In the end, there are such things as moral victories, right?
The Toronto Raptors were out-manned against the Timberwolves in Minnesota on the second night of a back-to-back but fought valiantly to keep things close and within striking distance, losing 112-101.
Gradey Dick put up a career-high 25 points and four made threes, carving up the Timberwolves who were running him off the line, settling into floaters, mid-range jump shots, and even getting a fadeaway and-1 shot over the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert. Dick continues to make strides in his game, and Raptors fans can take solace in the fact that he’s not only showing flashes of being a legitimate force in the NBA but of potentially becoming a star.
Speaking of stars, Scottie Barnes had an uneven game, struggling in the first half but turning things around in the second to finish with 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Much like the game against the Cavaliers, Barnes struggled against the back-line size of the Timberwolves. He will likely have to find a way to create an advantage offensively for himself without being able to out-muscle the opponent like he did on Friday versus Philadelphia.
Elsewhere, Ochai Agbaji continues to stack together well-rounded performances. Stepping into the starting lineup again for RJ Barrett, who continues to recover from a shoulder injury, Agbaji put up 19 points on 8/12 shooting and made 3 corner threes, too. Agbaji continues to show a craft finishing around the basket, which was all-important against the Wolves all night. He also guarded Anthony Edwards for 30 minutes.
Rookies Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle both had positive games tonight. Shead finished with 5 assists, while Battle scored 9 points and nabbed six rebounds.
If you’d like a more analytical breakdown of the game, watch the video above or subscribe to the Raptors Republic YouTube channel.
