Well, that ended up being a little more stressful that it should have been, didn’t it? The Toronto Raptors once again turned a strong first half into a discombobulated second half, only this time — unlike against San Antonio and Portland — they were able to hang on for the win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If you were following this game on Twitter at all last night, you know where we’ve go to start, right?
Let’s Get the McCaw Slander out of the Way
The Patrick McCaw experiment continues, and man is it some weird science.
Look, it really wasn’t all that bad. The Thunder got Toronto’s lead to single digits late in the third quarter last night, and a McCaw-at-point unit (featuring Marc Gasol, Terence Davis, OG Anunoby and Norman Powell) went on a 10-0 bridging the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth; that group ended up outscoring OKC 27-14.
The lead stood at 21 when Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam came back. With Anunoby and McCaw still out there, the Thunder went on a sudden 22-4 run.
That, obviously, cannot all be on McCaw. Yes, McCaw was bad in this stretch; he had a brutal turnover in the backcourt that led to a three-point play, and he was almost inexplicably bad on defense, allowing multiple blow-bys. But, much like the case on Sunday, the Raptors offense really fell apart when both Lowry and Siakam were on the floor.
And maybe we can chalk that up to Siakam’s rust. I’m not too worried about that, yet.
The question really is, what is McCaw doing on the floor at that point in the game?
With Fred VanVleet sidelined, I get that McCaw has to play that playmaker role when Lowry and Siakam are off. Fine. What is his role in that closing unit, though? You don’t need him to handle the ball there, with both Siakam and Lowry on the floor. (Why he was bringing the ball up when he made that aforementioned turnover?) He can’t (and often won’t) shoot, so teams can leave him and crowd Siakam.
Surely Davis (who all the numbers favour at this point) is a more legitimate threat who opens up the floor for others? Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a better defender and rebounder if you want size. Marc Gasol needed a rest, but Chris Boucher was an option if the Raptors wanted to stay really big. Heck, if you want to really space the floor, Matt Thomas is on this team too.
Some of McCaw’s minutes and usage I can understand. Him spending four minutes on the floor with the starters in a close game when there are multiple options that fit better with that unit behind him on the bench? I just can’t.
Going Big
All right, let’s talk about the big lineup that started the game. OKC is one of the teams that employs a big traditional centre in Steven Adams, so it makes some sense. And outside of Adams, OKC is small, so it creates a mismatch somewhere on the floor at all times (see Chris Paul guarding Pascal Siakam). It also makes sense in a “play your best guys” approach, with VanVleet still out.
And it seemed to work! By putting long defenders on OKC’s perimeter players, the Raptors got their hands on multiple passes in the first quarter, creating several fast-break opportunities; the Raptors scored 14 points off of eight Oklahoma City turnovers in the first quarter.
Gasol looked great. He hinted before the game he might start being more aggressive on offense, and he delivered, taking nine shots in his 31.5 minutes, scoring 15 points. Welcome back Big Spain!
Now, I don’t think this should be a regular starting unit or anything, but I’m more than OK with Nick Nurse trying it out from time to time. If the Raptors end up facing Philadelphia in the postseason, you know it’s going to be necessary.
Start OG at the Two Every Game
OK, that’s not realistic, but OG Anunoby, who started at the shooting guard spot for the first time, had a sensational opening quarter. Anunoby (who’s “chiseled out of marble,” according to my wife) (hey, she has good taste!) did it on both ends, stealing two passes and deflecting at least two more, and preventing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from getting what he wanted — all while hitting two of his three three-point attempts on the other end.
Anunoby finished with 21 points on 13 shots, along with five rebounds and five assists. Maybe he’s been a two-guard all along!?
Also, we can’t let this game go without acknowledging this winning smile:
NBA.com
Welcome to the “No Lead is Safe” NBA
Even when the Raptors went up 30, I was not comfortable watching last night’s game. The Raptors have blown too many leads lately, and in today’s NBA, where every team employs multiple three-point threats, it really doesn’t seem like you can ever relax. And, hey, the Raptors themselves came back from 30 down this year.
(Thank goodness they didn’t become the first time to win a game after trailing by 30 and lose a game after leading by 30 in the same season.)
Even with that said, the game shouldn’t have been that stressful in the second half. The Raptors really need to figure out their fourth-quarter execution.
Prayers Answered
OKC does a pre-game prayer, which is a really anachronistic and somewhat offensive thing that I’m kind of surprised the NBA still allows.
That said… some prayers were being answered last night, and they were all on Toronto’s side of the ball.
First there was Norman Powell’s off-balance, double-clutch heave at the end of the third that dropped.
Then in the fourth, Marc Gasol fired a three-pointer in, high off the glass, from straight away.
And finally, a few plays later with the shot clock winding down, OG Anunoby threw a deep ball into the rafters, and it came down through the net:
The Raptors shouldn’t have needed divine intervention after being up 30, but it sure seems like they got it.
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It may not have been the second half we wanted after that great opening 20 minutes, but hey — it’s still a quality road win against a good Western conference opponent, and not for nothing, but those 20 minutes are a reminder — this team is pretty damn good when it’s healthy.
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
MacKenzie Weegar wasn’t bitter or upset as he watched friends live out their dreams.
The Calgary Flames defenceman just hopes to experience the same feeling one day. He also knows the road leading to that moment, if it does arrive, will likely be long and winding — much like his own path.
A seventh-round pick by the Florida Panthers at the 2013 NHL draft, Weegar climbed the ranks to become an important piece of a roster that captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top regular-season club in 2021-22.
Two months later following a second-round playoff exit, he was traded to the Flames along with Jonathan Huberdeau for Matthew Tkachuk. And less than two years after that, the Panthers were hoisting the Stanley Cup.
“Happy for the city and for the team,” Weegar said of Florida’s June victory over the Edmonton Oilers. “There was no bad taste in my mouth.”
His sole focus, he insists, is squarely on eventually getting the Flames to the same spot. The landscape, however, has changed drastically since Weegar committed to Calgary on an eight-year, US$50-million contract extension in October 2022.
Weegar has watched a list that includes goaltender Jacob Markstrom, defencemen Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and Nikita Zadorov and forwards Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane shipped out of town since the start of last season — largely for picks, prospects and young players as part of a rebuild.
Despite that exodus, he remains committed to the Calgary project steered by general manager Craig Conroy.
“It’s easy to get out of all whack when you see guys trying to leave or wanting new contracts,” the 30-year-old from Ottawa said at last week’s NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas. “I just focus on where I am and where I want to be, and that’s Calgary.
“I believe in this team. The city has taken me in right away. I feel like I owe it to them to stick around and grind through these years and get a Stanley Cup.”
The hard-nosed blueliner certainly knows what it is to grind.
After winning the Memorial Cup alongside Nathan MacKinnon with the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013, Weegar toiled in the ECHL and American Hockey League for three seasons before making his NHL debut late in the 2016-17 campaign with the Panthers.
He would spend the next five years in South Florida as one of the players tasked with shifting an organizational culture that had experienced little success over the previous two decades.
“There’s always going to be a piece of my heart and loyalty to that team,” Weegar said. “But now I’m in a different situation … I compete against all 32 teams, not just Florida. There’s always a chip on my shoulder every single year.”
Weegar set career highs with 20 goals — eight was the most he had ever previously registered — and 52 points in 2023-24 as part of a breakout offensive performance.
“I think my buddies cared a lot more than I did,” he said with a smile. “All I hear is, ‘fantasy, fantasy, fantasy.'”
Weegar was actually more proud of his 200 blocked shots and 194 hits as he looks to help set a new Flames’ standard alongside Huberdeau, captain Mikael Backlund, Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson for a franchise expected to have its new arena in time for the 2027-28 season.
“You have to build that culture and that belief in the locker room,” said Weegar, who pointed to 22-year-old centre Connor Zary as a player set to pop. “Those young guys are going to have to come into their own and be consistent every night … they’re the next generation.”
Weegar, however, isn’t punting on 2024-25. He pointed to the NHL’s parity and the fact a couple of teams surprise every season.
It’s the same approach that took him from the ECHL a decade ago to hockey’s premier pre-season event inside a swanky hotel on Sin City’s famed strip, where he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the game’s best.
“From the outside — media and even friends and family — the expectations are probably a bit lower,” Weegar said of Calgary’s outlook. “But there’s no reason to think that we can’t make playoffs and we can’t be a good team (with) that underdog mentality.
“You never know.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept 17, 2024.
Jose Maria Celestino da Costa was named vice-president and head of soccer operations while Marianne Brooks was appointed vice-president of partnerships, Kelly Shouldice as vice-president of brand and content and Joyce Sou as vice-president of finance and business operations.
The new six-team women’s pro league is set to kick off in April.
“Their unique expertise and leadership are crucial as we lay the foundation for not just a successful league in Canada, but one that stands among the top sports leagues in the world,” NSL president Christina Litz said in a statement. “By investing in top-tier talent and infrastructure, the Northern Super League is committed to creating a league that will elevate the game and set new standards for women’s professional soccer globally.”
Da Costa will oversee all on-field matters, including officiating. His resume includes stints with Estoril Praia, a men’s first-division team in Portugal, and the Portuguese Soccer Federation, where he helped develop the Portuguese women’s league.
Brooks spent a decade with Canucks Sports & Entertainment, working in “partnership sales and retention efforts” for the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Warriors, and Rogers Arena. Most recently, she served as senior director of account management at StellarAlgo, a software company that helps pro sports teams connect with their fans
Shouldice has worked for Corus Entertainment, the Canadian Football League, and most recently as vice-president of Content and Communications at True North Sports & Entertainment, where she managed original content as well as business and hockey communications.
Sou, who was involved in the league’s initial launch, will oversee financial planning, analysis and the league’s expansion strategy in her new role.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
