The Toronto Raptors suffered a tough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-102. This game was winnable for the Raptors but they just couldn’t hit their free throws.
The Raptors got to the free throw line 29 times and missed 9 of them. In a 3-point loss that’s the difference.
Toronto’s duo of Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam had subpar games. Barnes struggled from the field finishing with 15 points and Siakam finished with 18 points but he had a quiet fourth quarter.
Leading the way for the Raptors was Jakob Poeltl who registered his best game of the season. Poeltl had a season-high 18 points and 13 rebounds. He was 8-9 from the field and was a +9.
Poeltl was especially good down the stretch keeping the Raptors alive in the fourth quarter:
Poeltl putting in work tonight 🔥
18 PTS & counting pic.twitter.com/0FW70pKHhv
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 27, 2023
He managed to have his best game of the season against a tough frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
It’s been a weird season for Poeltl. There has been times where his fit has not looked good on the court or he has struggled to catch and finish around the rim. However, Poeltl has been able to put together some nice performances for Toronto, this one being his best.
Despite the loss, it was nice to see Poeltl perform well in this spot.
Masai Ujiri must be happy to see this too. Masai and the Raptors traded their 2024 first-round pick (Top-6 protected) for Poeltl at last season’s trade deadline. Toronto then extended him this past offseason to a four-year, $80 million deal.
The Raptors are hoping for more performances like this from Poeltl.
Raptors take on Nets
The Raptors have another important early season matchup on Nov. 28 when they take on the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are one of those teams the Raptors need to leap frog if they want to make the play-in tournament and make a push for a playoff spot.
This will be the Raptors final In-Season Tournament game. This will mean nothing in terms of tournament implications fo the Raptors since they are already eliminated, however the Nets are still alive so Toronto better expect their best effort.
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