Defence is a matter that has but to be addressed and should by no means get addressed given the roster composition
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Winless on the street with yet one more customer sport on faucet Tuesday night time in Milwaukee, the Raptors’ lot of enjoying arduous and placing ahead an entertaining product is rising tiresome.
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They continue to be the NBA’s lone workforce to not put up a win on the street. They’re additionally the primary NBA workforce to lose their ninth sport following Sunday night time’s 123-103 defeat by the hands of the host Los Angeles Lakers.
Defence is a matter that has but to be addressed and should by no means get addressed given the roster composition.
In easy phrases, the Raptors can’t defend the dribble.
Turnovers have plagued this workforce nearly from the second the season started in a lopsided loss to Cleveland.
These in search of encouraging indicators can level to the primary half and the way nicely the Raptors performed and competed. A realist will level to the second half the place the Raptors had been, for probably the most half, non-competitive.
Taking part in the again finish of a back-to-back does have its personal set of points, however the Raptors performed the Clippers in L.A. on Saturday night time and didn’t should cope with any journey plans.
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Jakob Poeltl didn’t have a memorable keep in Los Angeles as his sport took a little bit of a success.
Talking of hits, he hit Anthony Davis, by chance that’s, within the eye, forcing the Lakers’ massive man and the league’s main scorer to exit the sport. When Davis was dominated out, he had scored 22 factors in 26 minutes.
A Poeltl elbow to LeBron James, additionally unintended, despatched the King to the ground the place James stayed for just a few anxious moments.
For a basketball savant corresponding to James, he has at all times had this nasty knack for drama.
What a drive James would show on an evening he made a number of the finest passes one will ever see. When he’s doing downhill, the soon-to-be 40-year-old is unstoppable.
For the document, Poeltl did document a double-double, nevertheless it wasn’t impactful.
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James recorded a triple-double, however his stat line was very a lot impactful in posting his A hundred and fifteenth-career triple-double. The King as soon as once more dominated with the Raptors solid as his unwitting servants. Besides, his triple-double was James’ second in as many video games.
The Raptors, who dropped their document to 2-9, are 0-4 on their present street swing.
RELIVING THE RANT
For the primary time since his epic post-game tirade, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic discovered himself again at Crypto.com Area.
As an alternative of participating in a stream of consciousness fuelled by uncooked anger, Rajakovic smiled.
“I keep in mind this room from final 12 months,” started the top coach throughout his pre-game media availability within the hours main as much as tipoff because the Raptors accomplished their back-to-back set in Los Angeles.
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To the shock of nobody, the assembled gathering chuckled as the top coach cracked a smile.
In a bizarre manner that appeared to befit his rookie season given the unprecedented roster adjustments and upheaval Rajakovic needed to cope with, his cathartic outburst represented the defining second most will keep in mind from a really regrettable 12 months.
Rewind to Jan. 10 and the Raptors would lose 132-131 to the host Lakers, who shot 23 free throws within the fourth quarter.
Davis would rating 20 of his 41 factors from the charity stripe, together with going 11-for-11 within the fourth interval.
The Raptors, as compared, tried a mixed 13 free throws on the night time.
As soon as the disparity was broached post-game, Rajakovic went on a table-pounding tirade in opposition to the officers that went viral.
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“That is fully B.S. It is a disgrace,” stated a furious Rajakovic.
For his public berating of the sport officers, the usually mild-mannered and affable Rajakovic was hit within the pocket e-book with a league-imposed US$25,000 effective.
Of the energetic gamers accessible Sunday, solely Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Chris Boucher performed on that fateful Jan. 10 night.
Davis was fouled 22 seconds into the sport, a non-shooting foul dedicated by Ochai Agbaji that was fully justified.
DAWN OF LEBRON
James made his 1,Five hundredth-career begin Sunday and his final in opposition to the Raptors this season.
When the Lakers visited Scotiabank Area on Nov. 1, James scored 27 factors, recorded 10 assists and didn’t commit a single turnover in L.A.’s 131-125 win.
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Within the intervening days, the Lakers have moved Cam Reddish into the beginning lineup, a transfer rookie head coach JJ Redick initiated that concerned D’Angelo Russell coming off the bench.
Russell entered the sport with 6:38 left within the opening quarter. He’s a famous gunslinger who believes defence is an afterthought.
As for James, he was left huge open on the left pocket simply in entrance of the Raptors’ bench. He heaved an air ball that regarded extra like Bronny James than LeBron James.
Bronny did enter the sport late.
On one other possession, Gradey Dick guarded James, who took Dick off the dribble solely to see his reverse layup come up brief.
With Barrett on James, the King made a candy bounce move to a diving Rui Hachimura, who accomplished the sequence with a dunk.
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James additionally made an ill-advised inbounds move that almost resulted in a turnover.
He additionally made a chic two-handed cross-court move on an inbound play solely the King might execute.
The Raptors started the night time by enjoying with power and energy in forging an early lead.
Quickley, who made his return Saturday night time from his opening-night pelvic damage, was substituted for Davion Mitchell 5 minutes into the sport.
4 reserves can be utilized by Rajakovic within the opening interval.
Poeltl dedicated two fouls in eight minutes, paving the way in which for Bruno Fernando to take full benefit of his prolonged run on the ground.
The Raptors turned the ball over 5 occasions, however they greater than compensated for his or her moments of carelessness by draining 65% of their photographs. Additionally they tried yet one more free throw than the Lakers in main 34-26 after the primary quarter.
Too many Toronto turnovers saved the Lakers shut and they might construct some momentum following Russell’s buzzer-beating three-pointer to finish the primary half.
The Raptors led 55-53 at intermission, however their 10 turnovers stood out like a sore thumb, taking the shine off Toronto’s plus-15 rebounding edge.
Again on Nov. 1, the Lakers poured in 43 factors within the sport’s opening 12 minutes.
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