Raptors Takeaways: Offensive issues, Barrett’s absence peak in streak-busting loss

It had all of the makings of a streak-extending, wire-to-wire win for the Toronto Raptors… till it did not.

Despite main by as many as 17 factors on the evening and by 12 within the fourth quarter, the Raptors walked away with a 118-111 streak-busting loss to the Charlotte Hornets of their first extra time recreation of the season.

There’s a purpose why the saying goes: “It’s not about how you start, but how you finish,” and the Raptors had been reminded of that on Saturday evening within the Queen City.

Charlotte’s first lead of the ball recreation did not come till the three:30 mark of extra time, helped largely by the truth that Toronto managed to attain fewer factors within the fourth quarter — which included a five-minute scoring drought — and OT mixed (24) than it did within the opening body (34).

And whereas the loss bucked the Raptors’ development of sturdy clutch-time performances (beforehand 7-2), it continued one which’s grow to be extra regarding with every passing recreation. An offence that entered the evening ranked eighth within the NBA — fifth within the halfcourt — for the season, has appeared much less so of late.

Over the Raptors’ final three video games, their offensive score has plummeted to final within the league, together with their true taking pictures mark (51.9 per cent). They shot 44.4 per cent from the sector and 31 per cent from past the arc towards the Hornets, all whereas the Raptors’ halfcourt effectivity ranked forty second percentile among the many 16 groups that performed on Saturday evening.

For a staff that has misplaced simply six of its first 20 video games, 5 of these defeats have come once they’ve shot 49 per cent or decrease from the sector (now 7-5). It feels like an oversimplification (as a result of it’s), however the NBA is — above all else — a make-or-miss league.

The Raptors have been doing far more of the latter currently, and whereas that did not price them towards a short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers staff, or towards the Indiana Pacers regardless of sub-40 and sub-20 per cent taking pictures from the sector and distance, it obtained them stung by the Hornets.

None of the Raptors’ closing struggles appeared all that evident for a lot of the evening, as they rolled to a 58-52 halftime lead and had been forward 98-86 with seven minutes to go. An effort that was primarily spearheaded by the top-paid trio of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley, who every completed with over 20 factors.

Barnes was aggressive and intentional — ending with a team-high 30 factors on 11-of-16 taking pictures and 12 rebounds — along with his choices on offence. Ingram bailed out loads of possessions on his method to 22 factors, albeit on 26 photographs. And Quickley zipped the ball — for a season-high 10 assists to go together with 22 factors — and let it fly as a lot as most would’ve anticipated. Meanwhile, Jakob Poeltl ho-hummed his method to a close to triple-double with eight factors, 11 rebounds and 9 assists.

Yet it was in the end the one lacking starter that made the largest affect.

RJ Barrett was sidelined for a 3rd consecutive recreation — proper in keeping with the Raptors’ offensive down swing — as he continued to get well from a right-knee sprain. Speaking to reporters on Friday earlier than taking over Charlotte, head coach Darko Rajakovic stated the Mississauga, Ont. native was “improving day-to-day, but it’s going to take some time.”

And there is no doubt the Raptors have felt the absence, not simply of his 19.4 factors, 4.1 rebounds and three.8 assists, but in addition Barrett’s capacity to diversify issues offensively. The Canadian swingman has held a career-best 60.4 per cent true taking pictures mark this season, doing extra with much less and requiring little in return.

Harken again to the Raptors’ final matchup towards the Hornets (victory No. 4 of the now-defunct nine-game win streak) when Barrett stampeded into the lane to attain a game-sealing basket. A majority of Charlotte’s consideration was divided between Barnes, Quickley and Ingram, who obtained doubled and ultimately discovered Barrett for the end, which left little deal with the beginning two-guard — of which he took benefit.

The trio in the end ran out of fuel on Saturday with out their launch valve, none greater than Ingram, who went 0-9 between the fourth and OT, as he appeared overburdened by the load offensively. The loss was sealed by a Quickley turnover — one in all simply three — that changed into a Miles Bridges lob-dunk the opposite method.

The Raptors’ offence has appeared way more one-note with out Barrett’s well timed reducing, dependable shot-making or constant rim strain to punctuate the benefits created by these round him, and it was felt most towards the Hornets. They had been outscored 30-11 within the remaining 18 minutes on Saturday.

It hasn’t occurred usually, however for the second recreation in a row, the Raptors’ bench manufacturing was sub-par. Usually recognized for injecting power into game-breaking runs, the backups sucked the life out of possessions as they shot 9-of-28 from the sector (32.1 per cent).

Sandro Mamukelashvili did his half with 13 factors on 5-of-10 taking pictures, however his ordinary working mate in Jamal Shead hit only one shot on six makes an attempt. The Raptors’ second unit in the end completed minus-10 (34-24), unable to offer the starters a lot aid or sustain with the Hornets’ reserves.

As for Charlotte, its bench was lots spectacular because of the pairing of Collin Sexton and Moussa Diabaté. While it was Kon Knueppel’s triple that pressured extra time, and Bridges’ game-high 35 factors — together with 10 of the Hornets’ 14 in OT — that in the end secured victory, it was the reserve guard-forward duo that stored them in it alongside the best way.

Sexton completed with 18 factors off the bench and Diabaté chipped in seven factors and 9 rebounds whereas they led the Hornets in plus-minus, plus-23 and plus-19, respectively — incomes the pair the appropriate to shut out the sport rather than starters LaMelo Ball and Ryan Kalkbrenner.

It’s solely going to get harder

After a profitable stretch primarily towards a handful of cellar dwellers and banged-up squads, the Raptors are heading into their hardest run of video games to this point this season.

Counting Saturday’s loss, they’re going to play seven video games in 11 days (together with two back-to-backs), which’ll embody above .500 groups within the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks (twice), Boston Celtics, and a Hornets staff that simply evened the season collection.

What separates really aggressive squads — just like the Raptors have offered themselves as by means of the primary quarter of the season — from flash-in-the-pan crews is the consistency to keep away from extended chilly spells.

Toronto is in a single now, and the upcoming stretch of video games would require a sustained return to kind with a view to come out unscathed.