Dick turns in considered one of greatest video games with Toronto vs. defending champions, Mitchell thrives at each ends
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If Sunday’s Raptors-Celtics recreation was about as boring and uninspiring as an exhibition can get, the sequel was just about the alternative. Boston had its stars again on Tuesday in Toronto, however as an alternative of going up by 34 factors because it had at house with its second and third stringers, the crew fell behind by 24 as Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick went off for Toronto.
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The leisure continued the remainder of the night as Boston worn out a 19-point Toronto lead with a terrific second quarter, and battled the remainder of the way in which in an air-tight recreation the Raptors finally received 119-118 regardless of a wild end that included three lead adjustments inside the ultimate minute.
Barnes hit 5 three-pointers, one thing he’s solely executed in three profession common season video games and fell a rebound in need of Toronto’s first pre-season triple-double. Dick had 27 factors, yet another than Barnes, whereas Jakob Poeltl had 15 factors and 16 rebounds. Jayson Tatum paced Boston with 24, Derrick White had 23, Jaylen Brown 19.
The Raptors led by 10 when the groups gave many of the starters the remainder of the night time off, however the Celtics once more rallied.
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Listed here are some takeaways from Toronto’s solely house recreation of the pre-season:
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU’LL GET
Toronto entered the sport hitting simply over a 3rd of its three-point makes an attempt within the pre-season, nearer to the underside of the league then to the highest. However then the Raptors went and fired in 10 three-pointers within the first quarter on 14 makes an attempt. It matched a franchise file for makes in 1 / 4 and was fairly sudden. Barnes and Dick mixed to go 7-for-9, whereas Davion Mitchell and Ochai Agbaji, a mixed 1-for-10 coming in, each nailed one.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic had mentioned earlier than the sport he hoped his crew would take extra threes after they “skipped open pictures” within the earlier two video games. “We’ve bought to do a greater job of recognizing these conditions and capturing with confidence,” Rajakovic had mentioned. That’s what occurred within the first quarter, however capturing tends to even out, and Toronto did not hit even one three within the second quarter, lacking all eight makes an attempt. That allowed the Celtics to storm again. Boston shot 8-for-15 on three-pointers within the second on the way in which to scoring 40 factors. That included three treys from Tatum, who has revamped his shot a bit after struggling within the playoffs and the Olympics from past the arc.
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WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
Already lacking a bunch of gamers, together with starters Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett and key reserves Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown and Ja’Kobe Walter, the Raptors misplaced considered one of their most intriguing performers within the pre-season. Rookie level guard Jamal Shead, who’s battling with Davion Mitchell for minutes behind Quickley, left early within the second quarter with left hamstring tightness.
Shead had been the primary reserve known as upon by Darko Rajakovic within the recreation and had introduced his normal defensive depth, however missed all three shot makes an attempt, together with a three-pointer. Shead hit two extra free throws earlier than leaving, bettering to 13-for-14 from the road.
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Earlier, Rajakovic had praised Shead for his vitality, motor and for being “relentless” defensively. “He by no means stops. He continues preventing, and it permits us to create steals and alternatives for us to run a transition.”
Mitchell picked a great time to play his greatest basketball of the exhibition season. He fantastically picked out his teammates, handing out eight assists, a number of of the spectacular selection and offered his normal strong defence (take a look at the sequence to start out the fourth quarter by Mitchell for a great instance). The shock was Mitchell beginning 3-for-4 on three-pointers.
Mitchell might shift again to the bench as quickly as Friday, when the pre-season ends in Brooklyn. Quickley was cleared for full contact for shootaround on Tuesday morning and relying on how he reacts to 2 extra days of observe, might play.
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TOP BILLING
The most effective Raptors on the night time had been Barnes (all-around affect in a powerful bounce-back); Dick (it wasn’t simply the surface capturing, he additionally did properly inside and always made cuts to get himself open, whereas additionally enjoying much better defensively than he had in Boston); Mitchell (he did the whole lot properly, to place it merely); and Ochai Agbaji, who had robust defensive assignments however was as much as the duty, whereas additionally exhibiting extra offensively than he has beforehand. Jakob Poeltl, celebrating his twenty ninth birthday, continued his sturdy pre-season. He’s been probably the most persistently good Raptor within the exhibitions to this point, trying sharp on each ends of the ground
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