Toronto Raptors

Raptors 116, Pacers 91

... points and Norman Powell with 11 off the bench. 12…Made 3-pointers for the Raptors in 27 attempts (44 percent). It was a rough night from distance for the Pacers who connected on just 6-of-23 attempts from beyond the arc (26 percent). It was the first time that Toronto made double-digit threes in a game since Mar. 3 in Washington. 51…Rebounds for the Raptors compared to just 33 for the Pacers. Toronto also held a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass. THEY SAID IT…. “From start to finish I thought it was a solid contribution offensive and defensively. [We] set the tone defensively from start to finish from the jump ball. That’s the way we have to play.”. - Dwane Casey on his team getting off to the start he wanted. “We have to keep it going. Coming down to the end of the season, we have to keep this up. We need the team to get better and we can’t be happy doing it for two games. We have to continue to get better and still look at it in the way that we have to improve and try to go into the playoffs with that kind of momentum.”. - De Mar De Rozan on needing to continue to bring the effort shown in the team’s previous two victories. “We had a good talk as a ...

Raptors Prepare To Meet Bulls And Destiny

... one comfortably. My optimism earlier this week was so rampant that I tweeted this on Sunday. Raptors are beating the Bulls on Tuesday. I'm talking this into existence. — Sean Woodley (@Woodley Sean) March 18, 2017. Since then all I've done is chuckle internally at the naivety of my prediction. I know better than that. But the Bulls have a way of beating the logic out of you, I guess. Here's what to watch for as the Raptors lose tonight. Standings Watch. It's the time of year where scoreboard watching becomes as big a part of the fan experience as your favourite team's own games. Last night offered a conflict for Raptors fans as the Celtics squared off against Washington in a battle of the East's second- and third-seeds. As unseemly as Boston victories are, the Celtics' 110-102 win on Monday was the preferable outcome for the Raptors. Heading ...

The New Normal For Jonas Valanciunas

... how Valanciunas ($15.4 million) was shopped at the deadline, though, he could be just as likely a candidate for a salary dump. Internally, there’s a future where Jakob Poetl (or, god help us, Lucas Nogueira ) can fill the three quarters role that Valanciunas has now — but it’s hard to see that happening in 2017-18. All this is to say: even if he continues to play like he has since the trade deadline, Valanciunas still might not be a part of the Raptors’ plans going forward. This is an audition for other teams just as much as it is for Toronto. He might have an audience too. Teams will look at how Jusuf Nurkic has fit in a fast-paced environment like Portland, and there will be an appetite for a change-of-pace big like Jonas Valanciunas. His selflessness in taking a specialist role is also a huge selling point for the big man — it’s part of why the Raptors kept him over a more demanding Drummond. That ...

Huskies 122, Bulls 120

... push to trim a 16-point deficit to five at the halftime break. EVENTFUL THIRD. The Bulls got things rolling after halftime, outscoring the Huskies 35-25 in the third, taking their largest lead of the game. Tempers flared and emotions escalated late in the quarter when Robin Lopez and Serge Ibaka were both ejected from the game for an on-court altercation with 3:58 remaining in the third. Chicago shot 63 percent in the quarter, with the Huskies making 50 percent of their field goals, a bit of a replay of the first quarter, as the Bulls went ahead by 15 going into the fourth. FURIOUS FOURTH AND OVERTIME. With a 15-point deficit to overcome, Dwane Casey opened the fourth with P. J. Tucker, Patrick Patterson, Jonas Valanciunas, Norman Powell and Fred Van Vleet while De Mar De Rozan rested on the bench. The lineup picked up the pace from the jump, trimming the lead to 12 when De Rozan checked back into the game with 7:03 remaining. Immediately after De Rozan entered the game, the Bulls hit a 3-pointer to go back up by 15 points with 6:39 on the clock. From ...

Serge Ibaka Changes The Game For Toronto Raptors Without Scoring A Single Point

... up for that. Before the trades, the Raptors ranked No. 16 in defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) at 106.0. Since, Toronto has ranked No. 8 defensively and over the past five contests, as the new cast grew accustomed to each other, only New Orleans has been better, with the Raptors surrendering only 100.5 points per 100 possessions. With the offence cratering over those past five  — only Chicago and New Orleans have been less efficient on the attack — the defence has stepped up in a major way. Credit Ibaka for the bulk of that. Dwane Casey was quite impressed with his big man. Raptors work to refine game plan in Kyle Lowry's absence. “I saw his rebounding, his toughness, his attention to detail in the pick and roll coverage. I know he didn’t score tonight but he set the tone for us defensively. I probably should have left him in to get that 10 th rebound but he did an excellent job of guarding (Harrison) Barnes and (Dirk) Nowitzki, two tough covers,” Casey said. “I thought he did an excellent job covering, talking, helping (Jonas ...

Toronto Raptors' Roller-coaster Ride Takes An Upward Turn With Rout Of Indiana Pacers

... no fire, no compete level when Oklahoma’s Russell Westbrook rolled into town last week, but since that embarrassment, the Raptors have regained a level of professionalism and passion. Sunday was no ordinary win by Toronto but more a statement and perhaps the beginning of a sustained run of success. The Raptors won every quarter and frustrated Indiana star Paul George in a dominant effort with seven Raptors reaching double figures in scoring. De Mar De Rozan led the way with 22 while Serge Ibaka added 16 and centre Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and 13 rebounds. George led Indiana with 18. “From start to finish, it was solid contribution,” said head coach Dwane Casey. “We set the tone defensively from the jump ball and that’s how we have to play.”. Efficient, methodical, lethal, the Raptors were at their best, especially when the starting unit of De Rozan, Ibaka, Valanciunas, De Marre Carroll and Cory Joseph was on the floor. Jonas Valanciunas reclaims lost 'zip and pep' at crucial time — with a little help from newest Raptors. Ibaka displayed a sublime face-up game, catching the ball on the block or wing, turning and shooting over his defender, fluidly, effortlessly, ...

Will The Raptors Grab And Hold The 3-seed

... matchup against the Atlanta Hawks , owing to their and, assuming they moved on, a showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The problems with this alignment are obvious. First: the Hawks are a better team than the Pacers , Bucks or even the Heat — though they’re pretty terrifying as an 8-seed — the teams currently in sixth, seventh, and eighth. Second: in a counting-your-chickens-before-they-hatch move, the Raptors do not want the Cavs in the second round. Setting aside the hope that the Raps would pose a stiffer challenge to Cleveland this time around, we know the likely outcome. Le Bron James strides on into the third round; Toronto feels sad. This leaves only two options: win a lot, or lose a lot. (There’s a third option here involving some sort of criminal enterprise and an attack on the Cavaliers, but it is much too macabre to even consider; we are a moral people.). After that insane win over the Bulls last night, the Raptors have 11 games remaining. They currently ...

Toronto Raptors' Jakob Poeltl Emerges With Meaningful Minutes As The Nba Playoffs Loom

... got adjusted to the new level of physicality in the NBA. But that was definitely a challenge to start the season, getting used to playing against bigger bodies and stronger guys.”. Serge Ibaka changes the game for Raptors without scoring a single point. Despite growing up in Austria, he is unsure where his natural basketball instincts come from. “I mean, I guess both my parents were athletes, I was always in love with sports in general, I was like playing around, playing basketball as a little kid,” he said after Monday’s lengthy practice. “But it’s really just instincts. I don’t know where it’s coming from, I just feel comfortable out there and I feel like I know where I’m supposed to go.”. Ahead of Poeltl on the depth chart, Valanciunas is more of an old-school centre among today’s versatile big men. Offensively he’s one of the better shooters on the team and has expanded his range even from last year. Valanciunas is still effective banging with the other traditional bigs but ...

Has Drake Been Missing From Toronto Raptors Games? Other Fans Think So

... in doubt. The Canadian rapper is a Global Brand Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, and one of the perks of that title has been integrating Drizzy into various elements of the Raptors organization. There's an entire section of their website called the "Drake Zone" highlighting Drake-themed promotions, and he's often been spotted court side at games. They've even hosted a "Drake Night" event the last three seasons, celebrating their hometown phenomenon with free swag. A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Nov 16, 2016 at 3:24 pm PST. Meek Mill Insinuates Nicki Minaj Pays Hip-Hop Blogs to Discredit Him. But fans in Toronto are now claiming Drake has gone missing since this season's Drake Night. At last night's game against the Detroit Pistons, Raptors fans were spotted holding a sign accusing Drake of vacating his seat since that fateful November night. Twisting the title of "Fake Love" into a barb at ...