Three things we learned from Raptors loss to Lakers | Toronto Star
The shame of it is that the Lakers roster is of such dubious quality that if the Raptors had come out with any kind of first half fire, that was a game they could have had, with or without their top scorer and a guy who facilitates a fair amount of what they do offensively. But they waltzed through lot of the first half, and a huge chunk of the second quarter in particular, and it bit ‘em in the bum, hard. It’s pretty much the main point Dwane was making after the game. “We got to come out no matter who is on the floor and make sure we compete, hit people, keep people off the boards and out of the paint the way we did in the second half,” he said. But here’s the big thing. It’s test time for these guys, physically and mentally.
5 things we learned from Lakers’ 129-122 win over Raptors | Sports Out West
The Lakers had held the Raptors in check offensively for the first half, but they allowed yet another opponent to score over 100 points that almost led to another late-game disaster. Entering the second half, Los Angeles held a nine-point advantage that quickly disappeared with Toronto starting the the third quarter on an 8-0 run. The Raptors scored 31 points on 50 percent shooting (9-of-18), which included making 1o-of-12 free throw attempts in the quarter. Los Angeles also for the second consecutive game, allowed another bench player to go off offensively as Louis Williams had 1o of his 20 points on the night in the third quarter. However, they were able to tighten up in overtime forcing the Raptors to shoot just 31.3 percent (5-of-16). Hill made two crucial blocks in the period that proved to be monumental to the outcome. The first came on a block off Kyle Lowry‘s layup with the game tied at 110, which resulted in a 3-pointer by Johnson that gave Los Angeles a 113-110 advantage.
Bell Canada acquires Raptors’ behind-the-scenes show, Open Gym – The Globe and Mail
“That’s the motivation here, to bring the fan closer to the team, and [do] it on all the platforms that Bell has,” said Nicolas Poitras, Bell’s vice-president of marketing communications. BCE owns 15 per cent of The Globe and Mail. Bell is “still struggling” to build awareness of its mobile TV apps, said executive vice-president Dominic Vivolo at a recent event hosted by CTAM Canada. But it will take more than awareness for the apps to catch on: 71 per cent of Canadians know mobile TV products are available, but only 25 per cent have used one, according to survey data from Charlton Strategic Research.
Kobe Bryant Leads The Lakers to 129-122 Overtime Win Over The Raptors – Raptors HQ
Without DeRozan, it seemed like an unsure night overall for Toronto, as Dwane Casey experimented with lineups quite a bit. Several different five-man combinations played at different times as he tried to balance defence and offence. The Raptors effort showed that disconnect, many times trying to spark their offence with a long three, a shot they went just 9-for-34 on overall. It was ugly basketball for the most part, proof of a team that will need to find their way without their All-Star. To their credit, the Lakers were able to ride a hot start all the way through. Los Angeles shot 57 per cent from the field in the first half as Kobe distributed effectively. Wayne Ellington provided an unexpected ten points off the bench, but most of the buckets from Bryant’s generosity went to Hill and Boozer down low. Kobe then was able to take over late shooting the ball, which may be a recipe for success if the now 4-13 Lakers are to improve on their lowly start.
Raptors fall to Lakers with DeMar DeRozan on shelf | Toronto Star
“We’ve got to make sure that it’s something that fits and will last,” the coach said. “Who’s to say tonight’s game and Tuesday night’s game (in Sacramento) will be that, but we’ve got to find a combination that will last for the duration that DeMar is going to be out.” And once he finds that combination, that’s the way it’s going to stay. “When we decide on it, we want it to be consistent,” he said. “We don’t want to be changing lineups every game or every other game. Once we hit it, we’ll know. We’ll know when that time and that group and that combination and that rhythm hits.”
Kobe was the man of the match. While his shooting numbers were again under the 50% mark, he hit big shots down the stretch to put the Lakers in a position to win. Bigger than those buckets, though, was the way he whipped the ball around the court for assists. Early in the game he set up his teammates wonderfully and then late in OT he had another big assist to Young for a three pointer. His triple double tells the story of his night — a night that also saw him become the lone member of the 30K career points and 6K career assists club.
Recap: Raptors lose to Lakers in OT, Kobe with triple-double | Raptors Watch
The Lakers – who have been outscored in the third quarter almost every game this season – gave the Raptors life in the third. The Raptors scored the first eight points of the quarter, and while the Lakers went on a 7-0 run, Toronto went on a 12-2 run to take a three-point lead. The Raptors outscored the Lakers 31-23 in the third, and Lou Williams had ten of his 19 points in that quarter. Most notably, he replaced his end-of-quarter three-bomb with a baseline drive and dunk.
DeRozan-less Raptors fall to Lakers in OT | Sports | Toronto Sun
“Offensively I thought we were a little out of rhythm but that’s no excuse,” he said of the first taste of life without his leading scorer who suffered a severe groin strain on Friday and is out at least a month. “This is who we are, this is who we are going to be. We got to get it together,” Casey said. “Everybody is happy during good times but we’ve lost a couple of games and now we will see what we are made of. We have to make a muscle, stay together and stay positive. Two games don’t make a season. We’ve had it pretty good here for a while but now we have to bounce back, regroup and reload.”
Toronto Raptors outmatched by L.A. Lakers in OT to drop second in a row
Seven players scored in double figures for the Lakers, including all five starters. Nick Young added 20 off the bench, Carlos Boozer scored 18 and Jordan Hill had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Lowry had 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Toronto before fouling out with 2.8 seconds left in overtime. Terrence Ross had 20 points and Lou Williams added 19 off the bench for the Raptors, whose 13-3 record coming in represented the best start in franchise history. Toronto played without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan, who tore a tendon in his left groin during Friday’s 106-102 loss to Dallas and is out indefinitely. Greivis Vasquez made his first start of the season at shooting guard and scored 19 points in 33 minutes.
Post Game: Raptors Can’t Stop Kobe Bryant, Lose to Lakers
Offence: B+ The Raptors scored 122 points. That’s not bad. In fact, it could have been so much worse considering Terrence Ross was the only player who could hit an outside shot all night. Toronto shot 1-11 from beyond the arc in the first half and finished the game scoring at a 26.5 per cent clip from deep. They managed to keep the game close by doing plenty of damage inside. The Raptors outscored the Lakers 58-34 in the paint. It was no doubt the path of least Lakers resistance. Bryant wasn’t kidding when he called out his squad’s “lazy” defense.
Losing DeMar DeRozan For A Month Might Be A Good Thing | Hoops Addict
Having DeRozan sidelined will also help Jonas Valanciunas see a bump from the 7.3 field goal attempts per game he has been averaging so far. Valanciunas sees the fewest touches of any Toronto starter and a big part of his development is getting more field goal attempts. Casey likes having Williams come off the bench, so, while Williams may seem a bump in his minutes, it is likely that James Johnson will get the chance to start while DeRozan is sidelined. It was Johnson who was heralded earlier this month by fans as a better option in the starting five than Terrence Ross. If James starts, Toronto will have two defenders in Ross and Johnson to harass teams and help make things even more intimidating for opponents on the defensive end.
The Toronto Raptors have the city of Toronto on their side and now, it is time to put in the work in and secure a sport in the playoffs. With Lebron James back in Cleveland and Derrick Rose in good health, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls are the favorites to meet in the Eastern Conference finals. However, the Raptors are poised to make the leap with a deep bench and the unproven first draft pick, Bruno “Brazilian Kevin Durant” Caboclo. The Raptors are young, hungry, tenacious and are ready to take the step forward to become a powerhouse in the East.
