January 2020 – Page 11 – The view from left field

SPURS 105, RAPTORS 104: WHAT BOTH TEAMS SAID: “Our defence, we were doing everything perfectly for a long stretch and then we just totally broke down. There was no help anywhere all of a sudden and that wasn’t the case for the most part of the game. It was one after another, drive down the lane to the rim, parade to the free throw line didn’t help. So there was a little bit of disconnection there I would say, but it was pretty good for a lot of the game.” –NICK NURSE.

(17-21) SAN ANTONIO SPURS, 105 VS. (25-14) TORONTO RAPTORS, 104 SCOTIABANK ARENA SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES

NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)

On stopping moving the ball in the fourth quarter … I think there was a pretty decent three presenting itself pretty early in the offence and we probably took a bunch of those. Again, I have to look at it a little bit, but it felt like a lot of those were wide open threes.

On preferring to wait later in the shot clock … Well, now that I am sitting right here I would like to go back and pass it around a few a times and see what else was there and take that. But it’s not really our mindset in general. We want guys to take open shots, whether they are early or late, but we certainly could have attacked it better, but we don’t seem to make enough shots against it.

On how the team played with Norm Powell and Pascal Siakam back … For the most part pretty good, I’m not sure why it related to offence missing some shots, but our defence, we were doing everything perfectly for a long stretch and then we just totally broke down. There was no help anywhere all of a sudden and that wasn’t the case for the most part of the game. It was one after another, drive down the lane to the rim, parade to the free throw line didn’t help. So there was a little bit of disconnection there I would say, but it was pretty good for a lot of the game.

On DeMar DeRozan getting going in the second half … Well I think you certainly have to give him credit for it, but I would say that again, our game plan was certainly not to let him drive right down the middle of the lane and play one-on-one and lay it in, dunk, dunk that kind of stuff. Our game plan was getting executed pretty good to send help and rotate out and make him kick it out. They did a nice job adjusting to get him the ball in the middle of the floor and iso-ing him and he took it really aggressively downhill and played really well.

PASCAL SIAKAM (15 points, five rebounds, four assists)

Physically, how did it feel to be back? It felt good. Obviously I’m happy to be back. Definitely a little tired, but that’s what it takes being out a month. I haven’t played significant basketball in a long time. I felt good though, it felt good to be back out there.

On DeMar DeRozan in the fourth quarter… He did good. When he gets to the rim and gets playing like that he’s dangerous. We have to do a better job of plugging the gaps and making sure we don’t let him get to the rim. I think there by the end he got there easily and got easy buckets. He got going, we just can’t let that happen.

What happened in the fourth quarter? They did a good job running in transition and making shots. I think we got a little sloppy.

KYLE LOWRY (16 points, 15 assists)

How did things get away from you guys in the fourth quarter? We stopped playing, we stopped being aggressive, we stopped being assertive. They got more aggressive, they got faster and we missed shots, too. We didn’t go to our zone offence … a lot of things went spiraling downhill.

On play of DeMar DeRozan in the fourth quarter… He got to the free throw line, got a couple shots and I think three dunks in the third, a mid-range floater, another banker. Just played his game and stayed patient.

On the return of Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam… They looked good for guys coming back from a month off and injury. You’re not going to be perfect, but Pascal had a great start and I think the fatigue caught up to him a lithe bit down the stretch, but it’s just going to be a work in progress in getting our guys back, and Norm looked good, he made a couple of open shots. Just the fatigue and the minutes in getting their legs and rhythm back under them.

NORMAN POWELL (20 points, four assists)

How did it feel physically to be back out there tonight? It felt good to be out there running up and down competing. Physically the body felt good, legs probably needed a little second to get underneath me, but other than that it was good.

Did you feel your conditioning at any point in the game? No not really, it was more so being on a minutes restriction, sitting down, staying activated and warmed up where you felt the fatigue, but on the floor once you get going and everything like that, just playing basketball you’re not really thinking about it, just trying to do what you need to do out there to help your team win.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS QUOTES

GREGG POPOVICH (HEAD COACH)

Was the defence the main thing that triggered the comeback? It’s never one thing. I just think we just kept playing and we got more and more aggressive as the half went on. Didn’t really make a lot of shots but I thought defensively we gave ourselves an opportunity to win, and it worked out.

On Jakob Poeltl… He’s had a really good year. He was solid tonight, he played well but he’s had even better games.

On LaMarcus Aldridge tap out rebound at the end… Everybody knew that those were the most important rebounds of the night, and everybody went after it and that’s how it worked out.

DEMAR DEROZAN (25 points, eight rebounds, four assists)

What does this comeback say about the team? It says a lot. It’s a great team. Being down what we were down, to fight back and pull it out, especially on the road.

How much fun is the game for you right now with the run you’re on? It’s fun just being able to go out there and compete. Once you have that confidence, no matter if you have a slow start, you’re not going to get down on yourself and get frustrated. You know it’s going to come back around. It goes a long way. You can tell when guys have it.

On his video tribute… I don’t know anyone who gets two video tributes in a row. Find someone else who has done that. It’s awesome. The people who work here, who I have a relationship with who have seen me since I was a kid – it’s amazing to be able to get that much recognition over and over. It never gets old.

Where are you guys as a team? We’ve got another test against Miami to close out this road trip. We’re focused on that.

JAKOB POELTL (four points, 10 rebounds, two blocks)

What do you think of the leap Pascal has made this season? I wouldn’t say it’s surprising. I’d say it’s impressive. We played so much together. We practiced so much together, I feel like we know each other’s games so well and we always knew that all of us had it in us to make that next step. Pascal is the first one to really, really leap with out there. The season he is having this season is amazing, honestly.

On DeMar DeRozan’s performance… I think it means a lot to him to come back to Toronto and get a win. Last year we were really close, but we ended up losing a really close game. This year it was a really close game again, but we ended up winning. Sometimes it comes down to one or two baskets made. It’s a tough game. Today we hung in there and we pulled it out.

What effect did the zone have in the second half? It definitely slowed them down. They got a little stagnant on offense, which is exactly what we wanted them to do. Maybe make them overthink it a little bit, pack the paint, make them shoot contested shots and they started missing them. We started getting easy transition baskets out of it and that really got us going.

LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE (11 points, four rebounds, four assists)

What’s the mindset when you fall behind like that? You just have to stick with it and put some plays together. You have to keep playing and don’t give in. Our second unit was quick and bringing energy and making plays for us. I thought they got us back into it and then DeMar got going down the stretch. It was just a perfect way to end the game.

On DeMar DeRozan’s game… He’s a great teammate. He’s very unselfish and wants to win. He plays the right way. I was happy to see him have that video tribute. I feel like he played his heart out. He gave everything he had to this city. I think he honestly deserves it. For him to come back here and play great and to get a win feels good.

How big will a win be in Miami to finish this trip? It’s huge. We’ve had some big wins and one tough loss. It’s going to be great to go in there and handle business. If we can get that one then this road trip will be a really good one.

PANTHERS 8, MAPLE LEAFS 4. WHAT THE LEAFS SAID: “It was big game for us. They’re the team behind us in the division and they gained — it’s a four-point game and we didn’t show up. It’s a big learning experience for us moving forward. We’ve got to regroup and get ready for the next one.” — ZACH HYMAN.

HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE

On what the team takes away from tonight’s game:

Yeah, it’s just you take it as what it is, which is a good slap in the face and a good reminder of how we can’t play if we have any intention at all of being a successful team. A big step backwards for us here today, defensively. I thought coming out of that Winnipeg game, while we were pretty poor offensively, I thought we did a really good job defensively against their best players, especially. We knew that was going to be the key again here today. Clearly, we just weren’t even close.

On the team allowing odd-man rushes:

I don’t think it’s been an issue. Like I said, we just finished playing a Winnipeg team that is very dynamic offensively just like these guys and we gave them nothing. So, we were hoping to build upon that, but today was a problem for us. A lot of it is rigidity in the offensive zone. The first one here we get a bad bounce and we had numbers above the puck, we were in a pretty good spot, [Kerfoot] was tracking it. It takes a kind of funny bounce on him and then we lose positioning there. Then, the others, just kind of soft turnover, soft play on the puck on one. It’s a combination of different things but I don’t think it’s necessarily been a big issue for us as a team other than today.

FREDERIK ANDERSEN (8 SAVES)

On disappointment in tonight’s performance:

Yeah, I mean, I don’t think I had my best game either. I think I want to be able to make saves in big moments early on and I wasn’t good enough today either. So I think once they got the lead, we started maybe playing into their hand a little bit and maybe forced some pucks when we really didn’t need to and the game got out of hand. I think you see when we play well, I think we play with the puck a lot. So sometimes when we turn it over in the wrong places sometimes there’ll be a little bit too much room for the other teams when their skilled players come out. So this will be a good lesson for us to keep going and try to fix these things.

On if a lack of puck support led to chances for Florida tonight:

Yeah, I think a little bit. We need to be connected through all three layers of goalie, [defence] and forwards. I think that support is so huge for us to just sustain pressure and to open up the ice for them too much.

ZACH HYMAN (1 GOAL, 2 ASSISTS)

On moving past tonight’s game:

I think that you have to take away from — it’s a big learning experience, right? This is a big game for us, it was big game for us. They’re the team behind us in the division and they gained — it’s a four-point game and we didn’t show up. It’s a big learning experience for us moving forward. We’ve got to regroup and get ready for the next one.

On what the lessons are for the team from tonight’s performance:

Well, we can’t turn the puck over like we did, especially against a team that’s got the offensive guys like they do and their ability to transition. So, that’s first and foremost, right? Then just showing up. I don’t think that we gave Freddie a chance and I don’t think we gave Hutch a chance. There were way too many grade-A opportunities that went the wrong way.

ANDREAS JOHNSSON (11:06 TOI)

On his first game back since injury:

It’s nice to feel I got the tempo to hang in the game, able to skate and do some moves out there. So, for me it felt good in that way, but to come into this game and have that start is always tough.

MITCH MARNER (2 GOALS)

On how the game got away from them early on:

Forcing stuff in the middle but, at the same time, no F3, we’ve got guys diving in, we’ve got people leaving our goalies out to dry. It’s been too many games now. It’s unfair to a guy that’s been with us for the last four years. He’s been our backbone for the whole time. We’ve got to make sure we manage the puck better but, at the same time, we’ve got to manage that we’ve got a guy high and filing our spots when the [defence] are pinching.

On if there is a common theme in the six straight losses at BB&T Center:

No idea. I mean, tonight, like I just said, we were giving up too many chances, odd man chances. They’ve got a lot of guys and seemed like every guy that had a 2-on-1 had a gun of a shot or a hell of a vision to make a play. So, like I said, we’re leaving our goalie out to dry on multiple goals tonight and it’s so unfair to them and we’ve got to be way better.

JOHN TAVARES (1 GOAL)

On if this is one game of 82 that they can flush and move on:

I don’t think so. I mean, that was pretty disappointing considering what was at stake today. It’s just simply not good enough. We’ve got to be a lot more consistent and having these games and giving up the chances that we’re giving up is just not going to get us to where we want to get to.

On how the team can bounce back next game against New Jersey:

You’ve got to take care of the puck. As much as we’re going to have it a lot and we’re going to be dynamic, we’ve got to realize especially against a team like this that has some players that can really hurt you and are really talented, just giving up odd man rushes is not a recipe for success.

SPURS 105, RAPTORS 104 POSTGAME NOTES: Trailing 87-73 early in the fourth, San Antonio scored 17 straight points to lead by three with 5:31 remaining … The Spurs outscored Toronto 36-22 in the fourth … San Antonio shot 65 per cent (13-for-20) from the field in the final frame, while holding the Raptors to .348 (8-for-23) shooting from the floor.

FINAL SCORE: SAN ANTONIO SPURS 105, TORONTO RAPTORS 104 DATE: JANUARY 12, 2020 ATTENDANCE: 19,800 (Sellout)

FINAL SCORE RECORD HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS

San Antonio 105 17-21 DeRozan – 25 Poeltl – 10 Four Players – 4

Toronto 104 25-14 Ibaka – 21 Ibaka – 14 Lowry – 15

KEY RUN Trailing 87-73 early in the fourth, San Antonio scored 17 straight points to lead by three with 5:31 remaining … The Spurs outscored Toronto 36-22 in the fourth … San Antonio shot 65 per cent (13-for-20) from the field in the final frame, while holding the Raptors to .348 (8-for-23) shooting from the floor.

KEY STAT The Spurs outscored the Raptors 50-34 in the paint, including 18-6 in the fourth quarter … Twenty-five of San Antonio’s 38 made field goals were inside the paint.

RAPTORS NOTES: • With the loss, Toronto falls to 25-14 this season and 14-7 at home … The Raptors have lost two in a row at home (Jan. 7-12) and are now 2-3 in the month of January … Toronto’s next game is Wednesday night at Oklahoma City. • The Raptors had 30 assists on 39 made field goals … Toronto dished out 30+ assists for the second straight game and seventh time this season … The Raptors have 64 assists over the last two games. • Serge Ibaka recorded his career-long eighth straight double-double with a team-high 21 points and a season high-tying 14 rebounds in 32 minutes … Ibaka becomes just the third player in franchise history to record a double-double in eight straight games, joining Chris Bosh (five times) and Donyell Marshall. • Kyle Lowry posted his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and a season-high 15 assists in 39 minutes … Lowry recorded 15+ assists for the fifth time as a Raptor. • Pascal Siakam (groin) and Norman Powell (left shoulder) returned to starting lineup after missing the previous 11 games (Dec. 20 – Jan. 8) … Both players were injured Dec. 18 at Detroit. • The Raptors had four players score double figures – Ibaka (21), Powell (20), Lowry (16) and Siakam (15) … Tonight was Powell’s eighth 20-point performance of the season.

SPURS NOTES: • With the win, San Antonio improves to 17-21 on the season and 6-12 on the road … The Spurs have won three of their last four games (Jan. 6-12) and are now 2-1 on their four-game road trip (Jan. 8-15) … San Antonio’s next game is Wednesday at Miami. • DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 25 points, including eight in the fourth quarter … he added eight rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes … DeRozan has now scored more than 20 points in each of his last 11 games – the third longest streak of his career. • The Spurs had five players score in double digits – DeRozan (25), Rudy Gay (15), Derrick White (13), LaMarcus Aldridge (11) and Dejounte Murray (10). • Jakob Poeltl grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench – his sixth double-digit rebounding game this season.

PANTHERS 8, MAPLE LEAFS 4 POSTGAME NOTES: Mitch Marner scored Toronto’s second goal of the game at 13:00 of the second period before scoring Toronto’s fourth goal at 0:34 of the third period. Tonight’s game is Marner’s fourth multi-goal and 12th multi-point performance of 2019-20. Marner has points (3-6-9) in seven consecutive games.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (24-16-6 – 54 Points) vs.

FLORIDA PANTHERS (24-16-5 – 53 Points)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

	1	2	3	OT	FINAL
TORONTO	0	3	1	–	4
FLORIDA	3	4	1	–	8

GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY

ON THE SCORESHEET

Zach Hyman put the Maple Leafs on the board at 3:30 of the second period and later registered the primary assist on Mitch Marner’s second period goal before recording the lone assist on Marner’s third period goal. Tonight’s game is Hyman’s second multi-assist and fourth multi-point game of the season. With three points tonight, he has tied his career-high for points in a game (3 – 4x). Hyman has 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 15 career games against the Panthers who originally drafted him in the fifth round (123rd overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft.
Mitch Marner scored Toronto’s second goal of the game at 13:00 of the second period before scoring Toronto’s fourth goal of the game at 0:34 of the third period. Tonight’s game is Marner’s fourth multi-goal and 12th multi-point performance of 2019-20. Marner has points (3-6-9) in seven consecutive games. He has 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in 10 games against Atlantic Division opposition this season. In 15 career games against Florida, he has registered 16 points (7-9-16).
John Tavares scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the night at 15:26 of the second period. Tavares has 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 21 games played on the road this season. In 22 games against Eastern Conference opponents, he has recorded 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists).
Morgan Rielly registered the primary assist on Hyman’s second period goal. Rielly has assists (2) in two consecutive games. He has registered 11 (2-9-11) of his 27 points in 14 games against Atlantic Division opponents this season. He 18 career points (1 goal, 17 assists) in 26 games against the Panthers is his highest point total against a single opponent.
Kasperi Kapanen had the secondary assist on Hyman’s second period goal. Kapanen has assists (6) and points (1-6-7) in five consecutive games. He has nine points (2-7-9) in seven games since the Christmas break. He has recorded 19 (8 goals, 11 assists) in 24 games on the road in 2019-20.
Tyson Barrie collected the secondary assist on Marner’s second period goal. Barrie has eight assists over his last nine games played. In 12 career games against the Panthers, he has recorded 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists).
William Nylander recorded the primary assist on Tavares’ second period goal. Nylander has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 24 games on the road this season. He has recorded 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games against Eastern Conference teams in 2019-20.
Alex Kerfoot picked up the secondary assist on Tavares’ second period goal. Kerfoot has five points (1-4-5) in eight games since the Christmas break. In 11 games against Atlantic Division teams, he has recorded eight points (4-4-8).
Frederik Andersen stopped eight of the 12 shots he faced in 20:49.
Michael Hutchinson stopped 13 of the 17 shots he faced in relief of Andersen.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
TORONTO	14 (12)	17 (16)	16 (13)	–	47 (41)
FLORIDA	11 (11)	10 (9)	8 (4)	–	29 (24)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
TORONTO	21 (19)	25 (21)	30 (24)	–	76 (64)
FLORIDA	16 (16)	14 (13)	14 (6)	–	44 (35)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Record on the Road	13-11-0 (24 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Florida	43-34-7-5 (89 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Florida on the Road	18-19-5-4 (46 Games)
Record vs. Eastern Conference	13-10-5 (28 Games)
Record vs. Atlantic Division	7-6-1 (14 Games)

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots	9 (Nylander)
Shot Attempts	10 (Nylander)
Faceoff Wins	11 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage	67% (Engvall – 6 won, 3 lost)
Hits	2 (Ceci)
Blocked Shots	2 (Rielly)
Takeaways	1 (Six players tied)
TOI	21:03 (Rielly)
Power Play TOI	2:42 (Four players tied)
Shorthanded TOI	1:35 (Marincin)
Shifts	26 (Holl)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage	79.4% (Hyman – 27 for, 7 against)

RECORD WHEN…

Opponent scores first	8-13-5
Trail after 1	3-9-3
Trail after 2	2-10-3
Do not score on the power play	9-11-3
Allow one power play goal	11-8-3
Outshooting opponent	11-6-2
Sunday	0-2-0

OF NOTE…

The Maple Leafs went 1-for-2 on the penalty kill and 0-for-3 on the power play tonight.
Travis Dermott was on the ice for a team-high 30 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Dermott finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 76.9 percent (30 for, 9 against).
Pierre Engvall started 40 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
Michael Hutchinson stopped a Frank Vatrano penalty shot at 15:36 of the third period. Maple Leafs goaltenders are 3-for-5 against penalty shots in 2019-20.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Tuesday, January 14, 7:00 p.m. vs. New Jersey Devils (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
Thursday, January 16, 7:00 p.m. vs. Calgary Flames (TSN4, FAN 590)
Saturday, January 18, 7:00 p.m. vs. Chicago Blackhawks (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
Monday, January 27, 8:00 p.m. at Nashville Predators (TSN4, TSN 1050)
Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 p.m. at Dallas Stars (Sportsnet, FAN 590)

MARLIES 6, SAN ANTONIO 1 POSTGAME NOTES. “We didn’t get the result that we wanted yesterday but the character of the group came back and we played the way we did yesterday and got rewarded for the thing in the game that went the right direction. It was good to see some smiles and the team chemistry in the room after.” — GREG MOORE.

TORONTO MARLIES (21-14-2-1 – 45 Points) vs. SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE (13-17-5-4 – 35 Points)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

	1	2	3	OT	FINAL
TORONTO	3	2	1	–	6
SAN ANTONIO	0	0	1	–	1

GAME SUMMARY | GAME SHEET | PHOTOS | SCRUMS

SCORING SUMMARY

Toronto: T. MacMaster (8) PP (D. Archibald, P. Aberg), S. Pooley (2) (T. MacMaster, M. Hollowell), N. Petan (7) PP (K. Agostino, K. Kossila), P. Aberg (14) (N. Petan, J. Bracco), G. Wilson (7) (T. Liljegren, T. Gaudet), S. Pooley (3) (T. Liljegren, R. Clune)
Goaltender: J. Woll (40/41)

San Antonio: A. Toropchenko (4) PP (A. Poganski, D. Pouliot)
Goaltender: V. Husso (18/23), A. Wilcox (10/11)

ON THE SCORESHEET

Tanner MacMaster opened the scoring on the power play at 8:02 of the first period and had the primary assist on Pooley’s first period goal. MacMaster has 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in 35 games this season.
Scott Pooley scored at 13:05 of the first period and at 8:13 of the third period. Pooley has three goals through 11 games this season.
Nic Petan scored on the power play at 17:02 of the first period and later added the primary assist on Aberg’s second period goal. Petan has recorded three power play goals in two straight games. He’s collected five points (4 goals, 1 assists) through three games.
Pontus Aberg scored at 1:02 of the second period. Aberg leads the Marlies in scoring (10) on the road. Aberg has 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 32 games.
Garrett Wilson scored at 16:31 of the second period. Wilson has 11 points (7 goals, 4 assists) in 32 games.
Darren Archibald recorded the primary assist on MacMaster’s first period goal. Archibald has 11 points (7 goals, 4 assists) in 26 games this season.
Mac Hollowell registered the secondary assist on Pooley’s first period goal.
Kenny Agostino recorded the primary assist on Petan’s first period goal. Agostino has points (2 goals, 3 assists) in five consecutive games. Agostino has 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists) through 31 games this season.
Kalle Kossila picked up the secondary assist on Petan’s first period goal.
Jeremy Bracco had the secondary assist on Aberg’s second period goal. Bracco has assists (2) in consecutive games. Bracco is fifth overall in assists (26) in the League.
Timothy Liljegren registered the primary assist on Pooley’s third period goal. He has points (1 goal, 7 assists) in seven consecutive games.
Tyler Gaudet recorded the secondary assist on Wilson’s second period goal.
Rich Clune collected the secondary assist on Pooley’s third period goal. He’s recorded points (1 goal, 1 assist) in consecutive games.
Joseph Woll stopped 40 of 41 shots he faced. Woll is now 7-8-1-1 on the season with a .898 Save Percentage and a 3.34 Goals Against Average. He is 2-0-1-0 when making 40 or more saves.

OF NOTE…

Toronto has recorded six or more goals in five games this season.
Toronto was 4-for-5 on the penalty kill and 2-for-3 on the power play. This is the ninth game where Toronto has scored multiple power play goals this season.
San Antonio had a 41-34 edge in shots in all situations. Darren Archibald led the Marlies with five shots on goal.
The Marlies are 10-5-0-0 against Central Division opponents and are 3-0-0-0 against the San Antonio Rampage.
Toronto played the San Antonio Rampage on Dec. 7 and 8, winning both games in the back-to-back by a combined score of 7-3.
Toronto is on their annual Boat Show road trip, returning to Coca-Cola Coliseum on January 31. Before the All-Star Break (January 26 to January 29), Toronto will face the Texas Stars, the San Antonio Rampage, the Charlotte Checkers and the Cleveland Monsters, each in two game series.

REGULAR SEASON LEADERS

Goals: K. Agostino (18)
Assists: J. Bracco (26)
Points: P. Aberg, K. Agostino (31)
PPG: N. Petan (6)
Shots: P. Aberg (98)
+/-: P. Aberg, G. Wilson (+9)
PIMS: G. Wilson (58)

ON THE ROAD

Toronto’s away record is 8-8-2-1 (19 points) this season. Toronto’s longest road point streak reached nine points from Oct. 11 to Nov. 2 (3-0-2-1).
The Marlies have been outscored 66-60. Pontus Aberg leads the Marlies in goals (10) and Timothy Liljegren in assists (13) on the road.
Goaltenders Kasimir Kaskisuo (5-3-1-0) and Joseph Woll (3-4-1-1) have combined to make 566 saves.

RECORD WHEN…

Toronto is 16-3-1-1 when scoring first.
The Marlies are 9-2-1-1 when leading after the first period and 13-0-0-0 when leading after the second period.
Toronto is 14-8-1-1 when outshooting their opponent.
The Marlies are 6-1-1-0 in Sunday games and are 2-4-0-0 in January.

CURRENT POINT STREAKS

Kenny Agostino has points (2-3-5) in five consecutive games.
Jeremy Bracco has assists (2) in consecutive games.
Rich Clune has points (1-1-2) in consecutive games.
Timothy Liljegren has points (1-7-8) in six consecutive games.
Nic Petan has goals (4) in three consecutive games.

MARLIES UPDATES.

Kevin Gravel (illness) did not dress for tonight’s game against Texas.
Ben Harpur (concussion)did not dress for tonight’s game against Texas.
Egor Korshkov (lower leg laceration) did not dress for tonight’s game against Texas.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

January 8: Returned forward Giorgio Estephan on loan to Newfoundland (ECHL).
January 6: Recalled forward Colt Conrad from loan to Newfoundland (ECHL).
January 6: Reassigned defenceman Joseph Duszak by Toronto (NHL) to Newfoundland (ECHL).
January 6: Recalled forward Giorgio Estephan from loan to Newfoundland (ECHL).
January 6: Reassigned defenceman Rasmus Sandin by Toronto (NHL) from Sweden (WJC).

POSTGAME QUOTES

HEAD COACH GREG MOORE

On Toronto sticking to the process, resulting in a win:
Yeah, 100 hundred per cent. We didn’t get the result that we wanted yesterday but the character of the group came back and we played the way we did yesterday and got rewarded for the thing in the game that went the right direction. It was good to see some smiles and the team chemistry in the room after.

On Joseph Woll:
He gave us confidence. He had some big stops, especially in the second period when we spent a little in our end but he looked really solid, really calm. He looked like he was seeing the puck really well through traffic tonight. It was good to see.

On Scott Pooley:
He played great. He’s a goal scorer. It was good to see him get some puck touches and get some opportunities and he’s proven that he can put a puck in the back of the net. You can tell he’s playing with a little bit more calm, a little bit more confidence which is good. Sometimes it just takes guys some time to get assimilated to the level and get comfortable and he’s definitely done that.

On Toronto’s power play:
They did really good tonight. I thought they played faster, they generated a lot more, they gave a couple of different looks keeping the other team on their toes. I really like what we did tonight.

SCOTT POOLEY (2 GOALS)

On what the team did the right way in today’s game:
I think it stems back to last night. We thought we played a really good game and we just didn’t get the result we wanted so we wanted to carry that in for a full 60 or as close to a full 60 as we could tonight. I think we did a really good job. We had a little bit of a lull there in the second to start but we picked it right back up. I think we showed that we got to our game again and they weren’t able to keep up.

JOSEPH WOLL (40 SVS)

On the team sticking to their process:
I think this is a huge bounce back win after last night. I think the guys really came together. It’s awesome to see us produce that much offensively. I think we’re really starting to come together. Coach’s message is each game kind of take it one per cent better so I think that was a step in the right direction for us.

On recent results not reflecting his performance:
I think I came out this week and tried to have a really good week at practice. I think it translated really well. Just trying to stay a steady mindset whether or not I get the results I want so I think it was a good result tonight.

On facing 41 shots:
It’s definitely a little bit easier to stay in it. Those games, I think, when you see pretty sporadic shots are kind of tough to stay locked in but when they’re throwing a lot of pucks on net, it’s nice.

NEXT GAME:

January 16 at San Antonio – 7:00 p.m. CST
January 18 at Charlotte – 6:00 p.m. ET
January 19 at Charlotte – 1:00 p.m. ET
January 24 at Cleveland – 7:00 p.m. ET
January 25 at Cleveland – 1:00 p.m. ET

SPURS AT RAPTORS PREGAME NOTES: Kyle Lowry will play in his 525th game as a Raptor on Sunday, tying him with Jose Calderon for third on the franchise’s all-time games played list – behind only DeMar DeRozan (675) and Morris Peterson (542). Lowry has had five or more assists in each of his 27 games this season, the longest single-season streak of that kind in his career. The only other players who had at least five assists in 25 straight games within a season for the Raptors are Damon Stoudamire (40-game streak in 1995–96) and Calderon (25-game streak in 2007–08 and 44-game streak in 2010–11).

INJURY REPORTS AT 1:30 P.M. SUNDAY

San Antonio Spurs Johnson, Keldon Out G League – On Assignment Metu, Chimezie Out G League – On Assignment Samanic, Luka Out G League – On Assignment Weatherspoon, Quinndary Out G League – Two-Way

Toronto Raptors Gasol, Marc Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Strain Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain Ponds, Shamorie Out G League – Two-Way Powell, Norman Probable Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Subluxation Siakam, Pascal Questionable Injury/Illness – Groin; Strain VanVleet, Fred Out Injury/Illness – Right Hamstring; Strain

GAME #39 – TORONTO RAPTORS (25-13) vs. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (16-21) SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020 – 6 P.M. (ET) – SCOTIABANK ARENA TV: SPORTSNET ONE – RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN

RAPTORS NOTES

The Toronto Raptors host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto and San Antonio have split the season-series each of the past two years, with the home team winning all four games. Serge Ibaka averaged 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in two games against the Spurs last season. Toronto will play 10-of-15 games on the road in January, their busiest month on the road this season. The Raptors visit San Antonio later this month (Jan. 26)

. • Serge Ibaka recorded his seventh straight double-double (Dec. 28 – Jan. 8) with 23 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes Jan. 8 at Charlotte, matching the longest streak of his career. Ibaka leads the Raptors with 11 double-doubles this season. All 11 of Ibaka’s double-doubles have come in the last 16 games (Dec. 9 – Jan. 8). He is averaging 18.9 points and 11.1 rebounds over the last seven games. Ibaka also had a streak of seven consecutive games with a double-double last season (Jan. 22 – Feb. 5, 2019).

• Rookie Terence Davis ll made his first career start in Wednesday’s game at Charlotte. Davis recorded his first career double-double, finishing with career highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes of action. Davis is the only Raptors player to appear in every game this season, and currently ranks third among rookies in three-point percentage (.398) and eighth in field goal percentage (.467).

• Kyle Lowry will play in his 525th game as a Raptor on Sunday, tying him with Jose Calderon for third on the franchise’s all-time games played list – behind only DeMar DeRozan (675) and Morris Peterson (542). Lowry has dished out five or more assists in each of his 27 games this season, the longest single-season streak of that kind in his career. The only other players who had at least five assists in 25 straight games within a season for the Raptors are Damon Stoudamire (40-game streak in 1995–96) and Calderon (25game streak in 2007–08 and 44-game streak in 2010–11). .

• Pascal Siakam currently ranks third among all Eastern Conference frontcourt players in the second fan returns of NBA All-Star voting. Siakam is one of just six players in the NBA averaging 24.0+ points, 8.0+ rebounds and 3.0+ assists this season, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Karl-Anthony Towns. No Raptor has ever averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists throughout an entire season.

• Pascal Siakam (groin; stretch), Fred VanVleet (right hamstring; strain), Norman Powell (left shoulder; subluxation) and Marc Gasol (left hamstring; strain) have accounted for 43 per cent of Toronto’s total points this season (1800-of-4197) despite missing a combined 40 games due to injury.

• DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl return to Toronto on Sunday as members of the Spurs. DeRozan was selected ninth overall by the Raptors in the 2009 NBA Draft and spent his first nine seasons in Toronto. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in points (13,296), field goals made (4,716), free throws made (3,539), games played (675) and victories (353). DeRozan represented Toronto at the NBA All-Star game four times (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018). Poeltl was also picked ninth overall by the Raptors in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 136 games with Toronto.

PROBABLE STARTERS

F – OG ANUNOBY #3

MIN: 30.0 REB: 5.9 AST: 1.6 STL: 1.1 TO: 1.3 BLK: 0.7 PTS: 11.1

• Contributed 19 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes Jan. 8 at Charlotte. • Toronto is 16-4 this season when Anunoby scores 10 or more points. • Shooting a career-best .494 (164-332) from the field, including 50 per cent (24-48) over the last five games.

F – PATRICK McCAW #22 •

MIN: 27.8 REB: 2.7 AST: 2.5 STL: 1.2 TO: 1.1 BLK: 0.1 PTS: 6.5

Recorded first career double-double with 13 points and a career-best 11 assists Jan. 8 at Charlotte. • In 11 starts this season, averaging 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 31.2 minutes. • Has played at least 20 minutes in a career-long 14 straight games (Dec. 14 – Jan. 8).

C – SERGE IBAKA #9

MIN: 26.3 REB: 8.4 AST: 1.3 STL: 0.4 TO: 2.1 BLK: 1.0 PTS: 14.9

• Recorded team-leading 11th double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes Jan. 8 at Charlotte. • Averaging 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 32.3 minutes in 11 games as a starter. • Shooting .507 (34-67) from the field, including .444 (4-9) from three-point range through four games in January.

G – TERENCE DAVIS #0

MIN: 17.1 REB: 3.2 AST: 1.9 STL: 0.5 TO: 0.9 BLK: 0.2 PTS: 7.2

• In first career start, set career highs with 23 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes Jan. 8 at Charlotte. • Is the only Raptors player to appear in every game this season. • Leads all rookies in +/- rating (+177); has finished with a plus or even rating in 28-of-38 games this season.

G – KYLE LOWRY #7

MIN: 38.5 REB: 4.6 AST: 7.6 STL: 1.2 TO: 3.0 BLK: 0.5 PTS: 20.8

• Finished with 15 points, nine assists and two steals in 43 minutes of action Jan. 8 at Charlotte. • Has made at least two three-pointers in 14 straight games (Dec. 14 – Jan. 8); totaled 48 threes during this span. • Has scored 20+ points 17 times; something he did 15 times in 65 games last season.

INJURY REPORT Marc Gasol (Left hamstring; strain) – Questionable Dewan Hernandez (Right ankle; sprain) – Out Norman Powell (Left shoulder; subluxation ) – Probable Pascal Siakam (Groin; stretch) – Questionable Fred VanVleet (Right hamstring; strain) – Out

NEXT GAME DETAILS Opponent: San Antonio Spurs Date: Sunday, January 12 Tip-Off: 6 p.m. (ET) Venue: Scotiabank Arena Television: Sportsnet Radio: Sportsnet 590 The FAN

SERIES RECAP VS. SAN ANTONIO

OVERALL HOME ROAD

2018-19 1-1 1-0 0-1

ALL-TIME 13-33 9-14 4-19

STREAKS Won 1 Won 2 Lost 10

LAST WIN: February 22, 2019 (120-117)

LAST HOME WIN: February 22, 2019 (120-117)

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: +33, February 19, 1997

LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT: -28, January 3, 2017

LAST TIME VS. SAN ANTONIO

GAME 60 – FEBRUARY 22, 2019 TORONTO 120, SAN ANTONIO 117

TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard stole the ball from DeMar DeRozan to score the go-ahead dunk with 15 seconds left and the Raptors beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-117, spoiling the former Toronto star’s return to Canada … Leonard scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, and combined with Kyle Lowry to strip DeRozan at midcourt before racing in alone for a one-handed slam … DeRozan finished with 23 points … Pascal Siakam scored 22 points to help Toronto win its seventh straight game … Lowry and Danny Green each had 17, Serge Ibaka had 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Jeremy Lin had 11 points in his second game with the Raptors … Marco Belinelli scored 21 points for San Antonio, Davis Bertans had 16, and Rudy Gay added 12 points and 10 rebounds … The Raptors took a 101-100 lead on Lin’s jumper with 6:52 to go — part of a 90 run … San Antonio overcame a six-point deficit, reclaiming the lead on Bertans’ two free throws with 1:36 left — the first of four lead changes in the final 1:36 … Bertans missed a potential go-ahead basket with less than 3 seconds left, and Lowry sealed victory by grabbing the rebound … Leonard made two free throws with less than a second to play before Belinelli missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the final buzzer … Raptors coach Nick Nurse was ejected in the third.

1 2 3 4 TOT

SAN ANTONIO 23 33 35 26 117

TORONTO 26 29 33 32 120

SPURS’ LAST GAME STARTERS

DEMAR DEROZAN #10 G • 6-7 • 220 USC