Article content material
Because the losses proceed to pile up with no obvious finish in sight, the pounding on the boards persists with so few out there choices.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Kelly Olynyk isn’t going to all of the sudden add 20 kilos to his body and neither is Jontay Porter, who continues to point out Raptors administration that he’s a possible asset price retaining because the membership builds for subsequent season.
Article content material
Not less than the Raptors are residence, however it’s unlikely the comforts will do something to assist finish a dropping streak that has reached 5 video games, which ties a season excessive.
There’s no common beginning unit to depend on, no depth, no telling what participant can be deemed unavailable within the hours main as much as tipoff.
By way of tank jobs, the Raptors have managed this course of fairly adeptly.
When the Raptors ended their four-game highway journey in Detroit Wednesday evening, they misplaced to the second-worst group within the NBA.
Woeful Washington resides within the league’s basement.
Your Noon Solar
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
The Raptors can be in Washington for a March 23 assembly earlier than returning residence to play host to Brooklyn on March 25.
The Orlando Magic will present the opposition Friday evening at Scotiabank Area earlier than it performs host to the Raptors on Sunday.
The Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder will then go to Toronto earlier than the Raptors head to Washington.
Nobody ought to query the Raptors’ compete stage, however the group is just too undersized and shorthanded to beat any opponent.
Through the group’s 0-4 highway journey, which started in Phoenix, the Raptors needed to cope with Jusuf Nurkic, Deandre Ayton, Nikola Jokic and Jalen Duren.
In 4 video games, the Raptors ended with minus-43 on the boards.
The 4 reliable centres mixed to haul down 68 rebounds
Commercial 4
Article content material
Duren recorded a career-high 23 boards to enrich his 23-point outing in serving to the Pistons win their third sport previously 4, a feat final achieved by the membership practically two years in the past.
Detroit’s 113-104 win additionally earned it the season sequence over the Raptors.
Duren additionally added 5 assists, elevating him to the ranks of the Joker and Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis as the one gamers this season to submit two video games with at the least 20 factors, 20 boards and 5 dimes.
The Pistons trailed by as many as 16 factors within the second quarter.
The sport turned after the Raptors took their largest benefit with 3:13 remaining within the opening half.
At intermission, the Raptors would solely lead by 5 factors.
Toronto might solely handle 22 factors within the third quarter and was restricted to 2 factors on 1-of-8 taking pictures to start the primary 5 minutes of the fourth interval.
Commercial 5
Article content material
The Raptors’ greatest stretch got here within the second quarter, which started with the guests occurring a 26-5 run, which featured 9 gamers contributing factors.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit’s greatest participant, didn’t even see the ground within the fourth as a result of the Pistons didn’t want him as soon as the sport was seized.
Immanuel Quickley (hip flexor) returned after sitting out Toronto’s loss in Denver.
In Detroit, R.J. Barrett (private causes) was dominated unavailable and he’s additionally out towards Orlando.
Quickley and Olynyk every had eight assists within the loss.
Porter would add six off the bench because the Raptors recorded a mixed 32, 5 greater than Detroit.
The distinction was on the glass because the Pistons outrebounded the Raptors, 58-37, resulting in second-chance factors.
Commercial 6
Article content material
With 16 video games remaining and the group sitting 20 video games below .500, the Raptors is not going to attain the 60-loss complete as a result of it’s mathematically unattainable.
What is feasible and fairly possible is a 50-loss season, maybe much more contemplating there are solely 4 winnable video games on the horizon, two every towards the Wizards and Nets.
The numbers are ugly, whether or not it entails dropping seven of eight heading into Friday or being this many video games below .500 in nearly 11 years.
As ugly as it’s and has been, the reality is it would worsen.
There’s no query, given the state of the roster, that extra losses await.
These searching for some optimistic indicators can look no additional than Porter, who has been flat-out balling.
When he performed his brother, Michael Porter Jr., within the Mile Excessive Metropolis Monday evening because the Porter siblings appeared on the identical NBA flooring for the primary time, Jontay Porter scored a career-high 14 factors.
Commercial 7
Article content material
He ended Wednesday’s loss in Motown by blocking a career-high 4 pictures, whereas tying his season-high in assists.
The Magic arrives on the town following a 114-106 residence win over Brooklyn Wednesday evening.
Orlando shot 51.9% from the sector, enhancing its report to 20-1 on the season when its shoots 50% or higher.
Exactly one yr in the past right now, the Magic sported a 28-40 report.
The group heads into Friday’s tip with a 38-28 mark.
In gentle of the group’s turnaround, the franchise rewarded head coach Jamahl Mosley with a four-year contract extension that can take him via the 2027-28 season.
Membership president Jeff Weltman, who spent 4 years in Toronto’s entrance workplace earlier than leaving for Orlando, employed Mosley three years in the past.
The 2 have helped oversee a roster constructed round Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
In the one assembly of the season performed in Orlando on Nov. 21, Banchero led all scorers by netting 25 within the Magic’s 126-108 win over the Raptors.
Wagner produced a game-high three steals.
Article content material
+ There are no comments
Add yours