Raptors’ newest comeback bid falls brief towards Jokic-less Nuggets

TORONTO — If a group arrives in your constructing lacking 4 starters attributable to harm — one among them an all-time nice within the midst of his greatest season ever — it is best to most likely win the sport.

If you’re fairly profitable in your defensive technique, which (sensibly) requires nullifying the one remaining confirmed scorer in your opponent’s lineup — on this case, Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray — it is best to most likely win the sport.

If your opponent — those self same injury-decimated Nuggets — lose the one remaining centre they’ve on their roster, former Raptor Jonas Valanciunas, to harm late within the third quarter, it is best to most likely win the sport.

The Toronto Raptors didn’t win the sport. Happy New Year, certain, however probably not.

How they may not win the sport given the circumstances is an affordable query.

Denver arrived for its New Year’s Eve matchup with Toronto not solely lacking main MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, who suffered a scary-looking hyper-extended knee incident on Monday in Miami and will probably be out of motion for at the very least 4 weeks, but in addition Christian Braun (ankle), Cameron Johnson (knee) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring).

And then Valanciunas, the well-loved former Raptor who was rolling together with 17 factors, 9 rebounds and 4 assists 23 minutes into his first begin of the season on Wednesday, needed to depart the sport after straining a muscle in his proper calf.

But by some means the Raptors couldn’t take benefit, falling 106-103 to the ghost Nuggets.

And this was with Scottie Barnes placing up his second triple double in two video games (20 factors, 14 rebounds, 11 assists), main scorer Brandon Ingram notching a game-high 30 factors and RJ Barrett trying very way more himself in his second recreation again from his personal harm, managing 17 factors regardless of his taking part in time being restricted to 25 minutes as he builds up his conditioning. Oh, and Immanuel Quickley squeezed out 22 factors and added 5 assists with no turnover.

But core gamers can solely be on the ground so lengthy, and because the Raptors have been introduced a golden alternative to maintain momentum going with a 3rd straight house win on an important five-game homestand, their bench unit, which has been a vibrant spot these days, fumbled it.

Collectively, they shot 6-of-34 from the ground and 0-18 from three.

Other than that, the Raptors have been superb.

“We were 0-of-18 from the three-point line,” head coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned of his bench’s efficiency, one recreation faraway from a season-high 50 factors in a win over Orlando. “I thought all of those shots were good shots. The ball did not fall tonight for us.”

There was a quick glimmer of hope that the 19,181 who elected to say farewell to 2025 by hanging out at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday would go off into the frigid night time completely satisfied.

After former Raptor Bruce Brown missed two free throws with 2.7 seconds left that will have iced the win for Denver, a Barnes rebound and pinpoint outlet go to Ingram operating a “go” path to the left-hand sideline resulted in an off-balance banked-in three that will have compelled additional time.

But upon overview, the ball was nonetheless on the tip of Ingram’s lengthy fingers when the clock ran out, and the basket didn’t rely.

“Maybe I need to cut my fingernails,” Ingram mentioned. “We haven’t worked on that moment in practice or anything, but (Barnes and I) had a connection before (the play), while the free throw was going on. He got the rebound, and I knew the spot I wanted to run to, and he delivered a good pass.”

That the shot was a fraction of a second too late meant the Raptors’ modest profitable streak was stemmed at two video games as their document fell to 20-15, which — on the brilliant aspect — nonetheless means Toronto will ring in 2026 because the fourth-seed within the Eastern Conference.

The win improved Denver’s document to 23-10, with each win the Nuggets can scrape collectively important as they attempt to keep their maintain on third place within the Western Conference — or at the very least someplace within the top-six — whereas Jokic and the remainder of their starters are out.

“We did enough, just enough,” mentioned Jamal Murray, who bought to play near his Kitchener, Ont. house on New Year’s Eve.

Murray was the topic of relentless defensive consideration for a lot of the night time because the Raptors have been decided to restrict the alternatives for the Nuggets’ lone remaining starter and second-leading scorer. Murray completed with 21 factors on 6-of-18 capturing (2-of-5 from three) together with seven rebounds and 6 assists.

He scored the Nuggets’ closing discipline objective when Raptors guard Jamal Shead (2 factors on 1-of-8 capturing with 5 assists) bought caught attempting to disclaim Murray the go and as an alternative was left behind when Brown lobbed the ball over Shead’s head, main Murray for a lay-up with 13.7 seconds left.

Barrett bought a good take a look at a game-tying three with 5.1 seconds left, however the ball hit the again rim and got here out earlier than Brown missed his two free throws and Ingram’s miracle shot was only a hair late.

But the sport was arguably misplaced nicely earlier than that when, for the third straight recreation, the Raptors fell behind by double figures within the first quarter — on this case down by as many as 11 within the opening body.

“I don’t think we were aggressive in the first half,” mentioned Ingram. “That’s been kind of the trend that we’ve been having to be the aggressor in the second half. The starters, including myself, got to be better coming out in games, but we battled back.”

The Raptors trailed 63-54 on the half however tied the rating early within the third quarter after seemingly getting a little bit of punch from the addition of Collin Murray-Boyles to the second-half beginning lineup rather than Ochai Agbaji. Quickley and Ingram hit a pair of threes, and Barrett transformed a three-point play, however Toronto may by no means open a significant hole on Denver and trailed by eight early within the fourth quarter.

The Raptors had come again from double-digit deficits of their earlier two video games, however couldn’t handle one other comeback within the house of 5 days.

“It was impressive that we could find a way to compete (despite the bench performance),” mentioned Rajakovic. “But definitely shooting was not on our side tonight.”

It was a recreation they may have gained and may have, and it wasn’t the way in which they needed to finish 2025. Hopefully, it gained’t show to be a tone setter for 2026.

Career 12 months for Murray: It’s not typically that an already elite participant has a career-season of their tenth 12 months within the NBA. But Murray is doing simply that. The Canadian is averaging 25.1 factors, 6.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds whereas capturing 45.3 per cent from three — all career-best marks. It ought to put him in good standing to make his first all-star group and shake the label of “best player to not make an all-star team.”

It’s not his focus, however he’d welcome the honour: “Obviously I’d love to be an all-star, all-NBA, scoring champ, MVP. I want to be all of them, right? But winning matters … if we win a championship but I don’t make all-star … we win a championship …. that’s my mindset”

The nice Jokic: The excellent news is that the Serbian star’s harm isn’t season-threatening. But it’s going to doubtless take him out of rivalry for his fourth MVP award (a degree solely Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain have reached) as he presumably will not meet the 65-game minimal to be eligible.

But it does supply an opportunity to take a snapshot of Jokic’s season thus far and present precisely how bananas his efficiency has been by way of the 32 video games he has performed this season. Tommy Beer posted a few of these knowledge factors on X the opposite day, and I expanded on them a bit bit.

So far this 12 months, Jokic is averaging 29.6 factors per recreation. How good is that? Shaquille O’Neal’s career-best mark is 29.7, set throughout his MVP season in 1999-00. Jokic is averaging 12.2 rebounds per recreation, higher than Karl Malone’s greatest mark of 12.0 set in his third season (1987-88). Malone is a two-time MVP and ranks seventh in complete rebounds all-time. Jason Kidd is third all-time in profession assists, however he’s by no means averaged 11.1 assists, like Jokic is that this season.

Jokic is capturing 67 per cent on twos, which is healthier than Giannis Antetokounmpo — maybe essentially the most devastating finisher the NBA has ever seen — has ever averaged in his profession. And simply to prime it off, Jokic is capturing 43.5 per cent from three this 12 months, which is healthier than the 42.2 per cent profession mark for Steph Curry — one of the best shooter in basketball historical past.

It’s loopy stuff, and why Rajakovic was proper on the mark when he mentioned the 30-year-old Jokic was already within the dialog for one of the best to have ever performed.

Really, Jokic is damage?: For all of the discuss famous person accidents within the NBA, Jokic has all the time been the exception. He’s by no means performed fewer than 69 video games in a season in his earlier 10 seasons. The Nuggets have been shocked to see him really be damage.

“The guy has been as durable as any player in our league, said head coach David Adelman. “… He’s done nothing but play over all these years. It’s an unfortunate situation, but the silver lining is that it’s not a significant injury, but yeah, it was very concerning in the moment for all of us. It’s not just because of the player he is, but because I’ve known him for 10 years … these guys are guys you’re around more than your friends and family, so it’s an emotional thing to see somebody go down. So yeah, it was jarring.”