The Toronto Raptors passed their back-to-back tests against the Brooklyn Nets.
After handling the Nets in Brooklyn on Monday, the Raptors had to dig deep to come away with a comeback win in Toronto on Tuesday.
Behind a rocking and jam-packed Scotiabank Arena crowd for the first time since Dec. 13, the Raptors were able to overcome an eight-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to pick up a much-needed victory.
For more on the win, we have you covered with some thoughts below.
1. Malachi Flynn making the most of an opportunity
With Fred VanVleet sidelined due to a lingering knee injury, head coach Nick Nurse has elected to give second-year guard Flynn another chance at cracking the rotation.
Flynn was inserted into the starting lineup in Monday’s win over the Nets, going for 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals. His play earned him another start in Tuesday’s contest, and he wasted no time to get going.
In the first quarter, Flynn got the crowd buzzing with a mean hesitation for an easy layup.
Flynn finished with an impressive line of 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds, answering the call when his team needed him most.
2. Scottie Barnes’ energy takes over the game
Barnes had one of the best games of his rookie campaign against the Nets on Monday, erupting for a career-high-tying 28 points while shooting an efficient 12-for-14 from the field. He also added 16 rebounds, five steals and four assists, making everything happen for the Raptors in the win.
He didn’t lose his hot hand overnight, continuing to score with ease in Tuesday’s matchup.
Barnes tallied 12 points in the first half, making five of his seven shot attempts. He’s really finding his touch and his energy running the floor and finding open spaces as a cutter has resulted in a lot of easy dunks.
Barnes was the catalyst of the Raptors’ fourth-quarter comeback, hitting a clutch shot, coming up with stops and dishing out this sweet assist that had Scotiabank Arena roaring.
Scottie Barnes finds Thad Young with beautiful dime late in Toronto!
He came up with a big block on Seth Curry with the game on the line and finished with another double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Raptors to victory.
3. Pascal Siakam’s sluggish second half continues
Siakam was playing some of the best basketball of his career before the All-Star break, averaging 25.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3 over his last 10 games.
Since the All-Star break, Siakam has looked like a completely different player and he couldn’t shake that spell tonight.
In the three games prior to this one, Siakam was averaging just 10.0 points while shooting 25.6 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from 3.
Foul trouble prevented him from getting in any sort of a rhythm – he had five fouls with 11 minutes to play in the fourth quarter – and he eventually fouled out with two minutes to play in a two-point game.
Siakam finished a solid stat line of 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal, but he didn’t leave the same impact on the game as we were seeing a few weeks back.
4. Fans back at Scotiabank Arena
For the first time since Dec. 13, Scotiabank Arena was back at full capacity. Raptors fans piled in to see their favourite team in action and the crowd was rocking.
It was good to see the electric Scotiabank Arena atmosphere again.
5. Letting Goran Dragic hear it
Raptors fans were not very kind to their former veteran point guard.
Dragic only appeared in five games for the Raptors before being traded to the Spurs for Thaddeus Young. He was bought out by San Antonio and signed with the Nets, who ironically played two of his first three games against his former team.
Every time Dragic touched the ball, the Scotiabank Arena crowd let boos rain down on him.
Amidst the boos, Dragic did have one nice stepback on Pascal Siakam, knocking down a tough jumper before silencing the Raptors fans.
Dragic had a respectful 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench in his first game back in Toronto.
6. How does this result affect the East playoff picture?
The Raptors needed these two wins desperately to create some space between them and the Nets in the standings with Kevin Durant’s return looming.
The Raptors advanced to 34-27 on the season, giving them a three-game lead over the Nets for the No. 7 seed in the East.
They still trail the Boston Celtics by 1.5 games for the highly-coveted No. 6 seed, but they have a comfortable distance on other teams in the Play-In picture.
7. What’s next?
The Raptors will have one day off before another back-to-back – this time against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, March 3, followed by the Orlando Magic on Friday, March 4.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.
The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.
He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.
Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.
He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.
Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe while regular starter Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-7 Texas victory.
Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.
Ewers missed several games over the previous two seasons with shoulder and sternum injuries.
The Longhorns are No. 1 for the first time since 2008 and Saturday’s matchup with the Warhawks is Texas’ last game before the program starts its first SEC schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.
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