The Toronto Raptors put up a fight in the first half, but then fell apart in the second half on route to a 112-98 blowout loss.
Little help for BBQ
This was the second game that RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley (BBQ) played together this season. Their chemistry was a lot better and all three had decent games, with Quickley having the best game scoring a team-high 22 points. The trio combined for 56 of Toronto’s 112 points. The Raptors supporting cast was not good. Jakob Poeltl had 8 points and Gradey Dick only had 3 points. Meanwhile, Chris Boucher’s 10 points in 3 minutes was the only spark from off the bench. In a game like this against the high powered Knicks, the Raptors needed their role players and bench to come through.
Gradey Dick struggles
Dick turned in one of his worst performances of the season scoring just 3 points on 1-for-6 shooting. The Raptors need Dick to be the complimentary piece to BBQ with his shooting and scoring. In a game like this they needed him to be more of an offensive threat. Dick has also struggled defensively, so if his offense is off it’s hard for him to be an impactful player. He is in a big shooting slump right now shooting 6-for-29 from the field and 6-for-20 from three over his last 3 games. Hopefully, he can turn it around.
Talent discrepancy
The Raptors actually showcased a lot more effort in this game than they did in previous outings. They fought hard early on and were only down by 4 at halftime. However, as the game went on it was obvious that the Raptors’ talent level was no where close to the Knicks’, a team that is considered a championship contender. It was a friendly reminder that the Raptors have a long way to go with its roster construction and they need a blue chip prospect, who they will hopefully land in this year’s upcoming draft.
Next on tap
The Raptors will head to Cleveland to take on the best team in basketball in the Cavaliers who have won 11 games in a row.
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