Markkanen, Kessler help undermanned Jazz rally past Raptors

By Jordan Ketler February 10, 2023 10 mins read 276 Views

Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler had 23 points apiece as the short-handed Utah Jazz rallied past the Toronto Raptors 122-116 on Friday.

Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., almost had a triple-double, with 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as the Jazz (28-29) ended a three-game skid.

Utah was without guard Russell Westbrook, forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and centre Damian Jones. They were not yet with the team after being traded to the Jazz in a three-team deal Thursday.

Newly minted all-star Pascal Siakam scored 35 to lead the Raptors (26-31), who saw their three-game win streak snapped.

Siakam, who also had six rebounds and four assists, was named to the NBA all-star player pool as an injury replacement earlier Friday.

Toronto centre Jakob Poeltl got a rousing ovation from the 19,800 in attendance at Scotiabank Arena when he entered the game with 5:06 left in the first quarter.

Poeltl was traded to Toronto from San Antonio early on Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said before the game that Poeltl wouldn’t be in the starting lineup, however, as he had not yet practised with his Toronto teammates.

The 27-year-old Poeltl said he had grown in his time with the Spurs after being traded to San Antonio by the Raptors in 2018.

“I had many different roles when I first got there and I was working my way into the system,” said Poeltl. “Then over the years, as the team got younger, I had to take on more and more responsibility.”

Poeltl pounded a fist on the basket’s padded support beam after making a contested layup and drawing a foul with 2:01 left in the first. The Raptors led 34-28 after one quarter.

Siakam sank an eight-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left in the half to give Toronto a 61-58 lead heading into intermission. His 23 points after two quarters led all scorers.

He made his season-high fifth three-pointer of the night with 6:05 to play in the third. His previous high was four in a 119-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 26.

Fred VanVleet made two free throws with 1.7 seconds left in the third quarter to extend the Raptors’ lead to 13, 96-83.

Kessler dunked an alley-oop pass from Talen Horton-Tucker to pull Utah within eight with 4:12 left in the game. After Markkanen grabbed a defensive rebound, Horton-Tucker scored a layup to cut Toronto’s lead to six.

Olynyk followed that up with a three-pointer and Precious Achiuwa turned it over on a travel, allowing Collin Sexton’s layup to bring the Jazz to within a point. Sexton was fouled on his drive to the net and the ensuing free throw tied the game 112-112.

Scottie Barnes sank two free throws for his 10th point of the game and to reassert the Raptors’ lead, but Markkanen drained a floater and made a free throw for a 115-114 Utah lead.

Sexton’s layup extended that lead to three points before Barnes drove to the net with 1:14 left to play to keep Toronto within a point. A Kessler layup made it 119-116 and Utah regained control when the ball went out of bounds on a Raptors possession.

Sexton was fouled by Gary Trent Jr. as he drove to the net with 11.3 seconds left in the game. Sexton made one of two free throws to make it a four-point game.

After the ball was inbounded to him, Horton-Tucker ran deep into the defensive end of the court and was fouled. He made both of his free throws for the final score of the game.

SIAKAM ALL-STAR NOD

Siakam, Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards and Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox were named by NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s office to the all-star player pool. They replace Golden State’s Stephen Curry, New Orleans’ Zion Williamson and Phoenix’s Kevin Durant — all of whom are injured and will be unable to play in the Feb. 19 game in Salt Lake City.

UP NEXT

Toronto hosts the Detroit Pistons and former head coach Dwane Casey on Sunday afternoon.

Utah travels to New York to play the Knicks on Saturday.
By: Canadian Press
Title: Markkanen, Kessler help undermanned Jazz rally past Raptors
Sourced From: www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/markkanen-kessler-help-undermanned-jazz-rally-past-raptors/
Published Date: 02-11-2023

Frequently Asked Questions

What number of all-stars has Toronto Raptors had?

Vince Carter (Vince Carter), Antonio Davis, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are all Raptors All-Stars. Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Fred VanVleet, DeMar DeRozan and Kawhi Leonard are also Raptors All Stars. These players, with the exception of VanVleet and Davis, have all been part of an impressive All-Star team.

When was the Raptors' first playoff series won?

Toronto beat New York 3-2 to win their first ever playoff series. This was the first time that Toronto had reached the Eastern Conference semifinals since Lenny Wilkens' tenure as head coach.

What is the name for the Toronto Raptors' mascot, the Toronto Raptors?

The Toronto Raptors were founded in 1995 as an NBA team. They play their games in Scotiabank Arena.

Raptor, a huge red dinosaur, is the Raptors' Mascot. Raptor first appeared in 1995. He also participates in community and charity events all over Toronto. He was honored with the NBA Mascot of the YEAR award for his years of service to the Raptors. Raptor is a well-known figure in Toronto, as well as around the NBA. This makes him one of professional sports' most popular mascots. He is also a symbol of Canada's passion for basketball.

Many throughout the city and country share Raptor's enthusiasm for his team and its fans. Raptor has led the Raptors to become one of the most successful NBA teams, winning their first title in 2019. This victory marked a huge milestone for basketball fans in Toronto and Canada. Raptor continues to be a major source of pride for all those who call themselves part of the Raptors family. Raptors pride is guaranteed to continue as long as the Raptors are around. The Raptor will live on! Go, Toronto Raptors!

When was the Raptors' inaugural game?

The Raptors hosted their first ever regular season match against the New Jersey Nets on November 3, 1995 at the SkyDome. 33,306 fans were in attendance to watch Alvin Robertson score the first points in franchise history. The Raptors defeated Nets in 94-79. Contributions from Damon Stoudamire (10 and 10 assists), as well as Robertson (30 pts) were key.

What is the longest time that the Raptors have been together?

Toronto Raptors are an NBA NBA franchise. In 1995, the NBA added the Raptors to its expansion roster along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Raptors are the only Canadian-based NBA basketball team.

Toronto Raptors are based at Scotiabank Arena, where they play their home games. The Maple Leafs is the NHL team from Toronto, and also uses the arena. The Raptors have appeared in the NBA playoffs 13 times since their founding, most recently in 2021, where they lost in 6 games to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.

In 1999-2000 the Raptors reached their first playoff appearance. They were defeated by the New York Knicks, division rivals, in the first round.

The team was boring and there were very few fans. There wasn't much to cheer for, or even watch, and nobody knew why. After years and years of failure, the team decided it was time to change. They went to great lengths to appeal to the masses.

The team hired an agency to create a marketing strategy that would bring them national fame in 2001. They created a slogan that screamed "Hear me roar!"

The team was experiencing financial difficulties at the time so the slogan was used to highlight the fact that all of their games had sold out. All they had to do was create a catchy phrase with a great logo. This is where creativity shines through. They combined the expression "hear us roar" and another popular saying, "never die." This became Toronto Raptors' official motto.

What are the Canadian NBA teams?

The Toronto Raptors are currently the only Canadian NBA franchise. From 1995 to 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies was an NBA team. They moved to Memphis and became known as the Memphis Grizzlies. Canada did have two NBA teams during the late 1990s: the Vancouver Grizzlies, and the Toronto Raptors. However, no other Canadian cities have an NBA team. Canadians love basketball, and many travel to the United States to watch games. The Toronto Raptors have been a famous team since their inception in 1995 and continue to draw large crowds for their home games at Scotiabank Arena. Every year hundreds of Canadians make the trip to the United States for the NBA All-Star Weekend. Canada has more than one NBA team, with a population exceeding 38 million. Many basketball fans in North America have discussed and debated its potential for a second team. Until then, the Toronto Raptors remain the only Canadian representation in the NBA.

Canadian Elite Basketball League(CEBL) is a Canadian professional basketball team. The league includes six teams representing Canadian towns and cities: the Fraser Valley Bandits, Abbotsford (BC), Edmonton Stingers(Edmonton (Alberton), Guelph Nighthawks) Guelph Nighthawks [Guelph], Ontario], Hamilton Honey Badgers (“Hamilton”), Saskatchewan Rattlers (“Saskatoon”), and the Niagara River Lions (“St. Catharines”) The CEBL is Canada's only professional league for basketball.

The National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC), a professional men's basketball team, was in existence from 2011 through 2020. It featured eight teams from Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Cape Breton, Summerside, London, Windsor and Kitchener. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of operations at the NBLC in 2020.

Canada also has junior leagues like the Canadian National Basketball League, which is a semiprofessional men's basketball league located in Vancouver, BC. CNB teams come from British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. The Canadian Elite Development League (CEDL) is another junior basketball league in Canada that fields teams primarily from the Greater Toronto Area. AC) or the Canadian Youth Basketball League. These leagues offer opportunities for young players to practice their skills in a supportive environment.

What was the first season for the Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors suffered a poor debut season. They won only 21 games. The 1995-1996 Toronto Raptors season marked the beginning of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Toronto Raptors. The Raptors joined the league as one of two expansions teams, along with Vancouver Grizzlies. It was also the first NBA season played outside the United States.

All-Star point guard and former Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas became the team's General Manager. He was involved in the draft that produced Damon Stoudamire. He would go on to win Rookie-of-the Year. They also acquired Tracy Murray and Oliver Miller in separate trades. Thomas introduced a new primary logo featuring a dinosaur playing basketball, and pinstripe uniforms that featured the logo on their jerseys. The Raptors also added red and purple to their color scheme.

Brendan Malone became the Raptors head coach on November 3. They beat the New Jersey Nets at SkyDome to win their debut. But they lost the next seven games.

Murray was second in scoring with 16.2 points per game. He also led the team with 151 three point field goals. Miller had 12.9 points per game, 1.4 steals, 1.4 assists and 1.9 block per match, while Robertson was responsible for 9.3 points with 4.4rebounds, four assists, two steals per contest off the bench.

Despite having one of the worst records in the league, attendance was very good, as they averaged over 17283 fans per game at SkyDome (now Rogers Centre).

Statistics

By 2018, estimated the Raptors were worth $1.4 billion, 12th in the NBA. (en.wikipedia.org)
Thomas named Raptors' GM NBA superstar to have 10% stake in the new franchise". (en.wikipedia.org)
As predicted by analysts, the team easily secured a berth in the 2001 NBA playoffs with a franchise-high 47 wins. (en.wikipedia.org)
By 2018, estimated the Raptors were worth $1.4 billion, 12th in the NBA. (en.wikipedia.org)
This improved during the 2006–07 regular season to an average of 18,258 fans (13th in the league), 92.2 percent capacity at the Air Canada Centre. (en.wikipedia.org)