Sports

Toronto Raptors seal 12th straight win

Published

5 years ago

February 6, 2020

One begins to exhaust the explanations as to how the Raptors keep winning these games. It’s been like this the whole season. On Wednesday night, the Pacers were in Toronto, up by as many as 19, looking for all the world like the cagey Eastern Conference battlers they are. Meanwhile, the Raps looked a step slow, like a team on an uproarious 11-game win streak that was filled with confidence, yes, but tired, too, thanks to the exertions it takes to maintain such a run of victories. Even against a slate of weaker teams it’s damn hard work — and Indiana is not a weak team.

And yet, there the Raptors were once again gamely playing from behind and willing themselves back into tonight’s contest. It doesn’t defy description because we can indeed describe it — will, in fact, go on to do just that — but there remains some ineffable quality about these Raptors, an inner resolve that more often than not coheres in just the right way and at just the right time to do what needs to be done. All of this is to say, despite giving up 19 threes to Indiana, despite allowing a 43-point second quarter, despite the 19-point third quarter deficit, the Raptors beat the Pacers by a score of 119-118. It was their franchise-record 12th win in a row. It was infuriating, it was marvelous. It was Toronto.

If we were deciding on three stars for the game, we wouldn’t have to think too hard before deciding on Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Serge Ibaka. There are other contributions to note — the steadying hand of Fred VanVleet at key moments (to say nothing of his 10 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals), the gutsy shooting from Terence Davis (who bombed in three 3s), even a bit of reckless hustle from Chris Boucher — but that trio, the bedrock of this current iteration of the Raptors, set the stage for the team’s collective late-game heroics.

To start, it was Lowry and Ibaka who were the lone Raptors scoring for the team. At one point early on it was 17-13 for Toronto thanks entirely to buckets from the pair. Siakam was inexplicably off at the rim, going 1-of-6 in the first quarter, OG Anunoby was invisible on offense, and Patrick McCaw was his usual McCaw self (though he did hit a three, so there’s that). The Raptors took an early 30-20 lead at the end of the quarter but it didn’t exactly feel comfortable.

Unfortunately once coach Nick Nurse went to his bench things got dicey for the Raptors. Lineups led by Siakam featuring a returned Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Boucher, Davis, and McCaw went nowhere. Rondae looked particularly — and understandably — rusty, as even his customary handful of attempts in the post proved disastrous for Toronto. The substitution of Lowry or Ibaka didn’t quite goose things either. Meanwhile, the Pacers got wildly hot from three thanks to long-time Raptor killer Doug McDermott, with 13 points in the frame, and Justin Holliday, with 14 of his own. Yes, despite Indiana’s rank at 29th on threes attempted per game, there they were letting fly to great effect. The Raptors tumbled into halftime down 15, their offense in shambles, and their defense running on life support.

Like all great Raptors’ comebacks this season though, this one just sort of happened. The Pacers grew their lead to 19 points by the 9:30 mark of the third and it looked like Toronto was well and truly spent. During those opening minutes, Siakam missed another bunny at the rim, threw a hopeless pass to Ibaka on the move, and we all got to watch the Pacers drill a couple more threes. Then, out of nowhere, a 12-0 run — it really was that abrupt. The Raptors leaned on Lowry, who attacked the rim in lieu of Siakam, got some keen shooting from Davis, and a few free throws from Pascal. Coincidentally, Toronto’s defense also picked up a tick behind a smaller, faster lineup with Siakam and Anunoby in the frontcourt, and suddenly the lead shrunk as low as two. The Raptors would end the quarter down 86-82.

Nurse gave Toronto’s bench lineup another try, but that was folly. The Pacers just pushed their lead back up to an exhausting nine points. Cue the re-entry of Siakam and Lowry, who watched as Ibaka picked up his fifth foul around the 8-minute mark despite being the only player on the floor for Toronto who could score. That trio, with Davis (in place of OG) and VanVleet, made another push. This too was turned away — McDermott was working on a team-leading +21 by this point. All told, the Pacers, if you can believe this, held an 11-point lead with 3:50 left to go in this game. They had been the better team for most of the night, looked to have most of the key matchups covered, and were definitely shooting the ball better from deep. It should have been over.

But the Pacers don’t have Lowry and Siakam, who combined with Ibaka for all of Toronto’s points in the fourth — a big-time 37. It was a clinic. Lowry drove the lane, hit 3s, and quarterbacked the team’s fullcourt pressure. Siakam drew fouls, made steals, grabbed boards, and made life miserable for everyone on the Pacers. And Serge? After keeping the Raptors in it for those desperate opening fourth quarter minutes, he hit a spinning finger roll, made a wicked pass to Siakam for a lay-up, and then hit the dang game-winning three.

Toronto’s defense took over from there — Victor Oladipo got a look but missed, there was a mad scramble but no other shot — and that was it. The Raptors won number 12 in a row even though, quite frankly, they shouldn’t have. Well, that’s what some of the numbers say anyway. But as I said: there’s just something about this Toronto squad that remains impossible to define completely. How it will emerge in any given situation is not quite known either. But it is there. Hoo boy, it is there.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

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AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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