The Toronto Raptors drop their third game in a row falling to the lowly Charlotte Hornets 119-116.
Toronto has now lost 5 of their last 6 games and are 4 games under .500.
Scottie Barnes had 31 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Toronto, but he missed a shot at the buzzer that looked like it would have sent the game into overtime had it gone down. However, after the game, it was determined that Barnes’ foot was on the line, making it a 2-point attempt.
Barnes’ triple-double was the third of his career and second this season.
Pascal Siakam chipped in with 25 points and Precious Achiuwa had 17 points from off the bench.
The Raptors trailed by as many as 20 points in this game, but they managed to come back to take a five-point lead in the fourth quarter only to squander it down the stretch.
The Hornets won this game despite not having their top scorer in LaMelo Ball, who is out with an ankle injury.
The Hornets got a total team effort in this one as they tied a franchise record with four players finishing with at least 20 points. Gordon Hayward led the Hornets with 24 points.
The Hornets won this game thanks to their hot shooting. They were 55.7 percent from the field and 52 percent from three (13-25).
Meanwhile, the Raptors shot 18.8 percent from three (6-32).
Barnes was 3-6 from deep and Achiuwa was 3-4. They combined to make all 6 of Toronto’s three-pointers. The rest of the team was 0-22 from three.
The Raptors once again got off to a slow start and dug themselves in a hole that they couldn’t get out of. This was another winnable game Toronto failed to win.
Next on tap
The Raptors look to end a three-game losing streak when they travel to New York to take on the Knicks on Dec. 11. This will be the Raptors second matchup against the Knicks this season.
They lost to the Knicks back on Dec. 1 119-106. The Raptors struggled from deep in that contest as well.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!