The Toronto Raptors stumbled out of the game and failed to close with a win against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Toronto Raptors could not close out their season-high 6-game home stand with a win, as the dynamic duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray proved too much for them to handle.
Young had an impressive night with 29 points and 10 assists, while Murray ended with 27 points. The game stayed in Atlanta's control the entire night since they never trailed once. Onyeka Okongwu notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while AJ Griffin came off the bench to score 13.
It was clear from the start that the Hawks were determined to extend their winning streak and take advantage of this upcoming series, as they came into it one game ahead of Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks followed through on their goal, winning in Indiana on Friday on a last-second basket by John Collins, then capping off a successful road trip with another win against Toronto.
Ultimately, the dribble penetration by the dynamic duo was just too much for Raptors to handle. The strong offensive plays from Trae and Dejounte were just too much for the Raptors, especially Fred had a tough time keeping anybody in front of him. Atlanta looked in total control all night, winning 114-103. This victory put them 2-1 against the Raptors in three regular-season meetings – a crucial result deciding tiebreakers later in when they needed it most down the stretch of this intense race.
Scottie Barnes was great, but in the end, Raptors couldn't recover after the poor start in the game.
Scottie Barnes was great last night, scoring a team-high 27 points and adding 12 rebounds to his line. He played much closer to the basket all night, a trend we've often seen in Raptor's recent offence. Pascal Siakman also scored 15 points before he fouled out. O.G Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa each managed 14 points, with Chris Boucher capping off the list of double-digit scorers for Toronto at 13. But despite their contributions, the Raptors couldn't overcome their poor start.
The Raptors stumbled out of the gate, going 1-13 over the first 6 minutes of play and only producing three points before OG hit a corner three. Fred VanVleet shot 1 for 9, costing him 3 points in total, while fellow starter Gary Trent Jr shot 2 for 7 but managed seven points in total. Raptors didn't look like they had a chance in this one. It wasn't until Boucher made a three-pointer with 3:14 left that Toronto had some hope - but unfortunately, Siakam fouled out moments later, ending any hope of a comeback for Toronto. It was too little too late after such an abysmal start.
