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The Raptors discover themselves again dwelling following a highway journey that would have appeared a lot totally different had the whistle gone their approach in a detailed loss to the Lakers.
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In some methods, the Raptors additionally discover themselves just about the place they have been earlier than they left Toronto to embark on a six-game journey that ended with a 2-4 file, capped off by a really ugly blowout loss to the host Utah Jazz.
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The crew, no matter who’s in uniform and what lineups are cobbled collectively, can’t defend.
Rumours of Pascal Siakam’s impending departure or contract extension have but to succeed in the end line.
Losers of three in a row, the Raptors have truly dug themselves a good deeper gap with the true chance of forfeiting their first-round decide to San Antonio as a part of that misinterpret commerce that introduced Jakob Poeltl again to Toronto.
For many who have misplaced observe of the ins and outs of the deal, the Spurs personal the Raptors’ 2024 decide so long as it doesn’t fall within the prime six.
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Poeltl turned an ankle within the Raptors’ rout of the host Golden State Warriors and isn’t anticipated to be obtainable for any of the crew’s coming three-game dwelling stretch that incorporates a tip in opposition to Boston Monday, Miami Wednesday and Chicago Thursday.
5, in truth, of Toronto’s subsequent six might be within the 6ix earlier than it heads out on one other six-game sojourn that may take the Raptors to the Feb. 8 commerce deadline.
On the subsequent day, the crew will welcome again Fred VanVleet and the Houston Rockets.
The person who famously guess on himself left city with the Raptors holding a bag filled with nothing when VanVleet signed in free company.
An identical state of affairs involving Siakam is at all times doable, at the least in principle.
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To say Siakam’s standing is fraught with problems could be to state the apparent. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer time and is eager on cashing in massive in a present market that views him as a rental pending some type of wink-wink assure.
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No matter what facet of the fence one resides, it has became an outdated story within the absence of readability with the standard suspects rumored to have an interest, an inventory of purported groups that includes Indy, Philly, Dallas and Golden State.
In any occasion, time is operating out.
Time could have already run out on the Raptors, who did construct some momentum with the arrival of R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, a restricted free agent this summer time it have to be famous.
The Raptors are 0-9 in opposition to divisional rivals, laying declare as the one crew within the NBA to succeed in such depths of defeat.
The crew is coming off a woeful effort in Utah when the house facet spanked the Raptors to the tune of 145-113, the third-most factors surrendered by Toronto in membership historical past.
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Curiously, the Celtics arrive having pasted the Rockets by the equivalent scoreline as Boston’s dwelling unbeaten run continued.
Coming into the evening, the Raptors are tied with Atlanta for the seventh-fewest wins within the NBA, a standing that may guarantee San Antonio will get Toronto’s first-round choice within the coming draft.
Additionally coming into Monday’s tip, solely the woeful Detroit Pistons have an extended lively shedding streak than the Raptors, whose loss in Motown ended an historic slide.
On the core of the Raptors’ points is defence. And until higher defence is summoned, there might be extra moments of head-scratching than fist-pumping.
An finish of a protracted journey a loss might need been anticipated and maybe considerably tolerated had psychological toughness been proven. As an alternative, the Raptors have been mushy in Utah and allowed the Jazz to go off for 81 second-half factors, an inexcusable and pathetic quantity that speaks to lack of self-discipline and drive.
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Utah outscored the Raptors 58-31 in paint factors, crushed Toronto on the glass to the tune of 58-31, whereas additionally going off by drilling 21 three-pointers.
Boston brings an NBA-best file to city, a crew that bested the Raptors on Dec. 29 in Beantown when the C’s have been minus Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
On the identical evening, Scottie Barnes made a career-high seven three-pointers.
Within the ensuing eight video games, Barnes buried 14 from distance, together with 4 in a loss to the host Sacramento Kings.
Whether or not the grind of a highway journey caught as much as him or not, the actual fact stays Barnes didn’t play nicely in video games versus the Clippers and Jazz.
Clearly, he must be higher.
There’s no higher measuring stick than Boston, a crew that has discovered methods to beat Toronto in three earlier conferences, the previous two being tight and aggressive.
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Coming off a 33-point loss to Milwaukee final Thursday, the Celtics shortly regrouped once they dusted off the Rockets. Tatum, who would get ejected following his second technical, scored 22 first-half factors on 8-for-11 capturing within the Houston win.
Within the second half, it was Jaylen Brown’s flip to take over when he poured in 21 of his game-high 32 factors within the third quarter.
Brown (third total) and Siakam (twenty seventh total) have been every taken within the 2016 draft, the identical class when the Raptors used their first decide (ninth total) on Poeltl.
Brown will earn loads of inexperienced after he signed a file five-year supermax extension with the Celtics value in extra of $300 million US.
In three video games this season in opposition to the Raptors, Brown has averaged 27.6 factors and has made 32 of his 50 pictures.
In three video games this season in opposition to the Celtics, Siakam has averaged 22.3 factors and has made 27 of his 51 pictures.
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