Raptors Takeaways: Tables flip in second straight loss as schedule picks up

There is just one factor to do when a profitable streak ends, and that’s to start out one other one. 

The Toronto Raptors didn’t have lengthy to rinse out the style of a irritating highway loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night time, after they blew a 12-point lead with 5:57 to play earlier than shedding in time beyond regulation. 

It was the Raptors’ first stumble to date in what has been a charmed season; the primary time they misplaced to a group they in all probability ought to have crushed. The Hornets have been enjoying on the second night time of a back-to-back, the Raptors have been coming off two days’ relaxation. Even with the win, the Hornets improved to only 6-14. The Raptors’ loss, in the meantime, dropped them to 14-6 earlier than Sunday night time. 

Prior to that, Toronto had been flawless in taking benefit when circumstances have been in its favour. Over their nine-game streak, the Raptors nabbed 5 wins over the lowly Brooklyn Nets (two), Indiana Pacers (two) and Washington Wizards, three groups which have mixed for 9 wins. Another win got here towards the Philadelphia 76ers, enjoying with out Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kelly Oubre, and one other over the Hornets. The Cavaliers have been short-handed and enjoying on back-to-backs in each of the Raptors’ wins over them in November. 

None of which invalidates what Toronto has achieved. Good groups benefit from the alternatives the schedule offers, however actually good ones maintain their very own in the course of the durations when the tables flip. 

Which is the state of affairs the Raptors discovered themselves in New York on Sunday night time: enjoying a top quality opponent and themselves coming off the brief relaxation (having gone into time beyond regulation towards Charlotte), whereas additionally having to make do with out RJ Barrett (knee) and Jakob Poeltl, who was held out to handle the again situation he’s been hampered with at occasions this season. 

So in that sense, Toronto falling 116-94 to the rested Knicks was predictable. New York was up by 24 factors with 14 minutes performed because the Knicks hit 9 of their first 13 threes whereas the Raptors got here out of the gate capturing one for his or her first eight from deep. Toronto dug in from there — three straight second-quarter triples by Scottie Barnes (18 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-of-7 from deep) helped pull Toronto inside seven at half. They ultimately shaved the Knicks’ lead down to a few with seven minutes to play within the third quarter thanks to a few straight triples by Immanuel Quickley (19 factors, eight assists, 4 made threes on 10 makes an attempt). But the Raptors’ fatigue started to indicate, particularly defensively as their rotations slowed down, and on the glass the place the Knicks used their measurement benefit to ring up a 61-40 edge, together with a 25-14 benefit on the offensive boards. The Knicks knocked off a 16-1 run within the third after the Raptors had made it near open an 18-point lead, and the Raptors couldn’t pull themselves again into the sport a second time.

1. Only the start: Despite having misplaced consecutive video games for the primary time in a month, the Raptors stay at 14-7 and tied with the Knicks (13-6) for second place within the Eastern Conference — two video games behind the Pistons, which have misplaced two straight after having their 13-game profitable streak snapped by Boston final week. There isn’t an individual within the Raptors group who wouldn’t have signed up for that scorecard on the quarter level of the season.

But all that has accomplished is get the Raptors into the dance. They’ve banked wins whereas the schedule has been beneficial, however they might want to play at near their present stage from right here on out, and it gained’t be straightforward. Including the loss to the Knicks, six of their subsequent 10 video games are towards groups with data over .500. Meanwhile, for all their success, it’s not just like the Raptors have separated themselves in a busy Eastern Conference. They are solely one-and-a-half video games up on seventh-place Cleveland, for instance. The Raptors’ nice begin is simply that. 

2. CMB and the RnB: It’s been a bit of little bit of an uneven highway for the Raptors’ rookie. He’s needed to handle an damage popping out of coaching camp, missed a while with an sickness after which a gentle knee sprain set him again barely. In the meantime, the Raptors have been rolling, so the rotation was proving onerous to crack. All of that stated, he’s proven greater than sufficient to be enthusiastic about the place his recreation will find yourself when he’s received some extra expertise and growth beneath his belt.

It’s simply such a bonus that at age 20, Murray-Boyles routinely has NBA veterans commenting on how sturdy he’s. Kayla Gray relayed in the course of the broadcast that Knicks wing Josh Hart made a remark to that impact to the Raptors bench in the course of the recreation. But it’s the texture and basketball IQ that go along with the bodily attributes that make all of it so compelling.

Finishing with 11 factors (on 5-of-6 capturing) and eight rebounds — 4 on the offensive finish — towards one of many greatest and most rugged rebounding groups within the NBA is spectacular sufficient. But the third-quarter sequence the place he caught a go over-the-shoulder on the break and completed, after which stole a go from Hart and went the opposite means for the dunk, exhibits a participant who may be very snug with the NBA-level considering and processing. It bodes properly. 

3. Quickley approaching: It’s not fairly two years for the reason that Raptors traded OG Anunoby, Precious Achuiwa and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and the draft choose that ended up changing into Jonathan Mogbo. Given the way in which the previous two seasons have gone for the respective golf equipment, you’d must say the Knicks got here out forward on the deal, as Anunoby (out Sunday night time with a hamstring damage) was an important piece on two groups which have performed in 5 playoff sequence over two seasons.

But with the Raptors wanting like a group that has a clue this 12 months, the considering behind the deal on their finish has come into sharper focus. Barrett has morphed right into a Swiss Army knife on offence, placing up career-best effectivity numbers earlier than a sprained knee saved him out of the previous 4 video games, a stretch wherein the Raptors posted the bottom offensive ranking within the NBA. And after a gradual begin, Quickley has signalled that he is perhaps the ‘above average’ NBA level guard his contract says he needs to be.

He got here into the Knicks recreation averaging 15.9 factors, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds with 1.2 steals whereas capturing 40 per cent from three since Oct. twenty seventh.  His defence has been improved, maybe even constructive, and as he will get extra reps as a beginning NBA level guard — one thing that has basically been new to him since leaving the Knicks — you possibly can see his playmaking get sharper. His onerous drive to realize a paint contact and the deft drop go to Barnes — wide-open when the second defender got here to assist on Quickley — on the finish of the primary half was only one instance.

But his superpower is his means to make threes in quite a lot of methods. His flurry of three in the midst of the third quarter helped pull Toronto inside three factors, which was as shut as Toronto would get. Right now, Anunoby stays the most effective single participant in that commerce, so by that metric, the Knicks got here out on prime. But continued high quality performances from Barrett and Quickley this season may shift that notion. 

4. Because it’s the Cup: The Raptors and Knicks will join in a recreation that basically issues on Dec. 9^th when the Knicks journey to Toronto for the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. While each Sunday’s matchup and the one subsequent Tuesday rely within the common season standings — and the way in which the Eastern Conference is bunched up to date this season, head-to-head matchups as the first tie breaker might be important come playoff time — it’s the latter contest that may decide which membership heads to Las Vegas for play within the semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 13^th. That recreation will probably be a bit of extra exact measure of the place the Knicks and Raptors stand within the Eastern Conference hierarchy. The Knicks will probably have Anunoby within the lineup, and the Raptors will hopefully have Barrett and Poeltl. 

5. Ingram drained? He is perhaps. I used to be virtually shocked it was Poeltl who the Raptors elected to sit down on the second night time of a back-to-back and never Ingram. Sunday night time was the ahead’s twenty first recreation of the season. He hasn’t missed a begin, this after enjoying simply 18 video games final 12 months. The 39 minutes he performed towards Charlotte in time beyond regulation have been essentially the most he’s performed in two years. He missed his final 9 pictures towards the Hornets and his first six towards the Knicks. He righted issues a bit of from that time and completed 4-of-11 from the ground for 14 factors. But he was a team-worst -22 for his 32 minutes, was an uncharacteristic 4-of-7 from the free-throw line and on a number of of his 5 turnovers, he regarded like he didn’t have the juice to blow up into a niche and make a play because the Knicks swarmed. It’s a great signal that the Raptors haven’t needed to coddle Ingram in any form or trend, however because the begins and minutes mount, it won’t be the worst thought to discover a break right here or there for somebody who hasn’t precisely made sturdiness his calling card over his profession.