishing with only nine points. It won't get any easier as the first option on a rebuilding team.
Gradey Dick had a okay game finishing with 16 points on 5-13 from the field and 2-6 from the 3 point line. But the Raptor with the best performance was the only player left from the 2019 championship team, Chris Boucher.
Boucher finished with a team high 18 points on 80 per cent shooting from three and over 50 per cent from the field.
The next game for the Raptor is still at home versus the Philadelphia 76ers this Friday starting at 5 p.m. MST. Nick Nurse and Kyle Lowry will be back in Toronto and it is expected that Joel Embiid and Paul George won't play that game.
Raptors defeat Celtics at home in thrilling finish
The Toronto Raptors beat the Boston Celtics in a thrilling 119-118 preseason win at Scotiabank Arena on October 15. The Raptors flipped the script on the Celtics, jumping out to a 19 point lead after the first half due to a barrage of threes from Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick.
Dick finished the first quarter with 15 points on perfect shooting from the field making both of three point attempts. Scottie was arguably more impressive, making four three pointers in the first quarter as the Raptors hung 46 points on the Celtics, who only managed 27.
But the Celtics weren't going to give up after one bad quarter. The talent of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown wouldn't allow for a blowout at halftime. Behind a barrage of scoring from Tatum and Brown, the Celtics went on a 26-4 run to end the quarter. Tatum finished the quarter with a contested midrange jumper to give his team a one point lead. 67 -66 for the Celtics after one half.
The Celtics also received strong contributions from Derrick White and noted Raptors killer Payton Pritchard. White was a defensive presence recording three blocks for the game and Pritchard shot 50 per cent from three point land. It seemed that he would always make a three to keep the Celtics within range during the game.
Before subbing out with a little over five minutes left in the game Scottie Barnes took a pass from Davion Mitchell (who finished with 10 assists) and hit a pull up three right over former Raptor Ron Harper Jr. to create a 10-point lead.
The last five minutes of the game were intense with the Celtics catching up multiple times. Raptors rookie D.J. Carton went a perfect 4-4 from the line including two makes with 12 seconds left to give the Raptors a one-point lead.
With a timeout in hand, the Celtics decided to run the length of the floor with 12 seconds left. Jordan Walsh drove the lane and was blocked by Branden Carlson, a two-way player who was only in the game to replace Bruno Fernando, who fouled out in 14 minutes of action. Despite playing one minute, Carlson made the game saving block and was mobbed by the Raptors bench.
The next game for the Raptors is this Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at 5:30. The Celtics have finished their preseason and will have a week long break before opening the season against the New York Knicks on October 22.
Raptors beat Wizards comfortably in first preseason game
The Raptors were victorious in their preseason debut against the Wizards in a 125-98 showing at the Bell Centre in Montreal on October 6. It was a great opportunity to witness Canadian R.J Barrett lead the offence (even if it was only preseason) as both Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickly weren't available. It was also a match-up against former Raptor Jonas Valančiūnas who joined the Wizards in the offseason via sign and trade.
Barrett was having a great game until a collision with a Valančiūnas screen in the second quarter caused him to exit the game clutching his shoulder. He had a hot start to the game with 17 points on 7-10 shooting but will now miss the rest of preseason with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. Despite the early exit, Barrett still finished the game as the Raptor's leading scorer with Chris Boucher following behind with 13 points.
Seven of the Raptors finished the game with double digits including Gradey Dick and Kelly Olynyk. It wasn't the best three point performance for Gradey as he went 0 -4 from beyond the arc. A very encouraging sign was the play of rookie Jamal Shead who finished with 10 points, four assists and three steals. Shead hopes to follow the footsteps of other great small Raptors point guards as he referenced in an article by Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
Lastly, Wizards rookie Alex Sarr had an impressive preseason debut finishing with 15 points including shooting 3-4 from three point land. The next Raptors game will be on Friday, October 11 against the Wizards again in Washington.
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