Raptors with injuries embracing a “next man up” mentality
Bruce Brown, DJ Carton, Jakob Poeltl, and Scottie Barnes were the only injured players for Toronto heading into their game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Owing to an illness, RJ Barrett was added only before the game.
Once more, the starting lineup was switched, with Gradey Dick taking over in the to unit. It was the start of his second career.
A few players demonstrated in a hard-fought game that they possess the “next man up” mentality that is important in the NBA. The Raptors fought back in the second half to force overtime after falling behind by more than 20 points in the first.
Sadly, they managed just one field goal in the extra period, as the Trail Blazers prevailed 128-118.
Immanuel Fast-moving Point
Quickley came fresh off a game in which he had 18 assists against the Phoenix Suns.
where he became a member of the select group of Raptors who have ever recorded 18 or more assists in one game.
After mostly playing off the bench for the New York Knicks, he was traded to the Raptors, where his ability to make plays has significantly increased. He is currently the starting point guard for the Raptors, and Darko Rajaković wants to see him provide assists.
“R.J. was another creative and a scorer for us, and we lost him. The idea was to develop some synergy between Kelly and Quickley, but the ball really passed through Kelly a lot. When Quickley scored, I believe, 25 points in the second half compared to just 4 in the first, things really got going.” – Darko Rajaković
His level of play appears to be increasing in tandem with his confidence. The ability to operate a starting lineup after being relied upon as a backup guard may contribute to the increased self-assurance. For a large portion of Saturday’s game against Portland, Quickley was vociferous.
Given that so many of their best players are sidelined due to illness or injury, the Raptors are in serious need of him doing this. The immense advantage Quickley is offering Toronto is not just his exceptional play in every category but also his self-assurance and vocalization.
He scored a season-high 29 points in the Raptors’ overtime loss to Portland on Saturday night.
In six of the team’s nine games following the All-Star break, Quickley has scored twenty points or more. Since being traded, he has scored 17.5 points per game on average.
Boucher At Last Receives Minutes
Boucher defeated the Trail Blazers with 16 points and 8 rebounds.
Fans and Chris Boucher himself are disappointed that he has not played much this season. Fans screamed “we want Boucher” at the Raptors’ most recent home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, thinking the Montreal-born Canadian would play some minutes. However, Boucher did not play.
In the game versus Phoenix, he finally heard his number called and finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Boucher was once again brought in early due to the numerous injuries sustained on Saturday. He had an instant impact and helped the Raptors advance to overtime by collecting a rebound and completing a basket with 0.7 seconds remaining in the game to level the score.
One of those players that lights up the court the moment he steps on is Boucher. He’s at the rim, he’s on the glass, he’s blocking shots. It’s a little odd that he hasn’t played much this season because he is deserving of a rotation slot.
Given these outings and the Raptors’ apparent serious injury problem, perhaps Boucher will receive additional playing time to see out the season.
Gary Trent Jr. Dissects the Trailer
In the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Trent Jr. scored 23 points.
Since the All-Star Break, Gary Trent Jr. has been extremely productive. Trent Jr. has excelled at getting to the hoop when offensive titans like Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett aren’t around.
He scored thirty points in the game against Phoenix, almost helping the Raptors defeat the Suns. He was a major factor in Toronto’s ability to rally and tie the game against the Trail Blazers. Against Portland, he finished with 23 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
He’ll benefit from this when he hits free agency this summer.
The Raptors played with a lot of grit in this game, even though they lost in overtime. Many players have had to fill in for Barnes and other players, which has provided the squad with a rare chance to evaluate some of the team’s talent before the season is out.
On Monday night, the Raptors will play the reigning champion Nuggets in Denver as part of their ongoing road trip.