Raptors are 1.0 game up on Philly for 5th, with 7th-place Orlando & 8th-place Miami both 1.5 games back. The red-hot Hornets & Hawks are within 3.5 games. Raps should be able to avoid play-in, assuming they continue to take care of biz vs bad/mid teams, but East is getting tight.
The Raptors’ starting lineup was +14 in 2 games that the team lost by a combined 24 points.
The bench vs New York and Minnesota (pre-garbage time): 7-29 FG, 1-11 3P, 8 assists/8 turnovers, outscored 58-21
Shead: -38
Walter: -18
Mamu: -10
The Raptors are about to fall to 4-17 vs top-10 teams (1-17 if you subtract the games against the pre-Harden Cavs). They've lost 15 of their last 16.
They have 6 more games vs those teams.
Also one of Ingram's roughest games as a Raptor, btw.
This might be the worst game I've seen Jamal Shead play. -26 in a scoreless 13 minutes with 3 bad turnovers. Rough stuff for the generally steady soph.
Second straight game where the Raptors (and Brandon Ingram specifically) have been hit with an eight-second violation. Little room for error against teams like this and that was another unforced one.
Nice half for Barrett. Decisive off the dribble. Perfect from 3 (2-for-2) and from the line. Even more engaged defensively.
Strong defensive effort leading to O for the Raps. 19 points off turnovers. 9 points off the break. A half of runs. Wolves on top by 1 at the break.
That's the third time (by my count) that Poeltl has dove for a loose ball since his return, a sign that he's got that back injury under control.
The bench has been such a strength for the Raptors this season but, man, they've been bad lately.
Raptors with the starters on the floor over the last 5 quarters: +19 in 21 minutes
With all other lineups: -39 in 39 minutes
Scottie Barnes has hit his first couple 3-point attempts. This is the first time he's made multiple 3s in a game since Dec. 31 - a span of 24 games in which he shot 8-for-56 (14%) from distance.
Jonathan Mogbo (1st quarter) sighting. He's in ahead of Battle, Dick and TJD. His first non-garbage (NBA) minutes since Jan. 21
Ingram is available
That’s true. Could pay off later in the season, either post swap or after the merge. Will be interesting to see whether Christian/Genevieve try to work with Aubry/Ozzy or eventually target them. I’m all for anything that forces players to make complex decisions.
Mixed feelings on the boomerang idols. There are different ways you CAN play it, but probably only one way that you should (to build trust; the rest is too hard to predict/engineer). Don’t love that the person who finds it (likely) gets nothing and somebody gets an idol for doing nothing #Survivor50
Surprised it took 50 seasons for someone to think of planting a fake idol at tribal. Not surprised the (very fun) duo of Devens and Christian were the ones to pull it off. Bonus points for using Christian's clumsiness as the distraction. Nobody thought twice. Bravo! #Survivor50
Historically, the people who have played back-to-back seasons have mostly gone far. These #Survivor50 players know that and don't seem inclined to let it happen again. The unknown is scary (Russell!). Rizo has his work cut out for him too, tho he's ingratiated himself well early.
#Survivor50 spoilers ahead...
Savannah is a great player and reminded us of that tonight with the correct read on Cirie. Unfortunately, she was DOA. Most already suspected/knew she had won 49. Hard to navigate around that. I would've come clean about the advantage but that's splitting hairs.
Might be an unpopular opinion, but I maintain: I'm happy to see Aubry on #Survivor50. Diminishing returns each time she's played, but she played 3 times in 4 years. She's clearly still processing that trauma, but badass Kaoh Rong Aubry is in there somewhere. Hope she can bounce back.
We're 30 minutes into the second episode of #Survivor50 and the guy who crapped his pants isn't even the player having the roughest go this week. Coach Coach Coach. Own your game, man. And stop with the integrity stuff (and maybe stay out of the ocean).
Christian going full Chan Ho Park on #Survivor50 💩
Brandon Ingram is questionable for tomorrow’s game in Minnesota with a left thumb sprain (he hit it late in yesterday’s loss to New York). CMB remains out - also with a left thumb sprain.
Make that 4-16 against the 10 teams that are ahead of them in the standings, including 1-12 at home.
Raptors have dropped 14 of their last 15 games vs the NBA’s top 10.
Raptors had cut the deficit to 2. Knicks closed on a 16-2 run. That's a really good team & a tough matchup for the Raps but they beat themselves too much/too often tonight.
New York has won 12 straight meetings with Toronto. OG Anunoby remains undefeated vs his former team (7-0)
The former Knicks, RJ Barrett (9) and Immanuel Quickley (2), have all 11 of the Raptors' 4th-quarter points and Toronto is back within 2.
The Raptors’ record against top teams doesn’t bode well for their playoff chances, but the health of their bigs - Poeltl and Murray-Boyles - could be the key to figuring it out. My pre-game report:
Brandon Ingram had 26 of the Raptors’ 58 first-half points on 14 shots in 20 minutes.
On the flip side, the Raptors bench: 6 points in 34 total minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2-8 FG, 0-4 3P. Ja'Kobe Walter is -20 in 7 minutes, Jamison Battle -11 in 5 minutes.
Raptors in the 1st half
Timeouts used: 5
3s made: 4
Nick Nurse used to say that coaches can only light their team up a few times a season. Darko did it the other night but may have to do it again tonight if this continues. Complete lack of focus the last few minutes. Boneheaded turnovers and bad defensive lapses. Can't happen.
Raptors with Ingram on the floor: +6 in 9 minutes
Raptors without Ingram: -12 in 4 minutes
Ingram: 16 points, 5-7 FG
Everybody else: 15 points, 4-13 FG
Brandon Ingram is playing like he's tired of hearing about the Raptors' record vs good teams. He had 16 of his team's 31 points on 7 shots in 9 minutes, with most of it coming against an all-league defender in Anunoby. OG also off too a hot start: 11 pts on 4-4 FG. Fun Q. Knicks by 1
