The Raptors have now dropped to a record of 3 wins and 2 losses after their most recent outing at home against the Orlando Magic. It was the first NBA Emirates Cup game of the season, so their record inside the tournament drops to zero and one. It was also a mini-series against the Orlando Magic, so their record in that was an even one-one split.
Let’s start with the obvious: Scottie Barnes was insane last night as he went for a career-high 41 points. Scottie’s always had a good midrange and post-up game, but this season seems like it’s getting into the elite territory with the way he’s making some of these shots. He’s posting up, fading, pulling-up, literally whatever you ask of him, he can make. Barnes has been phenomenal this season, as he’s gone for 23+ points in all his outings outside of the stinker in Minnesota, where he went 0-for-12 from the field for 0 points.
Next up we had Jakob Poeltl, who has struggled immensely to get any type of momentum going in this season prior to tonight, as he had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double in easily his best outing so far this season.
Immanuel Quickley was also solid in this one with a good all-around stat line of 17 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. On a team where three-point shooting is rare to come by, his shooting touch is essential to the Raptors’ success, as his hot start early in the third quarter allowed the Raptors to cut the lead midway through the third quarter.
RJ Barrett snapped his streak of four games in a row of 20+ points per game with his 9-point performance, which was a huge disappointment in a night where Toronto needed offence outside of Scottie Barnes.
A few more positives: Ja’Kobe Walter didn’t have a great night per se, with just 9 points, but, like IQ, his three-point shot is so crucial to Toronto’s success that his 3-for-5 from beyond the arc earns a shout-out.
CMB wasn’t that great on the defensive end, but 15 points was good enough for third-most points from the Raptors tonight. He got into foul trouble like a ton of other Raptors, which could have limited his defensive aggression.
Finally, Allen Graves did well in his limited minutes with 7 points and 4 rebounds. He only got 9 minutes tonight, but he gave it his all during those minutes, especially during his first shift.
For Orlando, it was three 20+ point performances from Desmond Bane, Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner. Bane was absolutely on fire from beyond the arc, especially early on in the game. Wendell Carter Jr. did most of his damage at the free-throw line and down low while also adding one three-pointer. Franz Wagner was the same, with a ton of damage at the free-throw line and inside the three-point line.
Anthony Black was three points shy of joining the 20 club as he had a nice shooting night beyond the arc, going three-for-four. Jamal Cain was the final Magic to hit the double-digit mark as he went for 13 points with a perfect three-for-three from three-point range.
