Month: November 2021

Damian Lillard on playing on big-market super team: ‘I don’t feel in my heart that that’s who I am or where I belong’ — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Damian Lillard spent the summer flirting with the idea of leaving the Trail Blazers.

Damian Lillard on playing on big-market super team: ‘I don’t feel in my heart that that’s who I am or where I belong’ — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Timberwolves can’t cool down Clippers, drop to below .500. — Twin Cities

The one thing the Timberwolves have been able to hang their hats on this season has been their defense. Losses have come because of offensive struggles. The defense has kept Minnesota in every game. That was true until the fourth quarter against Orlando on Monday, when the Wolves surrendered 43 points over the final 12…

Timberwolves can’t cool down Clippers, drop to below .500. — Twin Cities

Nikola Jokic misses look at the buzzer, Nuggets drop second straight to Memphis — The Denver Post

MEMPHIS – The effort was there. On Wednesday, it was Denver’s 3-point defense that abandoned it. The Grizzlies rained in nearly half of their 3-pointers, drowning the Nuggets in a gripping 108-106 loss. Denver’s now 4-4 on the season after the Grizzlies knocked off the Nuggets for the second time in three nights. Down two…

Nikola Jokic misses look at the buzzer, Nuggets drop second straight to Memphis — The Denver Post

RAPTORS-WIZARDS PREGAME NOTES

OG Anunoby scored a career-best 36 points on Monday

Barnes Out


• The Toronto Raptors finish a three-game road trip (Oct. 30 – Nov. 3) Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Washington beat the Raptors 98-83 in Toronto to open the season.
The Wizards have won the last two meetings, however the Raptors have won four in a row in Washington.
Toronto has started the season with three straight road victories for the first time since 2016-17.
• OG Anunoby scored a career-best 36 points (13-27 FG, 4-12 3PT, 6-7 FT) in Monday’s victory at New York – his third career 30-point effort. Anunoby has now scored 20+ points in four of the last six games
(Oct. 23 – Nov. 1), averaging 22.8 points. He is shooting .464 (52-112) from the field and .407 (22-54) from 3-point range during this stretch.
• The Raptors have won four in a row following Monday’s 113-104 victory at New York. Toronto has recorded 49 steals and has a +30 turnover differential (47-to-77) over the last four games.
• Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet lead the NBA in deflections this season with 38 apiece. VanVleet has led the league in deflections per game each of the past two seasons. Trent Jr. currently ranks fourth in the
league in steals per game (2.75) and has recorded multiple steals in six of the first eight games, including a career high-tying five steals twice. The Raptors rank first in the NBA in steals per game (11.1) this season
after finishing fourth in steals (8.6) in 2020-21.
• Fred VanVleet has scored 15+ points in six straight games (Oct. 23 – Nov. 1). VanVleet is averaging 18.8 points, 7.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds during this stretch, and is shooting .468 (44-94) from the floor and .378 (17-45) from three-point range.
• The Raptors grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and outscored New York 16-8 in second chance points Monday night. Toronto currently leads the NBA in offensive rebounds per game (14.3) and ranks second in second-chance points per game (16.9). The Raptors finished last season ranked 20th in the league in
offensive rebounds (9.4). Reserve Khem Birch leads Toronto with 25 offensive rebounds this season, including 13 in the last four games (Oct. 27 – Nov. 1).
• Rookie Scottie Barnes will miss his second straight game with sprained right thumb. He injured the thumb late in the fourth quarter Oct. 30 at Indiana. Barnes currently leads all rookies in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounds (8.9) and field goal percentage (.551). He has paced the team in scoring in four of his first seven games played, scored 20+ points three times and earned two double-doubles.

160 PLAYERS DECLARED FREE AGENTS — EIGHT BLUE JAYS

160 Players Become XX(B) Free Agents
NEW YORK, Nov. 3 – One hundred sixty players today were declared XX(B) free agents. Additional
players may become XX(B) free agents pending option decisions in their Uniform Player
Contracts.
Arizona Diamondbacks (0):
Atlanta Braves (7): Ehire Adrianza, Jesse Chavez, Freddie Freeman, Christopher Martin, Eddie Rosario,
Drew Smyly, Jorge Soler
Baltimore Orioles (2): Fernando Abad, Matt Harvey
Boston Red Sox (5): Adam Ottavino, Hansel Robles, Eduardo Rodriguez, Daniel Santana, Travis Shaw
Chicago Cubs (5): Robinson Chirinos, Zachary Davies, Matt Duffy, Jose Lobaton, Austin Romine
Chicago White Sox (4): Leury García, Billy Hamilton, Carlos Rodon, Ryan Tepera
Cincinnati Reds (3): Asdrúbal Cabrera, Mychal Givens, Michael Lorenzen
Cleveland Indians (3): Blake Parker, Wilson Ramos, Bryan Shaw
Colorado Rockies (4): Jhoulys Chacín, Jonathan Gray, Chris Owings, Trevor Story
Detroit Tigers (4): Derek Holland, Wily Peralta, Julio Teheran, José Ureña
Houston Astros (7): Carlos Correa, Yimi García, Marwin Gonzalez, Kendall Graveman, Zack Greinke,
Brooks Raley, Justin Verlander
Kansas City Royals (4): Wade Davis, Jesse Hahn, Greg Holland, Ervin Santana
Los Angeles Angels (8): Dylan Bundy, Steven Cishek, Alexander Cobb, Dexter Fowler, Raisel Iglesias, Juan
Lagares, Alejandro Ramos, Kurt Suzuki
Los Angeles Dodgers (11): Danny Duffy, Cole Hamels, Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Knebel,
Jimmy Nelson, Albert Pujols, Max Scherzer, Corey Seager, Steven Souza, Chris Taylor
Miami Marlins (1): Sandy León
Milwaukee Brewers (8): Brett Anderson, John Axford, Bradley Boxberger, Eduardo Escobar, Daniel
Norris, Manny Piña, Colin Rea, Hunter Strickland
Minnesota Twins (2): Michael Pineda, Andrelton Simmons
New York Mets (11): Javier Báez, Dellin Betances, Michael Conforto, Jeurys Familia, Brad Hand, Heath
Hembree, Richard Hill, Aaron Loup, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Jonathan Villar
New York Yankees (2): Corey Kluber, Anthony Rizzo
Oakland A’s (11): Mark Canha, Khristopher Davis, Michael Fiers, Yan Gomes, Joshua Harrison, Jed
Lowrie, Starling Marte, Mitchell Moreland, Yusmeiro Petit, Sergio Romo, Trevor Rosenthal
Philadelphia Phillies (7): Cam Bedrosian, Archie Bradley, Freddy Galvis, Ian Kennedy, Bradley Miller,
Matthew Moore, Héctor Neris
Pittsburgh Pirates (3): Trevor Cahill, Shelby Miller, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo
St. Louis Cardinals (7): Luis Amado García, J.A. Happ, Kwang Hyun Kim, Wade LeBlanc, Jonathan Lester,
TJ McFarland, Andrew Miller
San Diego Padres (4): Ross Detwiler, Daniel Hudson, Tommy Pham, Vincent Velasquez
San Francisco Giants (9): Brandon Belt, Kris Bryant, Tyler Chatwood, Anthony DesSclafani, Kevin
Gausman, Scott Kazmir, Donovan Solano, Tony Watson, Alex Wood
Seattle Mariners (5): Tyler Anderson, Sean Doolittle, James Paxton, Héctor Santiago, Joe Smith
Tampa Bay Rays (7): Chris Archer, Nelson Cruz, Tommy Hunter, Collin McHugh, David Robertson, Chaz
Roe, Michael Wacha
Texas Rangers (3): Charlie Culberson, Brock Holt, Jordan Lyles
Toronto Blue Jays (8): Corey Dickerson, Jarrod Dyson, Steven Matz, David Phelps, Robbie Ray, Marcus
Semien, Joakim Soria, Kirby Yates
Washington Nationals (5): Alex Avila, Luis Avilán, Jordy Mercer, Gerardo Parra, Ryan Zimmerman

MAPLE LEAFS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 0

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (5-4-1 – 11 Points) vs.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (4-5-0 – 8 Points)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021
1 2 3 FINAL
TORONTO 1 2 1 4
VEGAS 0 0 0 0

ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Mitch Marner scored for the Maple Leafs at 11:31 of the first period. Marner has scored in back-to-back games (2G).
  • John Tavares registered the primary assist on Marner’s goal. Tavares has recorded five points
    through the last three games (2G, 3A).
  • Alexander Kerfoot posted the secondary assist on Marner’s goal. Kerfoot has recorded an assist
    in consecutive games (2A).
  • Auston Matthews scored on a power play opportunity for Toronto at 2:59 of the second period.
    Matthews marked the 48th power play goal of his NHL career.
  • William Nylander recorded the primary assist on Matthews’ goal. Nylander notched his fourth
    assist of the season.
  • Mitch Marner registered the secondary assist on Matthews’ goal, posting his second point (1G,
    1A) of the game.
  • Auston Matthews scored his second goal of the game at 19:15 of the second period for the
    Maple Leafs. Matthews recorded his third goal of the season.
  • Morgan Rielly registered the primary assist Matthews’ second goal of the period. Rielly recorded
    his sixth assist of the season and has posted an assist in three consecutive games (3A).
  • Mitch Marner recorded the secondary assist on Matthews’ second goal of the period. Marner
    posted his third point of the game (1G, 2A). Marner has registered five points through the last
    three games (2G, 3A).
  • William Nylander scored for Toronto at 2:43 of the third period. Nylander recorded his fourth
    goal of the season and second point of the game (1G, 1A).
  • Michael Bunting registered the primary assist on Nylander’s goal. Bunting notched his third
    assist of the season. He has point in consecutive games (1G, 1A).
  • TJ Brodie recorded the secondary assist on Nylander’s goal. Brodie has posted an assist in
    back-to-back games.
  • Jack Campbell stopped all 26 shots he faced in tonight’s win. Campbell posted his fifth career NHL shutout, third with the Maple Leafs.
    SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
    1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
    TORONTO 13 (13) 12 (7) 8 (8) 33 (28)
    VEGAS 4 (4) 10 (8) 12 (12) 26 (24)
    SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
    1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
    TORONTO 24 (24) 29 (19) 13 (13) 66 (56)
    VEGAS 9 (9) 17 (13) 20 (19) 46 (41)
    ON THE ROAD AGAIN
  • The Maple Leafs are 4-1-1 on home ice this season.
  • Toronto’s all-time record is 5-2-0-0 in 7 games against the Vegas Golden Knights and 4-0-0-0 in 4
    games played in Toronto.
  • Toronto is 2-1-0 against the Western Conference this season and 1-1-0 against the Pacific Division
    this season.
    MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
    Shots 6 (Matthews)
    Shot Attempts 12 (Matthews)
    Faceoff Wins 9 (Kämpf)
    Faceoff Win Percentage 63% (Spezza – 5 won, 3 lost)
    Hits 6 (Muzzin)
    Blocked Shots 3 (Brodie)
    Takeaways 4 (Nylander)
    TOI 23:29 (Muzzin)
    Power Play TOI 1:15 (Marner, Matthews, Rielly, Nylander,
    Tavares)
    Shorthanded TOI 3:59 (Muzzin)
    Shifts 30 (Brodie)
    5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage 88.89% (Kerfoot – 16 for, 2 against)
    RECORD WHEN…
  • The Maple Leafs were 1-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill tonight.
  • Toronto is 3-1-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.
  • The Maple Leafs are 3-1-0 when leading after one period and 3-0-0 when leading after two periods.
  • Toronto is 4-2-1 when outshooting their opponent.
  • The Maple Leafs are 1-0-0 in Tuesday games.
    OF NOTE…
  • Per NHL PR, Auston Matthews tallied his third multi-goal outing against the Golden Knights, the
    most by any player since Vegas’ inaugural season in 2017-18.
  • Per NHL PR, Auston Matthews scored two goals in the second period for his 40th multi-goal outing
    since making his NHL debut in 2016-17. He ranks second in multi-goal games since the 2016-17
    season, trailing only Alex Ovechkin who has posted 43.
  • TJ Brodie appeared in his 700th career NHL game.
  • Pierre Engvall appeared in his 100th career NHL game.
  • TJ Brodie was on the ice for a team-high 25 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5.
  • Alexander Kerfoot finished the game with a team-high 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 88.89
    percent (16 for, 2 against).
    UPCOMING GAMES:
    Nov. 4 Leafs vs. Tampa Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Nov. 6 Leafs vs. Boston Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Nov. 8 Leafs vs. Los Angeles Scotiabank Arena 7:30 pm ET
    Nov. 10 Leafs at Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center 7:30 pm ET
    Nov. 12 Leafs vs. Calgary Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Nov. 13 Leafs at Buffalo KeyBank Center 7:00 pm ET
    Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution.

Hawks, Wizards set NBA record by making all 45 of their free throws — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Trae Young – the rare person complaining not enough fouls are being called amid the NBA’s new rules – drew a season-high 11 free throws last night.

Hawks, Wizards set NBA record by making all 45 of their free throws — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Scottie Pippen: Michael Jordan ‘couldn’t have been more condescending’ in ‘The Last Dance’ — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Michael Jordan approved “The Last Dance” the day LeBron James and the 2016 Cavaliers held their championship parade.

Scottie Pippen: Michael Jordan ‘couldn’t have been more condescending’ in ‘The Last Dance’ — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Clippers’ Reggie Jackson appreciates the support — Whittier Daily News

LOS ANGELES — Reggie Jackson has been an open book, eager to talk about how grateful he is to his employer, coworkers and live viewing audience. “This organization has empowered me,” he said in June, while he was on a tear that helped the Clippers reach their first Western Conference finals. “The more I stay…

Clippers’ Reggie Jackson appreciates the support — Whittier Daily News

GOLDEN KNIGHTS-MAPLE LEAFS PREGAME NOTES






2021-22 Matchups vs. Vegas: First of Two
2020-21 Record vs. Vegas: N/A
Next Game vs. Vegas: Tuesday, January 11 at Vegas
Toronto Season Record: 4-4-1
Toronto Home Record: 3-1-1
TV: TSN4 RADIO: TSN 1050

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
October 31, 2021
Goaltender Michael Hutchinson has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies
(AHL)
October 30, 2021
Forward Michael Amadio claimed off waivers by the Vegas Golden
Knights

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 5 vs. Detroit 4
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
TOR Goals: Muzzin, Bunting, Kerfoot, Tavares, Marner
DET Goals: Zadina, Veleno, Namestnikov, Hronek
TOR Goaltender: Mrázek, 27/31, .871 SV%
DET Goaltender: Greiss, 33/38, .868 SV%
TOR Power Play: 1-for-2
DET Power Play: 1-for-2

NEXT GAME
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2021
Opponent: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Broadcast Information: TSN4 (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)

INJURY REPORT
Ilya Mikheyev (Thumb) *On Injured Reserve
Man Games Lost: 9


ALL-TIME VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS:
First Matchup between Clubs: November 6, 2017 (Toronto 4, Vegas 3 – SOW)
All-Time Record: 4-2-0-0 (6 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 3-0-0-0 (3 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 1-2-0-0 (3 Games)
Last Home Win vs. Opponent: November 7, 2019 (Toronto 2, Vegas 1 – OTW)
Record in Last Five Games: 3-2-0

ACTIVE LEADERS VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS:
Games Played: Jake Muzzin (11), Nick Ritchie (9), TJ Brodie (9)
Goals: Auston Matthews (5), Wayne Simmonds (3), John Tavares (3)
Assists:
Jake Muzzin (4), Morgan Rielly (4), Mitch Marner (3), Jason Spezza (3),
Nick Ritchie (3), William Nylander (3), John Tavares (3)
Points:
Auston Matthews (7), John Tavares (6), Mitch Marner (5), Jason Spezza
(5), Nick Ritchie (5), Morgan Rielly (5)
Penalty Minutes:
Justin Holl (4), Jake Muzzin (4), Alexander Kerfoot (4), Michael Bunting
(4), John Tavares (4)

2021-22 AVERAGES &RANKINGS
Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .500 2.33 3.22 14.8% 82.8% 34.8 30.2 56.6%
NHL Rank 19th-T 27th-T 21st-T 26th 16th 4th-T 23rd 1st


THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22
Power Play: 4/27 (14.8%)
Power Play Goal Leader: 1 – Engvall, Spezza, Bunting, Nylander
Power Play Point Leader: 3 – Spezza
2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)

ON THE PK IN 2021-22
Penalty Kill: 24/29 (82.8%)
Shorthanded Goal Leader: N/A
Shorthanded Point Leader: N/A
2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%)

FAST FACTS
Tuesday games 1 of 14 (8 home, 6 road)
Back-to-Backs played 2 of 13
Record in first game of Back-to-Back 1-1-0
Record in second game of Back-to-Back 0-2-0
November games 1st of 14 (8 home, 6 road)


RECENT MILESTONES

AUSTON MATTHEWS
Recorded his 200th NHL goal on Oct. 25 at CAR. Per NHL Stats,
Matthews required the second-fewest games to reach 200 goals in Maple
Leafs history among players who debuted with the team, trailing only
Charlie Conacher (317 games).
AUSTON MATTHEWS
Recorded his 300th NHL point with a goal on Feb. 8 vs. VAN, tying Charlie
Conacher to become the second-fastest Maple Leaf to reach the mark at
294 games.
MORGAN RIELLY
Recorded his 300th NHL point with an assist on Apr. 13 vs. CGY to
become the sixth defenceman in franchise history to record 300 points with
the club.
MORGAN RIELLY Recorded his 250th career NHL assist on Oct. 27 at CHI
WAYNE SIMMONDS Skated in his 950th career NHL game on Oct. 16 vs. OTT
JOHN TAVARES Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 18 vs. NYR.

UPCOMING MILESTONES
TJ BRODIE One game away from 700 career NHL games played
TJ BRODIE One goal away from 50 career NHL goals
JACK CAMPBELL Seven wins away from 50 career NHL wins
TRAVIS DERMOTT Two points away from 50 career NHL points
PIERRE ENGVALL One game away from 100 career NHL games played
JUSTIN HOLL Nine points away from 50 career NHL points
ONDREJ KAŠE Six goals away from 50 career NHL goals
ONDREJ KAŠE One point away from 100 career NHL points
DAVID KÄMPF Nine assists away from 50 career NHL assists
ILYA MIKHEYEV Seven games away from 100 career NHL games played

CATEGORY LEADER CATEGORY LEADER
GOALS
3 – Tavares, Nylander, Spezza,
Bunting
BLOCKED SHOTS 17 – Holl
ASSISTS 5 – Rielly TAKEAWAYS 11 – Marner
POINTS 7 – Tavares HITS 21 – Ritchie
POWER PLAY POINTS 3 – Spezza TOI PER GAME 24:24 – Rielly
SHORTHANDED POINTS N/A PP TOI PER GAME 3:17 – Nylander, Tavares, Marner
PIMs 9 – Simmonds SH TOI PER GAME 3:06 – Holl
SHOTS 31 – Nylander, Tavares WINS 3 – Campbell
FACEOFF% 100% – Marner, Bunting GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE 2.31 – Campbell
SHOT ATTEMPTS% 59.9% – Nylander SAVE PERCENTAGE .918 – Campbell