The Toronto Raptors are looking to find their winning form again during a crucial five-game homestand, which begins Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Raptors have suffered two consecutive defeats, including a 116-94 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday.
Toronto”s recent struggles have been evident, as their nine-game winning streak came to an abrupt end when they squandered a 17-point lead in a 118-111 overtime defeat against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers are embarking on a five-game road trip after experiencing their own setbacks, falling 123-115 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the same day.
Interestingly, the Trail Blazers are the only team to have defeated the Thunder this season, achieving a narrow 121-119 victory on November 5. The Raptors” recent performance against the Knicks may serve as a preview for an upcoming matchup in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, which Toronto will host on December 9.
During Sunday”s loss, the Knicks quickly established a commanding 41-22 lead after the first quarter, extending it to a 24-point advantage in the second quarter. “It starts with that first quarter, really,” said Immanuel Quickley, a former Knick who led the Raptors with 19 points. “They jumped out, a lot of easy shots and we”ve got to take those away.”
Although the Raptors managed to narrow the gap to three points in the third quarter, their efforts fell short. “We just picked up our defensive intensity,” Quickley noted. However, the Knicks surged ahead once again. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic commented, “At the start of the game, they were really hot. We did not do a good job of finding their hot shooters.” Additionally, the Knicks dominated the boards with a 61-40 rebounding advantage. Notably, Brandon Ingram, who has been a key scorer for Toronto, was limited to just 14 points. The Raptors also missed center Jakob Poeltl, who sat out due to a back issue.
The Trail Blazers faced challenges as they sought to keep pace with the Thunder, ultimately being outscored 38-28 in the fourth quarter. The absence of key players has been problematic for Portland, with leading rebounder Donovan Clingan missing Sunday”s game due to illness. Despite these hurdles, Deni Avdija delivered an impressive performance, achieving his fourth career triple-double with 31 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists. “We have a lot of key players missing and it”s very noticeable,” Avdija stated. “But I”m so proud of the guys that came in and filled those roles. We”re in these games, we”re winning some games, we”ve given a fight to the champions of the NBA. You can”t take it for granted.”
Interim coach Tiago Splitter remarked, “I hate to call this a moral victory, but I think we competed. We had a chance to win the game. This is a great team and it”s hard to play against them. We tried everything we had—different matchups, going small, going big, zone, trap. But at the end of the day, you”ve still got to make shots and they were able to make more than us.” Notably, the Trail Blazers achieved success against the Raptors in both encounters last season.
