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On the eve of NBA commerce deadline, the Raptors managed to not present any added incentive to surrender on the present core of the crew.
Going through a San Antonio squad that frankly might be extra involved with its lottery possibilities than they’re in piling up wins, the Raptors took care of the enterprise at hand in a business-like 112-98 win.
It was their third win in a row and left the Raptors at worst tied for tenth within the East, the ultimate spot for a possible play-in to the playoffs.
On this contest, Pascal Siakam appeared as contemporary as he has for the reason that crew left Toronto nearly two and a half weeks in the past.
He had 37 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists to steer the Toronto assault.
All 5 starters together with Siakam had been in double-digits in scoring.
Relying on what Masai Ujiri and the entrance workplace do Thursday, it might have been the final time the core of this crew performs collectively.
The hearsay mill is filled with potential Raptors heading elsewhere on the 3 p.m. commerce deadline and most of these names we’re all listening to most frequently are a part of that Toronto core.
Ujiri’s observe document suggests lower than extra in the present day, however it’s in all probability truthful to say Ujiri hasn’t had a crew carry out all the way down to the degrees they’ve this yr in any yr apart from that misplaced season in Tampa through the center of COVID.
Chris Boucher continued his stellar play off the bench from the street journey with 16 factors and 11 boards off the bench for Toronto.
The crew will get proper again at it on Friday as Utah arrives on the town. Simply which Raptors are nonetheless round for that one will likely be answered someday simply after 3 p.m. Thursday.
PRECIOUS’ ROLE GROWING
Treasured Achiuwa has been a reasonably large a part of Nick Nurse’s rotation for nicely over a season now, however that position is increasing.
A part of it, after all, is the sprained left wrist that has stored him out of the previous six video games together with Wednesday night time’s tilt with San Antonio,
However Achiuwa’s minutes had been increasing even earlier than Anunoby’s harm.
“He’s achieved very nicely,” Nurse stated of Achiuwa. “He definitely had some actually huge video games. We’re very glad to see him come to life. He doesn’t favor to start out, usually. He got here out type of weapons a blazing. I talked to him, similar to I’ve up to now, to simply attempt to get him to have that energetic, targeted recreation just a little extra often the place he’s on the glass.”
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And in Nurse’s opinion, it’s Achiuwa’s work on the glass that type of jump-starts the remainder of his recreation.
“To me, the rebounding is likely one of the keys,” Nurse stated. “If he’s chasing the ball off the glass, he’s doing every little thing else on the ground fairly good, which suggests he’s ending, driving, simply doing issues fairly exactly.
“For him it’s all about can he carry the vitality and convey the ball up and down the ground each methods as a result of I actually like how he’s taking the problem to protect, particularly on the perimeter. He’s achieved a extremely good job of switching and selecting up guys who can deal with the ball and get locations off the dribble. He’s taken that problem and achieved a reasonably good job as nicely. We want that vitality.”
PUTTING IN THE TIME
Usually on an extended street journey just like the Raptors simply completed — seven video games in seven cities over two weeks — practices and shootarounds are stored to a minimal to offset the additional miles the crew is logging getting from place to put.
However that was not the case this previous journey as Nurse and his teaching employees had the crew on the courtroom as a lot as they might together with each morning shootaround of a recreation that wasn’t a back-to-back and each post-day recreation no matter journey.
Even on their return to Toronto, usually a time to put low and recoup from a strenuous journey, Nurse and the crew did take the Monday off however on Tuesday went at it exhausting. In addition they didn’t go up the chance for a Wednesday morning shootaround.
“I actually don’t have many options for issues apart from work exhausting,” Nurse stated, loosely referring to the problems the Raptors have had placing wins collectively this yr. “That’s the place it at all times begins for me. If you’re attempting to sort things I’m in all probability not going to go in my workplace and hope they get higher. We’re going to provide you with a plan, we’re going to inform the blokes what the plan is and we’re going to get on the market and work on stuff.”
Nurse stated the drop in his crew’s play insisted on this route.
“It’s in all probability been happening like this for six weeks or so and I simply, once more, wished to ascertain that the highest of our listing of priorities is being a hard-working crew,” he stated.
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