The Toronto Raptors opened their 30th anniversary season by losing by 30 points. Fitting.
Scottie Barnes struggled immensely, scoring nine points, six rebounds, and five assists on 21.4 percent shooting from the field. The size of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and the Cavs’ schematically packing the paint forced Barnes into a lot of tough looks on offense, and he never got in rhythm.
For his part, Mobley dominated the game, putting up 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks in 26 minutes of action, while Donovan Mitchell chipped in with 21 points. Thanks to their duo, the Cavs went on a 20-4 run in the second quarter and didn’t look back, dominating the Raptors the rest of the way.
To add insult to injury, Immanuel Quickley left the game in the second quarter with a right pelvic contusion and did not return. Quickley was having a good game, putting up 13 points and four assists in 14 minutes. After the game, Head Coach Darko Rajakovic said Quickley was kept out of the game due to precautionary reasons.
On a more positive note, Gradey Dick put up 16 points, including two threes, and hit a wild circus shot as he was attacking a closeout. Chris Boucher led all Raptors with 18 points off the bench, just one year after receiving a DNP-CD on opening night last season.
Elsewhere on the roster, Jamal Shead chipped in with 10 points and four assists in 18 minutes.
It was a tough night for the Raptors, who are starting year 1 of a rebuild. But the purple jerseys did make everything feel at least 10% better.
If you’d like to watch a more analytical perspective on the Raptors’ loss on opening night, check out Esfandiar Baraheni’s film room and subscribe to the Raptors Republic Youtube channel for more videos like it.
