Month: December 2021

MAPLE LEAFS-OILERS pregame notes



2021-22 Matchups vs. Edmonton: First of Two
2020-21 Record vs. Edmonton: 6-1-2
Next Game vs. Edmonton: Wednesday, January 5 vs. Edmonton
Toronto Season Record: 19-8-2
Toronto Road Record: 7-4-1
TV: TSN4 RADIO: TSN 1050

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 12, 2021
Defenceman Carl Dahlstrom and forward Brett Seney have been
recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL)
December 12, 2021
Defenceman Kristians Rubins has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies
(AHL)
December 7, 2021 Forward Joey Anderson has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL)
December 7, 2021
Defencemen Alex Biega and Kristians Rubins and forward Alex
Steeves have been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL)

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 5 vs. Chicago 4
Date: Saturday, December 11, 2021
TOR Goals: Tavares, Nylander, Matthews, Engvall, Kämpf
CHI Goals: Toews, Murphy, Kubalik, McCabe
TOR Goaltender: Mrazek, 31/35, .886 SV%
CHI Goaltender: Lankinen, 21/26, .808 SV%
TOR Power Play: 2-for-3
TOR Penalty Kill: 3-for-3

NEXT GAME
Date: Saturday, December 18, 2021
Opponent: at Vancouver Canucks
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)

INJURY REPORT
Travis Dermott (Shoulder)
Mitch Marner (Shoulder) *On Injured Reserve
Ilya Mikheyev (Thumb) *On Injured Reserve
Rasmus Sandin (Knee) *On Injured Reserve
Games Lost to Injury: 39

ALL-TIME VS. EDMONTON OILERS:
First Matchup between Clubs: November 11, 1979 (Toronto 6 at Edmonton 3)
All-Time Record: 58-44-8-3 (113 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 31-19-2-1 (53 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 27-25-6-2 (60 Games)
Last Road Win vs. Opponent: March 3, 2021 (Toronto 6 at Edmonton 1)
Record in Last Five Games: 4-0-1
Record in Last 10 Games: 6-2-2

ACTIVE LEADERS VS. EDMONTON OILERS:
Games Played: TJ Brodie (48), Jake Muzzin (40), Jason Spezza (38)
Goals:
Jason Spezza (11), Wayne Simmonds (9), Wayne Simmonds (9), John
Tavares (9)
Assists: Jason Spezza (22), TJ Brodie (19), John Tavares (18)
Points: Jason Spezza (33), John Tavares (27), TJ Brodie (21)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (47), Wayne Simmonds (26), Jake Muzzin (24)

2021-22 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS
Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .690 3.21 2.55 30.5% 81.7% 34.5 31.2 55.2%
Edmonton .615 3.39 3.08 31.7% 82.7% 32.1 33.7 52.2%

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22
Power Play: 25/82 (30.5%)
Power Play Goal Leader: 7 – Matthews
Power Play Point Leader: 14 – Matthews (7G, 7A), Nylander (5G, 9A)
2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)

ON THE PK IN 2021-22
Penalty Kill: 67/82 (81.7%)
Shorthanded Goal Leader: 1 – Marner
Shorthanded Point Leader: 1 – Marner (1G), Muzzin (1A)
2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%)

FAST FACTS
Tuesday games 4th of 14 (8 home, 6 road)
Back-to-Backs played 5 of 13
Record in first game of back-to-back 2-2-1
Record in second game of back-to-back 2-3-0
December games 7th of 13 (6 home, 7 road)
RECENT MILESTONES
UPCOMING MILESTONES
TJ BRODIE Appeared in his 700th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK
JACK CAMPBELL Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 16 vs. NSH
JACK CAMPBELL Recorded his 50th career NHL win, Nov. 18 vs. NYR
PIERRE ENGVALL Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 2 vs. VGK
ONDREJ KAŠE Recorded his 100th career NHL point, Nov. 10 at PHI
ONDREJ KAŠE Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 9 vs. TBL
ALEXANDER KERFOOT Appeared in his 300th career NHL game, Nov. 26 at SJS
AUSTON MATTHEWS
Recorded his 200th career NHL goal, 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)
MORGAN RIELLY Recorded his 250th career NHL assist, Oct. 27 at CHI
MORGAN RIELLY Skated in his 600th career NHL game, Dec. 9 vs. TBL
WAYNE SIMMONDS Skated in his 950th career NHL game, Oct. 16 vs. OTT
JASON SPEZZA Skated in his 1,200th career NHL game, Nov. 28 at ANA
JOHN TAVARES Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs, Oct. 18 vs. NYR
JOHN TAVARES Scored his 100th goal with the Maple Leafs, Nov. 13 at BUF

UPCOMING MILESTONES
TJ BRODIE One goal away from 50 career NHL goals
TRAVIS DERMOTT One point away from 50 career NHL points
JUSTIN HOLL Eight points away from 50 career NHL points
DAVID KÄMPF Five assists away from 50 career NHL assists
ILYA MIKHEYEV Seven games away from 100 career NHL games played
JOHN TAVARES Two games away from 900 career NHL games played.

ALL-TIME RECORDS vs. TORONTO GP RECORD HOME (60) AWAY (53) GF GA
OILERS ALL-TIME vs. TORONTO 113 47-53-8-5 27-25-6-2 20-28-2-3 200 210
OILERS vs. TORONTO – 2021-22 0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0 0
QUICK FACTS
On Tuesday, Edmonton will face the Leafs for the first of two meetings this season and the lone game in Edmonton.
The last time these teams met was on March 29th, 2021 in Toronto, with the Oilers defeating the Leafs 3-2 in overtime.
Connor McDavid lead the Oilers with 25 career points against Toronto and Kyle Turris has appeared in a team leading 36 career games against
Toronto.
LEADING THE WAY
McDavid notched two assists on Dec. 9 and has posted 15 points (5G, 10A) in his last 10 games, including five multi-point games. He has recorded
points in all but four of the Oilers’ first 26 games.
Draisaitl registered two goals on Dec. 9 vs. BOS, marking his 9th two goal game of the season. He has recorded at least a point in all but seven of the
Oilers’ first 26 games, including three four-point efforts and six three-point games.
Draisaitl (23-22—45 in 26 GP) and McDavid (16 -29—45 in 26 GP) rank first and second in NHL scoring, while Draisaitl’s 23 goals lead the NHL.
The Oilers also have the top three players in the top five in the NHL this season: 1st – McDavid (29), T-4th – Draisaitl (22) and T-5th – Nugent-Hopkins
(21).
MOST POINTS SINCE START OF 2018-19 SEASON
McDavid – 363
Draisaitl – 344
Marchand -283
Kane – 282
MacKinnon – 278
MOST GOALS SINCE START OF 2018-19 SEASON
Draisaitl – 147
Ovechkin – 143
Matthews -143
McDavid – 124
Connor – 116
FOUR POINT FRENZY
Connor McDavid has registered two four point games this season, while Leon Draisaitl has notched three four-point games. McDavid (21) and Draisaitl
(16) rank first and second in the NHL in 4-point games since 2015-16.
WINNING &SCORING IN DIFFERENT WAYS
The Oilers rank tied for T-4th in the NHL in wins (9) when leading after one period and T-5th in wins (11) when leading after two periods.
The Oilers rank T-2nd in the NHL in wins (3) when trailing after two periods.
Edmonton Oilers: Media Notes
The Oilers are T-4th in the league in 3rd period goals (34) and rank T-5th in the league in 1st period goals (27).
The Oilers rank 1st in the NHL in wins (10) when being outshot by their opponent.
APPROACHING MILESTONES
Zach Hyman is three goals from his 100th NHL goal.
Derek Ryan is four assists from his 100th NHL assist.
Darnell Nurse (46) needs one goals to pass Steve Smith for sole possession of fourth for goals by an Oilers defenseman
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (4) needs one overtime goal to tie Taylor Hall and Ryan Smyth (5 each) for fourth-most in Oilers history, a list led by Leon
Draisaitl (10) in first and Connor McDavid (9) in second.
Connor McDavid (45) needs one game-winning goal to surpass Ryan Smyth (45) for the fourth-most in franchise history, while Leon Draisaitl (38) needs
six game winners to pass Mark Messier (43) for 6th place.
Connor McDavid (31) needs nine multi-goal games to pass Paul Coffey for the 6th most in franchise history
Mikko Koskinen (5) needs one shutout to tie Dwayne Roloson (6) for 7th place in franchise history.
Mikko Koskinen needs eight wins to pass Curtis Joseph for 7th in Oilers all-time wins
UPCOMING OILERS/NHL FIRSTS
Philip Broberg – First NHL Goal
Tyler Benson – First NHL goal
William Lagesson – First NHL goal
Markus Niemelainen – First NHL point/goal
Stuart Skinner – First NHL shutout
Brendan Perlini – First goal as an Oiler
Colton Sceviour – First goal as an Oiler
RECENT MILESTONES
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recorded his 500th NHL point (assist) on Dec. 3 at SEA
Leon Draisaitl played his 500th NHL game on Dec. 3 at SEA
Connor McDavid – Scored his 210th goal on Dec. 1 vs. PIT, passing Paul Coffey for 7th place in franchise history goals
Markus Niemelainen – Played his 1st NHL game on Dec. 1 vs. PIT
Kris Russell – Blocked two shots on Nov. 27 at VGK, becoming the NHL’s all-time blocked shots leader
Zach Hyman – Scored on Nov. 27 at VGK recording his 200th career point.
Connor McDavid – Posted his 400th NHL assist on Nov. 24 at ARI
Leon Draisaitl – Posted his 40th career multi-goal game on Nov. 16 at WPG, passing Paul Coffey for the 6th most in franchise history
Connor McDavid – Scored his 600th career NHL point on Nov. 14 at STL
Ryan McLeod – Scored his 1st career NHL goal on Nov. 14 at STL
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Scored his 186th goal, surpassing Craig Simpson (185) for sole possession of 9th in all-time Oilers scoring.
Leon Draisaitl – Scored his 76th power play goal to pass Craig Simpson (75) for the 6th spot in franchise history
Leon Draisaitl – Passed Paul Coffey for sole possession of 6th spot on the Oilers all-time goals list
Cody Ceci – Scored his 1st goal as an Oiler on Nov. 11 at BOS
Tyson Barrie – Posted his 400th career point (assist) on Nov. 5 vs. NYR
Mikko Koskinen – Passed Devan Dubnyk (61) for sole possession of 8th most wins in franchise history on Nov. 3 vs. NSH.
Leon Draisaitl – Passed Ryan Smyth (142) on Nov. 1 vs. SEA for 8th most multi-point games in Oilers history.
Duncan Keith – Played his 1200th career NHL game and scored his 1st goal as an Oiler on Nov. 1 vs. SEA.
LAST 10 GAMES vs. TORONTO
Record: 4-5-1
GF: 25 GA: 35
2020-21 3/29/21 @ TOR 3-2 W (OT)
2020-21 3/29/21 @ TOR 4-3 L (OT)
2020-21 3/3/21 @ EDM 6-1 L
2020-21 3/1/21 @ EDM 3-0 L
2020-21 2/27/21 @ EDM 4-0 L
2020-21 1/30/21 @ EDM 4-3 W
2020-21 1/28/21 @ EDM 4-3 L
2020-21 1/22/21 @ TOR 4-2 L
2020-21 1/20/21 @ TOR 3-1 W
2019-20 1/6/20 @ TOR 6-4 W
OILERS LEADERS vs. LEAFS
NHL CAREER
Games: Turris (36)
Goals: Turris (11)
Assists: Keith, McDavid (17)
Points: McDavid (25)
Penalty minutes: Kassian (43)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Nov. 8 F Devin Shore placed on IR, F Ryan McLeod recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
Nov. 19 D Slater Koekkoek and D Darnell Nurse placed on IR, G Mike Smith place on LTIR
D Philip Broberg and D William Lagesson recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
Nov. 30 D Cody Ceci placed on Covid protocol and D Duncan Keith placed on IR
D Markus Niemelainen recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
Dec. 7 F Brendan Perlini placed on waivers
Dec. 8 F Brendan Perlini cleared waivers
Dec. 9 D Cody Ceci activated off non-roster
D Philip Broberg loaned to Bakersfield (AHL)
Dec. 10 D Philip Broberg recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
D Kris Russell placed on IR
OILERS IN DECEMBER
Overall – 522 GP, 230-217-42-33 – 535 PTS
2021-22 – 6 GP, 1-5-0 – 2 PTS
2019-20 – 14 GP, 5-8-1 – 11 PTS

Gary Payton II knocks over fan’s drink, orders replacement (video) — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Warriors guard Gary Payton II wreaks plenty of havoc on the court.

Gary Payton II knocks over fan’s drink, orders replacement (video) — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

NHL postpones more games due to COVID. So why did the Sharks have to play on? — Chico Enterprise-Record

SAN JOSE — The growing number of COVID-19 cases around the NHL — and the subsequent postponement of several more games — has caught the attention of the Sharks, who already had a round of positive cases more than six weeks ago. The NHL on Tuesday announced the postponement of Carolina’s game with the Minnesota…

NHL postpones more games due to COVID. So why did the Sharks have to play on? — Chico Enterprise-Record

Knicks Fans To Watch Stephen Curry Set Record Thinking What Could’ve Been — NESN.com

It only makes sense that Stephen Curry almost certainly will break the NBA record for made 3-pointers in league history at Madison Square Garden, The Mecca of Basketball, but it may serve as a brutal reminder for the New York Knick fans in attendance. Curry, after all, was one draft spot away from potentially landing […]

Knicks Fans To Watch Stephen Curry Set Record Thinking What Could’ve Been — NESN.com

RAPTORS-NETS pregame notes

INJURY REPORT AT 5:30 P.M. TUESDAY

TOR@BKN

Brooklyn Nets Aldridge, LaMarcus Out Health and Safety Protocols
Bembry, DeAndre’ Out Health and Safety Protocols
Carter, Jevon Out Health and Safety Protocols
Durant, Kevin Questionable Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Soreness
Harris, Joe Out Injury/Illness – Left Ankle; Surgery
Irving, Kyrie Out Ineligible To Play
Johnson, James Out Health and Safety Protocols
Millsap, Paul Out Health and Safety Protocols
Toronto Raptors Achiuwa, Precious Out Health and Safety Protocols
Anunoby, OG Out Injury/Illness – Left Hip; Pointer
Banton, Dalano Out Injury/Illness – Illness; Non-COVID
Birch, Khem Out Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Swelling
Dragic, Goran Out Not With Team
Johnson, David Out Injury/Illness – Left Calf; Strain


• The Toronto Raptors (13-14) play the second game of a back-to-back set Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets (19-8) at Barclays Center. The Raptors won for the fourth time in five games beating Sacramento
124-101 on Monday night. Toronto led wire-to-wire in the win and finished its homestand with a 4-3 record.
• The NBA announced Monday that Thursday’s game (Dec. 16) between the Raptors and Chicago Bulls at Scotiabank Arena has been postponed. Ten Bulls players, along with additional staff members, are currently in the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols. Following Tuesday, Toronto’s next game will now be Saturday night when they host the Golden State Warriors.
• Chris Boucher matched his season high with 17 points, Yuta Watanabe had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double, and the Raptors used a 70-point first half to beat Sacramento on Monday. Toronto made a season-best 53 field goals and set a season high with 28 assists, including 19 in the
first half. The Raptors also set season highs for bench points (51) and points in the paint (68).
• Nine different players scored 10 or more points, including all five starters, in Monday’s victory over the Kings. It’s the first time in franchise history the Raptors had nine players score in double figures in the
same game. It’s just the second time this has happened in the NBA this season (Last: Dec. 2, 2021 – Memphis vs. Oklahoma City).
• Scottie Barnes tallied 16 points, four rebounds and a season-high five blocks in 32 minutes Monday night against the Kings. Barnes currently ranks second among rookies in scoring (15.1) and rebounds (8.2), leads in minutes (35.8) and is third with a .486 (155-319) field goal percentage.
• Pascal Siakam has scored 16+ points in 10 of the last 11 games (Nov. 19 – Dec. 13). Siakam is averaging a team highs of 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds during this stretch. He is shooting .475 (87-183) from the
field and .333 (13-39) from beyond the arc over the last 11. contests.
• Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. lead the NBA in deflections with 97 apiece this season. VanVleet has led the league in deflections per game each of the past two seasons. Trent Jr. also ranks third in the NBA in steals per game (2.08) and has recorded multiple steals in 16 games. The Raptors lead the NBA in deflections per game (19.3) and rank third in steals (9.1) this season.
• Goran Dragic is currently taking time away from the team for a personal matter. There is no definite time-line, and updates will be provided as appropriate. Dragic is averaging 8.0 points in five games this season.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4

MIN: 35.8 REB: 8.2 AST: 3.2 STL: 1.2 TO: 1.9 BLK: 1.0 PTS: 15.1
• Recorded 16 points, four rebounds and a season-high five blocks in 32 minutes Dec. 13 vs. Sacramento.
• Has scored in double figures in 10 straight games (Nov. 21 – Dec. 13), averaging 15.4 points during this stretch.
• Ranks second among rookies in scoring (15.1) and rebounds (8.2), and leads in minutes (35.8).
F – PASCAL SIAKAM #43

MIN: 33.8 REB: 7.7 AST: 3.8 STL: 0.6 TO: 2.2 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 18.8
• Finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes Dec. 13 vs. Sacramento.
• Tied with Precious Achiuwa and Scottie Barnes for the team lead with four double-doubles this season.
• Averaging 20.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists through five games in December.
.
C – CHRIS BOUCHER #25

MIN: 14.9 REB: 4.3 AST: 0.3 STL: 0.4 TO: 0.7 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 7.2
• Matched his season high with 17 points Dec. 13 vs. Sacramento; added five rebounds in 22 minutes.
• Has scored in double digits in each of the last four games (Dec. 5-13), averaging 14.0 points during this span.
• In three starts this season, averaging 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 23.9 minutes.
G – GARY TRENT JR. #33

MIN: 34.5 REB: 3.2 AST: 1.9 STL: 2.1 TO: 0.9 BLK: 0.3 PTS: 16.7
• Contributed 10 points, four assists and three steals in 31 minutes of action Dec. 13 vs. Sacramento.
• Ranks third in the NBA in steals per game (2.08); has recorded multiple steals in five of the last six games.
• Has scored 20+ points nine times; something he did 15 times in 58 games last season.
G – FRED VANVLEET #23

MIN: 37.7 REB: 5.0 AST: 6.4 STL: 1.5 TO: 3.1 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 19.4
• Tallied 12 points, five assists and two steals in 26 minutes Dec. 13 vs. Sacramento.
• Leads the NBA in minutes per game (37.7), has logged 40+ minutes in six games.
• Has scored in double digits in all 26 of his games played this season, including 20+ points 10 times.

INJURY REPORT
Precious Achiuwa (Health & Safety Protocols) – Out
OG Anunoby (Left Hip; Pointer) – Out
Dalano Banton (Illness; Non-COVID) – Out
Khem Birch (Right Knee; Swelling) – Out
Goran Dragic (NWT) – Out
David Johnson (Left Calf; Strain) – Out

2021-22 RECORDS
W-L EAST WEST
OVERALL 13-14 10-8 3-6
HOME 6-9 5-6 1-3
AWAY 7-5 5-2 2-3
OVERTIME 0-0 0-0 0-0

PROBABLE STARTERS
[ F ] K E V I N D U R A N T

7 • TEXAS (15th Season) • 6-10 • 225

2021-22 Averages Notables Last Game
29.4 ppg
7.6 rpg
5.6 apg
36.5 mpg
• Was acquired via a sign-and-trade with Golden State on
7/7/19 and signed a multi-year contract extension on 8/8/21.
• Is an 11-time All-Star (2010-19, 2021), nine-time All-NBA
honoree (six First Team, three Second Team), two-time NBA
Champion (2017, 2018), two-time Finals MVP, four-time
scoring champion (2009-12, 2013-14) and the MVP in 2014.
51 pts, 7 rebs, 9 asts
41 mins
12/12 at DET


[ F ] D E A N D R E ’ B E M B R Y

95 • SAINT JOSEPH’S (6th Season) • 6-5 • 210

2021-22 Averages Notables Last Game
5.6 ppg
3.3 rpg
1.1 apg
19.6 mpg
• Is in his first season with the Nets after signing as a free
agent on 8/8/21.
• Has drawn his first starts of the season in the Nets’ last 10
games, averaging 7.3 ppg (.596 FG), 4.7 rpg and 1.1 apg in
24.9 mpg.
4 pts, 4 rebs, 2 asts
17 mins
12/12 at DET


[C ] L A MA R C U S A L D R I D G E

21 • TEXAS (11th Season) • 6-11 • 265

2021-22 Averages Notables Last Game
14.0 ppg
5.7 rpg
0.9 apg
23.6 mpg
• Is in his second season with Brooklyn after re-signing on
9/3/21. He originally joined the Nets as a free agent on 3/28/21
and appeared in five games for the team last season.
• Is one of two active players to record 20,000 points and
8,000 rebounds, joining LeBron James.
15 pts, 5 rebs, 1 ast
25 mins
12/12 at DET


[G ] P A T T Y MI L L S

8 • SAINT MARY’S (13th Season) • 6-0 • 180

2021-22 Averages Notables Last Game
12.7 ppg
1.7 rpg
2.4 apg
29.1 mpg
• Is in his first season with Brooklyn after signing with the
team as a free agent on 8/10/21.
• Ranks fourth in NBA history in 3-pointers made off the
bench. Since entering the NBA in 2009-10, he’s first in threes
made and third in points and minutes played off the bench.
18 pts, 3 rebs, 5 asts
35 mins
12/12 at DET


[G ] J AM E S H A R D E N

13 • ARIZONA STATE (12th Season) • 6-5 • 220

2021-22 Averages Notables Last Game
20.8 ppg
7.9 rpg
9.6 apg
36.2 mpg
• Acquired from Houston in a four-team trade on 1/14/21.
• Is a six-time All-NBA First Team honoree, nine-time NBA
All-Star, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2018, three-time
scoring champion (2018-20) and led the league in assists in
2017.
INACTIVE – Rest
12/12 at DET


2021-22 BROOKLYN NETS RECORDS
RECORD HOME ROAD OVERTIME
OVERALL 19-8 8-5 11-3 —
DIVISION 4-0 — 4-0 —
WESTERN CONF. 4-3 1-2 3-1 —
EASTERN CONF. 15-5 7-3 8-2 –

IF THE NETS WIN
➢ It would be Brooklyn’s third straight win, their 10th win in the last 13 games and 18th win in their last 23 games (since 10/29 vs. Indiana).
▪ The Nets begin a five-game homestand tonight (their second-longest homestand of the season and longest remaining homestand).
➢ It would extend the Nets’ win streak vs. Toronto to three games. The last time the Nets won three straight vs. Toronto came from 11/3/12 – 1/15/13.
▪ The Nets have won two straight against the Raptors for the first time since 2/4/15 and 4/3/15.
➢ It would improve Brooklyn’s record vs. Atlantic Division opponents this season to a perfect 5-0.
▪ Since last season, Brooklyn is 12-4 vs. Atlantic Division teams (6-1 at home). The Nets’ only home loss to an Atlantic Division team
since the start of last season came on 2/5/21 vs. Toronto when Kevin Durant played just 19 minutes (health and safety protocols).
➢ It would prevent Brooklyn from losing consecutive home games for just the second time in the last two seasons (the Nets lost their last home game on
12/4 vs. Chicago). The Nets have lost consecutive home games just once across the last two seasons: 1/1/21 vs. Atlanta and 1/3/21 vs. Washington.
EARLY SEASON LEAGUE LEADERS
➢ PPG: Kevin Durant leads the league in ppg (29.4) despite ranking seventh in FGA/game (20.1).
➢ APG: James Harden is second in the league in apg (9.6), trailing only Chris Paul (10.2).
➢ TRIPL-DBLS: James Harden is tied for third in triple-doubles with Dejounte Murray (four), trailing Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic (five).
➢ DBL-DBLS: James Harden is tied for fifth in the league in double-doubles (17).
➢ FTM-FTA: James Harden is fifth in FTM/game (6.5) and fifth in FTA/game (7.4). KD is sixth in FTM/game (6.3) and sixth in FTA/game (7.2).
➢ 3FGM: Patty Mills is tied for fifth in the league in 3-pointers made (82) and is tied for second in the league in catch-and-shoot 3FGM (63-of-139).
➢ 3FG %: Joe Harris is second in the league in 3FG % (.466). Patty Mills is eighth (.443).
➢ FG %: LaMarcus Aldridge is 12th in the league in FG % (.573).
➢ PLUS/MINUS: Patty Mills is 12th in the league in plus/minus (+173).

➢ ROAD: The Nets lead the league in road wins (11). Brooklyn’s 11-3 road record marks
the furthest the Nets have been over .500 on the road at any point in franchise history.
▪ The Nets are 31-19 (.620) on the road since the start of last season. Only
Phoenix (33-14, .702) and Utah (31-18, .633) are better in that time.
▪ The only team with a higher win % on the road this season than Brooklyn
is Phoenix (9-2, .818).
➢ DISHING: The Nets are 16-2 this season when dishing out 25+ assists in a game.
➢ MIDRANGE: The Nets are shooting a league-best .494 FG % from midrange this season, ranking first in midrange FGM/game (7.7) and second in midrange FGA/game (15.5). Brooklyn finished second in midrange FG % last season (.463), trailing Phoenix (.474).
➢ CLUTCH: The Nets are 10-3 in ‘clutch’ games this season (games within five points in the last five minutes), marking the fourth-best record in the
league, trailing only Washington (12-1), Phoenix (11-1) and Memphis (8-2) in such games.
▪ The Nets had the third-best ‘clutch’ record in the league last season (27-13), trailing only Philadelphia (25-9) and Phoenix (25-12).
➢ ON D: Brooklyn is 8-0 this season when holding its opponent under 100 points. The Nets have won a franchise record 25 straight games (last loss:
94-82 on 12/26/19 vs. New York) when holding their opponent under 100 points (11-0 last season).
▪ Brooklyn is also 9-1 when holding its opponent under .400 FG % this season (10-0 in such games last season).
▪ The Nets are also 16-1 this season when holding their opponent to 110 or fewer points (only loss: 106-93 on 10/27 vs. Miami).
➢ ON O: The Nets are 4-0 this season when scoring 120+ points and 7-1 when shooting .500+ FG %.
▪ The Nets have won 24 straight games (dating back to 2/2/21 vs. L.A. Clippers) when scoring 120+ points, which marks the longest
active streak in the league. The 24 straight wins when scoring 120+ points is also the longest streak in Nets history.
▪ The Nets are also 13-0 this season when scoring 110+ points in a game.
▪ Brooklyn was 31-3 when scoring 120+ points last season and 25-4 when shooting .500+ FG %.
➢ FTM-FTA-FT%: The Nets are one of two teams in the league to rank in the top-five in FTM/game, FTA/game and FT %, joining Boston.
➢ LOSSES: The Nets are one of two teams this season that have not lost consecutive games, joining Golden State.
▪ This is the deepest the Nets have gone into a season without losing consecutive games in franchise history (previously: the Nets didn’t
lose consecutive games in the 2002-03 campaign until the 15th and
16th games of the season

Clippers take business-like approach into game vs. Utah Jazz — Press Enterprise

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers had just convincingly taken down the team that not only came into play Monday with the NBA’s best record and having won 20 of its past 21 games — but which also ended their playoff run last season in Western Conference finals. 718 more words

Clippers take business-like approach into game vs. Utah Jazz — Press Enterprise

Report: Trail Blazers players frustrated with Chauncey Billups’ demeanor — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has called out his players again and again for not competing hard enough.

Report: Trail Blazers players frustrated with Chauncey Billups’ demeanor — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

KINGS-RAPTORS pregame notes

• The Toronto Raptors (12-14) complete a season-long seven-game homestand (Nov. 28 – Dec. 13) Monday night when they host the Sacramento Kings (11-16) at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors are 3-3 on their
current homestand. Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points, Fred VanVleet had 17 points and 11 assists, and the Raptors won for the third time in four games beating New York 90-87 on Friday. Toronto plays the second
game of a back-to-back set Tuesday night in Brooklyn. The Raptors have won eight of their last nine meetings against the Kings.
• Scottie Barnes tallied 12 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and three assists in a season-high 41 minutes of action in Friday’s victory over the Knicks. Barnes became just the sixth Raptors rookie, and first since Jamario Moon (March 23, 2008 vs. Denver), to post 12/15/3 in a game. Barnes currently ranks second among rookies in scoring (15.1) and rebounds (8.3), leads in minutes (36.0) and is third with a .489 (149-305) field goal percentage.
• The Raptors held New York to just 87 points and .358 (29-81) shooting from the field Friday night. Toronto has now held its opponent to fewer than 100 points in four of the last five games (Nov. 30 – Dec. 10). Over the last five contests, opponents are averaging 95.6 points and shooting .397 (165-416) from the floor, including .335 (55-164) from three-point range. The Raptors have already held opponents below the century mark eight times (6-2), something they did in seven games last season.
• Gary Trent Jr. has scored 24 points in back-to-back games (Dec. 8-10), leading the Raptors in scoring in both contests. Trent Jr. is shooting .576 (19-33) from the field and 60 percent (9-15) from three-point distance over the last two games. Toronto is 6-3 this season when Trent Jr. scores 20+ points.
• The Raptors tied a season-low for the second time in three games with just eight turnovers in Friday’s win over the Knicks. The Raptors rank fourth in the NBA in turnovers per games (12.7).
• Fred VanVleet (93) and Gary Trent Jr. (91) currently rank second and third, respectively, in the NBA in total deflections. VanVleet has led the league in deflections per game each of the past two seasons. Trent Jr. is also third in the NBA in steals per game (2.04) and has recorded multiple steals in 15 games. The
Raptors lead the NBA in deflections per game (19.3) and rank third in steals (9.1) this season.
• Goran Dragic is currently taking time away from the team for a personal matter. There is no definite time-line, and updates will be provided as appropriate. Dragic is averaging 8.0 points in five games this season.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4

MIN: 36.0 REB: 8.3 AST: 3.3 STL: 1.2 TO: 2.0 BLK: 0.9 PTS: 15.1
• Recorded his fourth double-double with 12 points and a season-high 15 rebounds Dec. 10 vs. New York.
• Has scored in double figures in nine straight games (Nov. 21 – Dec. 10), averaging 15.3 points during this stretch.
• Ranks second among rookies in scoring (15.1) and rebounds (8.3), and leads in minutes (36.0).
F – PASCAL SIAKAM #43

MIN: 34.1 REB: 7.7 AST: 3.8 STL: 0.6 TO: 2.3 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 18.9
• Posted second straight double-double with 13 points and a season high-tying 12 rebounds Dec. 10 vs. New York.
• Tied with Precious Achiuwa and Scottie Barnes for the team lead with four double-doubles this season.
• Averaging 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the last five games (Nov. 30 – Dec. 10).
.
C – CHRIS BOUCHER #25

MIN: 14.6 REB: 4.3 AST: 0.3 STL: 0.5 TO: 0.6 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 6.8
• Finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and one block in 28 minutes of action Dec. 10 vs. New York.
• Has scored in double digits in each of the last three games (Dec. 5-10), averaging 13.0 points during this span.
• In two starts this season, averaging 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 24.7 minutes.
G – GARY TRENT JR. #33

MIN: 34.6 REB: 3.3 AST: 1.8 STL: 2.0 TO: 0.9 BLK: 0.3 PTS: 17.0
• Led the team in scoring with 24 points for the second straight game Dec. 10 vs. New York.
• Ranks third in the NBA in steals per game (2.04); has recorded multiple steals in four of the last five games.
• Has scored 20+ points nine times; something he did 15 times in 58 games last season.
G – FRED VANVLEET #23

MIN: 38.1 REB: 5.1 AST: 6.4 STL: 1.5 TO: 3.2 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 19.7
• Finished with 17 points and 11 assists for his third double-double Dec. 10 vs. New York; added six rebounds.
• Leads the NBA in minutes per game (38.1), has logged 40+ minutes in six games.
• Has scored in double digits in all 25 of his games played this season, including 20+ points 10 times.

INJURY REPORT
Precious Achiuwa (Health & Safety Protocols) – Out
OG Anunoby (Left Hip; Pointer) – Out
Khem Birch (Right Knee; Swelling) – Out
Goran Dragic (NWT) – Out
David Johnson (Left Calf; Strain) – Out

2021-22 RECORDS
W-L EAST WEST
OVERALL 12-14 10-8 2-6
HOME 5-9 5-6 0-3
AWAY 7-5 5-2 2-3
OVERTIME 0-0 0-0 0–0

LIGHTNING 5, MAPLE LEAFS 3 (Dec. 9)

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (18-8-2 – 38 Points) vs.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (17-5-4 – 38 Points)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021
1 2 3 FINAL
TAMPA BAY 2 2 1 5
TORONTO 2 0 1 3

ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Ondřej Kaše scored on a Maple Leafs power play opportunity at 1:44 of the first period. Kaše scored
    his second goal of the game at 9:36 of the third period. Kaše posted his first multi-goal game of the
    season and is currently on a three-game point streak (3G, 1A).
  • William Nylander scored on a Toronto power play opportunity at 19:53 of the first period. Nylander
    recorded his 12th goal of the season.
  • John Tavares posted the primary assist on Kaše’s first goal of the game. Tavares also registered the
    secondary assist on Kaše’s second goal of the game. Tavares has recorded 17 assists this season.
  • Morgan Rielly recorded the secondary assist on Kaše’s first goal of the game. Rielly posted his 20th
    assist of the season. Rielly has registered nine assists through the last five games.
  • Auston Matthews registered the primary assist on Nylander’s power play goal. Matthews recorded
    his 12th assist of the season. Matthews extended his point streak to eight games (10G, 4A).
  • Jake Muzzin posted the primary assist on Kaše’s second goal of the game. Muzzin recorded his
    eighth assist of the season.
    SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
    1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
    TAMPA BAY 9 (6) 9 (9) 9 (7) 27 (22)
    TORONTO 12 (10) 15 (15) 11 (7) 38 (32)
    SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
    1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
    TAMPA BAY 16 (13) 17 (17) 15 (10) 48 (40)
    TORONTO 22 (19) 28 (28) 20 (14) 70 (61)
    ON HOME ICE
  • The Maple Leafs are 11-4-1 at home this season.
  • Toronto’s all-time record is 57-36-2-7 in 102 games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and 30-19-1-3
    in 53 games played in Toronto.
  • Toronto is 10-5-1 against the Eastern Conference this season and 6-2-0 against the Atlantic Division
    this season.
    MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
    Shots 4 (Muzzin, Kaše, Liljegren, Rielly)
    Shot Attempts 8 (Kaše)
    Faceoff Wins 17 (Tavares)
    Faceoff Win Percentage 100% (Kerfoot, Nylander – 1 won, 0 lost)
    Hits 7 (Rubīns)
    Blocked Shots 3 (Holl)
    Takeaways 2 (Muzzin, Kerfoot, Steeves)
    TOI 25:10 (Muzzin)
    Power Play TOI 1:01 (Kaše, Matthews, Rielly, Nylander, Tavares)
    Shorthanded TOI 3:16 (Muzzin)
    Shifts 28 (Nylander)
    5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage 81.25% (Liljegren – 26 for, 6 against)
    RECORD WHEN…
  • The Maple Leafs were 2-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill tonight.
  • Toronto is 13-2-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.
  • The Maple Leafs are 6-4-0 when tied after one period and 2-8-0 when trailing after two periods.
  • Toronto is 12-4-2 when outshooting their opponent.
  • The Maple Leafs are 2-2-0 in Thursday games.
    OF NOTE…
  • Morgan Rielly skated in his 600th career NHL game. Rielly becomes the 21st skater and eighth
    defenceman to reach the 600-games played mark with the Maple Leafs. Per NHL Stats, only two
    defensemen had more points than Rielly (62-266—328) through their 600th game with the Maple
    Leafs franchise (NHL debut or otherwise): Borje Salming (105-400—505) and Tomas Kaberle (61-
    288—349). Of note, Ian Turnbull (112-302—414) also had 414 points in 580 career games with
    Toronto.
  • For the second consecutive game, Kristiāns Rubīns led the team in hits. He recorded seven hits
    during tonight’s game and four hits during his debut, Dec. 7 vs. CBJ.
  • Auston Matthews was on the ice for a team-high 29 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5.
  • Timothy Liljegren finished the game with a team-high 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 81.25
    percent (26 for, 6 against).
    UPCOMING GAMES:
    Dec. 11 Leafs vs. Chicago Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Dec. 14 Leafs at Edmonton Rogers Place 9:00 pm ET
    Dec. 16 Leafs at Calgary Scotiabank Saddledome 9:00 pm ET
    Dec. 18 Leafs at Vancouver Rogers Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Dec. 19 Leafs at Seattle Climate Pledge Arena 9:00 pm ET
    Dec. 23 Leafs vs. St. Louis Scotiabank Arena 2:00 pm ET

    POSTGAME QUOTES:
    HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE
    On tonight’s game and turnovers:
    Sheldon Keefe: “That pretty much sums it up. You can’t make those kind of plays and spot them three
    goals at 5-on-5. We’ll give them the powerplay goal but the 5-on-5 goals are inexcusable, those are gifts
    against a team like that. We talked about it before the game starts and then you give that team and
    goaltender that kind of support and it’s going to be tough to climb out of. I didn’t think we played a terrible
    game by any means but our guys worked hard, we had our chances but you just can’t give that type of
    stuff up. So, decision making, execution with the puck was very poor and it cost us.”
    ONDŘEJ KAŠE
    On tonight’s game:
    Ondřej Kaše: “Yeah tough game for us. We made so many turnovers so that’s where I feel we lost the
    game.”
    On playing back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions:
    Ondřej Kaše: “Yeah great team, they’ve won Two Stanley cups last few years so it’s a very good team…
    but we lost today so we need to make sure we are ready for next game.”
    JUSTIN HOLL
    On tonight’s loss and turnovers:
    Justin Holl: “Yeah I think so, we kept them fast too often and gave them too many rushes for free so it’s
    something that has been creeping into our game over the last couple of games and it’s something when
    we’re doing really well when we were on that win streak so we know we’re capable and just going to have
    to crack that.”
    On if his pairing with Muzzin:
    Justin Holl: “Tonight obviously we didn’t love giving up the early goals and everything like that but like I
    said during that stretch I think we went plus 10 through I don’t know how many games it was but you’ve
    got to keep a long term approach to it and it’s frustrating to have a game like this but that’s just
    professional sports.”
    WILLIAM NYLANDER
    On tonight’s loss and facing Vasilevskiy:
    William Nylander: “We weren’t getting in front of their net. I think he was making some pretty easy saves
    from time-to-time. I think that was probably the difference and we had a few neutral zone turnovers which
    obviously bit us so I think that was probably the game pretty much.”
    On his goal tonight:
    William Nylander: “I just turned around and shot it. I just got lucky, there was nothing or no real thought
    behind it.”
    JACK CAMPBELL
    On tonight’s game:
    Jack Campbell: “I thought we controlled the game for the most part but I’ve got to make a couple more
    saves and get a win.”
    On facing back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions:
    Jack Campbell: “Yeah they’re obviously a great team and they’ve proved it for so long now but it’s fun to
    play them but need to make a couple more saves.”

RAPTORS 90, KNICKS 87

TORONTO & NEW YORK POSTGAME VIDEO: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2j8fgl17gig3szo/AAB_ze09Pd9gbmQ4iXZXs3URa?dl=0

Logo Description automatically generatedTORONTO RAPTORSPOSTGAME NOTESA picture containing logo Description automatically generated

FINAL SCORE: TORONTO RAPTORS 90, NEW YORK KNICKS 87

DATE: DECEMBER 10, 2021 ATTENDANCE: 19,800 (Sellout)

 FINAL SCORERECORDHIGH POINTSHIGH REBOUNDSHIGH ASSISTS
New York8712-14Barrett/Toppin – 19Randle – 14Randle/Burks – 5
Toronto9012-14Trent Jr. – 24Barnes – 15VanVleet – 11
KEY RUN

Trailing by one (87-86) with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, Gary Trent Jr. made his season high-tying fifth three-pointer to give the Raptors a two-point lead … Toronto held New York scoreless over the final 1:42 to secure the win as the Knicks missed their last four shot attempts.

KEY STAT

The Raptors defence held the Knicks to an opponent season low .358 (29-for-81) shooting from the field … Toronto is now is 6-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 points.

RAPTORS NOTES:

  • With the win, Toronto improves to 12-14 this season and 5-9 at home … The Raptors have won three of its last four games and are now 3-3 on their current homestand … Toronto completes a season-long seven-game homestand (Nov. 28 – Dec. 13) Monday night against the Sacramento Kings.
  • The Raptors have won ten straight games at home against the Knicks.
  • Pascal Siakam finished with 13 points and a season high-tying 12 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double and fourth of the season.
  • Gary Trent Jr. had a team-high 24 points (9-16 FG, 5-7 3PT) in 39 minutes … Trent Jr. has now led the Raptors in scoring and recorded 20+ point performances in back-to-back games … Over the last two games, he is averaging 24.0 points and shooting .576 (19-for-33) from the field, including .600 (9-for-15) from beyond the arc.
  • Scottie Barnes tallied 12 points and a season-high 15 rebounds in 41 minutes for his fourth double-double … Barnes has now scored in double figures in nine consecutive games.
  • Fred VanVleet recorded is third double-double with 17 points, a team-high 11 assists, and six rebounds … VanVleet recorded 10+ assists for the second time this season, after tallying a career-high 17 assists Oct. 25 vs. Chicago … VanVleet has led (or tied) Toronto in assists in three of last four games.
  • Chris Boucher finished with 14 points (5-11 FG, 1-3 3PT) in 28 minutes … Boucher has now scored in double figures in three consecutive games … He also recorded a season high-tying five offensive rebounds for the second straight game.

KNICKS NOTES:

  • With the loss, New York falls to 12-14, including 7-6 on the road … The Knicks return home to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
  • RJ Barrett tallied 19 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes … Barrett has now led (or tied) the Knicks in scoring in all three games on the team’s road trip.
  • Obi Toppin posted career highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench for his first career double-double … Toppin helped the Knicks bench outscore the Raptors’ reserves 39-10 … New York entered tonight ranked third in NBA bench scoring, averaging 39.8 points per game.
  • Julius Randle finished with 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds for his team-leading 12th double-double of the season.

=

2021-22 SEASON-SERIES ALL-TIME RECORDS
DATESITERESULT  RAPTORS WINSKNICKS WINS
11/01/2021New YorkW 113-104 Overall:5743
12/10/2021TorontoW 90-87 at Toronto:3316
01/02/2022Toronto  at New York:2427
04/10/2022New York