The Toronto Raptors couldn’t overcome their first quarter woes in a 138-133 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Raptors now fall to 1-4 on the season.
The Raptors entered this game without Scottie Barnes who will be out for at least the next 3 weeks with a right orbital fracture. Toronto was also missing Immanuel Quickley, Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown.
The Raptors were down by as many as 23 points, but fought back with a big second quarter and were competitive in the second half. Turnovers were a big issue for Toronto as they allowed 29 points off their 14 turnovers.
RJ Barrett looks ready to breakout
Barrett looks poised to hit another gear with Barnes sidelined. He was solid in this one pouring in 31 points to go along with 8 assists and 4 rebounds. Since returning from injury, Barrett has been locked in and has been shooting the ball well. Barrett shot 10-for-18 from the field and was an impressive 4-for-6 from three.
Gradey Dick new career-high
Dick’s career-high of 25 points lasted just 5 days. The sophomore set another new career-high in this game putting up 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting from the field. He also added 3 steals. Dick once again did a great job of putting the ball on the deck and finishing at the rim. He continues to get better as the season progresses.
Jakob Poeltl is hitting another gear
Poeltl turned in another impressive performance with 20 points and 16 rebounds. This coming off his 16-point and 19-rebound performance against the Denver Nuggets. Poeltl has recorded 15+ rebounds in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He is playing some of his best basketball right now and if the Raptors continue to lose, he could be targeted by many teams leading up to the trade deadline.
Next on tap
The Raptors will return home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 1. The Raptors will look to avoid a three-game losing streak.
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!
