Sports
Raptors game vs. Bulls tonight postponed with Toronto’s roster ravaged by COVID – Toronto Star
Oh, what might have been.
The NBA postponed the Raptors game in Chicago because Toronto couldn’t meet minimum roster requirements, a prudent and by-the-book decision that could only have been made Wednesday morning.
But it took away, for now at least, the possibility of another strange night for a franchise that has lurched its way through a variety of weird, mismatched and thrown-together groups in the last quarter-century.
Some examples:
- In 2003, an eight-man Raptors team with a group of 10-day signees — Rafer Alston, Damone Brown and Art Long represented the entire backup unit — beat a Washington Wizards team that include Michael Jordan, Bryon Russell, Brendan Haywood and Charles Oakley. The win gave the roster-ravaged Raptors a 10-28 record in a season that would ultimately end 24-58 and mark the departure of coach Lenny Wilkens.
- In the ridiculously bad 1997-98 season that began with the departure of president Isiah Thomas, saw the departure of franchise face Damon Stoudamire mid-season and ended with then-GM Glen Grunwald apologizing to booing fans at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Raptors used an astonishing 23 different players and put teams on the court that might not have won G League games, had the G League existed.
- Last season, when the team suffered through a stretch when 37 players, coaches and staffers eventually tested positive for COVID-19, the Raptors once played a game using only six players. Not surprisingly, starters Malachi Flynn, Stanley Johnson, DeAndre’ Bembry, Khem Birch and Freddie Gillespie with the lone backup being Aron Baynes were humbled 125-113 by the Indiana Pacers in what could have been the low point of a 27-45 season.
If the Raptors had been forced to play Wednesday and ran out an all-emergency group, including Nik Stauskas, Brandon Goodwin, Juwan Morgan and Tremont Waters it would have been quite something but, in the grand scheme of things, not unprecedented.
Hang on, though.
Chaos may have been averted when the league postponed Wednesday’s game but the crisis has not passed and a “no-guard, all-emergency” team pretending to be Raptors remains a possibility.
The Raptors currently have eight players — Pascal Siakam, Dalano Banton, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Malachi Flynn, Precious Achiuwa, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby — in the league’s health and safety protocols and the only way for any of them to be cleared is to sit for a minimum of 10 days or return two negative tests taken at least 24 hours apart.
The testing process will be constant between now and the team’s next scheduled game, Sunday in Cleveland, and there is a chance some players will come trickling back next week.
It may mitigate the need to sign emergency call-ups but the Raptors have protected themselves in that regard. They have not signed anyone officially and the 10-day clock on their emergency stint won’t begin until they do.
That wouldn’t be before Boxing Day, since the Raptors are not scheduled to gather as group until Christmas night in Cleveland. They will face mandatory testing when they arrive in Ohio and likely won’t be on the court together until Sunday morning.
The layers to this situation — the postponement, the ongoing COVID crisis in the NBA, the fate of the much-ballyhooed and promoted Christmas Day games — are many and always changing.
The Raptors could have played Wednesday if they had five members of the regular roster available but, with Khem Birch ruled out with knee swelling and Anunoby placed in the protocols, they fell below that number. They can get to five — and whichever 10-day players they can add — if Birch can play or if either Justin Champagnie (non-COVID illness) or David Johnson (strained calf) are ruled in.
And there remains the possibility that some of the protocol players will return two negative tests a day apart and be cleared.
It is all unclear, though, and sends the Raptors into the Christmas break shrouded in uncertainty.
The team was being extra cautious this week, sending only half the coaching staff to Chicago to keep numbers down and mitigate risk. Nick Nurse, Adrian Griffin, Nate Bjorkgren, Trevor Gleeson and Earl Watson made the trip; the others remained in Toronto.
One holiday season celebration for the Raptors is off, however, regardless of how the next few days play out.
Danny Green, the last member of Toronto’s 2019 NBA championship team without his ring, was to receive it in a ceremony Tuesday when he and the Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled to play in Toronto. But with the COVID uncertainties and local rules that limit crowds at the Scotiabank Arena to half capacity, Green said on his podcast he would wait until an April game for the honour.
“If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right,” Green said on his social media feed. “My family and the fans deserve another moment to celebrate and I have no issue waiting.”
Green was simply making a pre-emptive move, though. He was placed under the league protocols and is likely to miss Tuesday’s game.
These are odd and rapidly changing times and to even speculate what might happen between now and the next Raptors game would be futile. But not everything is unprecedented, not where rosters are concerned.
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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Sports
Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere
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.
___
AP cricket:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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