Prior to the game last night it was reported that Pascal Siakam would not suit up last night due to a back injury. This meant that Toronto would be down not one, but two starters in Jakob Poetl and Pascal Siakam. So Toronto had a very daunting task ahead of them, beat one of the elite teams in the NBA at well below full strength. Toronto put up a valiant effort in their 120-126 loss to the Clippers and many positives can be taken away from this game rather than focusing on the loss.
From the opening tip Toronto was putting up a great fight and they were able to keep the game within shouting distance for the majority of the game. Multiple of Toronto’s young players really stood out last night and showed that even with a banged up team they were nothing to look over.
RJ Barrett once again had a masterful game with 24 points last night and his Raptors tenure continues to be magnificent. Barrett was just in constant motion going toward the rim, and this led to a lot of great looks for him. He was attacking the Clippers defense with stampede cuts, barreling toward the rim for tough finishes. He was filling the lane in transition and putting himself in spots where Scottie Barnes and company could swing him the ball and he got great looks that way as well. The most standout part of Barrett’s game last night was his continued prowess from behind the arc as a Raptor. Barrett finished 4 of 6 from the three point line and he was lights out off the catch the entire game. Barrett wasn’t the only former Knicks guard who had a great game last night.
Immanuel Quickley also showed his immense talent and value to this Raptors team last night and he did it in a multitude of ways. Quickley finished with 25 points 6 assists and 4 rebounds and it wasn’t even his three point shooting that really stood out last night, it was his driving. Quickley was showing off that elite speed he possesses and getting to the painted area for his patented floaters and soft touch layups. His driving proved troublesome for the Clippers and it also led to 9 free throw attempts which he made 100 percent of. Quickley’s playmaking also flashed last night and his driving did not only create fruitful opportunities for him, he fired off passes inside for easy looks, and he pushed the ball in transition to put pressure on the Clippers defense.
Both Barrett and Quickley played a large part in Toronto being in this game for as long as they were in it but there was another Raptors player who shined last night. The recently called up Jontay Porter played an amazing game last night and he showed that moving forward he should be a fixture in the rotation. Porter was working well around the rim whether it was in the pick n roll, or he was just lingering waiting for an offensive rebounding opportunity, his presence around the rim was impactful. Porter also showed off a bit of his outside shooting potential as he made a three pointer and a mid range as well. Perhaps the best part of the night from Jontay was his passing. Porter made the read to the corner after attacking a closeout, he found Jalen Mcdaniels on a cut out of iverson loop, and he had a great full court pass to Barrett in transition which led to a layup. Porter showed off his versatile skill set and at a time where the Raptors are thin when it comes to big men, this pop from Porter is well needed.
The game was very close but by the time the 4th quarter rolled around it was clear that Toronto was a bit gassed and that’s when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George turned it up and sent Toronto packing with a loss. In a game like this where you are so banged up you can only look toward the positives you see and this game had plenty of that. Toronto faces off against Utah next and hopefully they can find their way back to the win column and have Pascal Siakam back as well.
