From the outside looking in, it sure looks like ESPN has strengthened its already tight NBA connection. Not only is the network paying the league a reported $2.6 billion per year in its current TV rights contract, but now is paying NBA Players Association president and current Pelicans guard CJ McCollum billions of dollars less…
Bob Raissman: CJ McCollum doesn’t tread lightly when going after Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ — Boston Herald
The real question is how much of that money is guaranteed.
Pelicans GM Griffin on Zion Williamson: “This is a max player. That’s easy.” — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
If nothing else, we know Zion can still be an Instagram star throwing down dunks. He’s always been good at that.
Zion Williamson throws down monster dunk on Instagram (VIDEO). Which means… what? — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
GAME #56 – TORONTO RAPTORS (31-24) vs. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (22-34)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022 – 8 P.M. (ET) – SMOOTHIE KING CENTER
TV: SPORTSNET – RADIO: TSN 1050 TORONTO
• The Toronto Raptors (31-24) continue a stretch of five straight games against Western Conference opponents (Feb. 9-16) Monday night when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans (22-34). The Raptors’ season-high eight-game winning streak came to an end Saturday with a 110-109 loss to Denver. Toronto is 10-10
vs. the West this season, after going 10-20 against the Western Conference in 2020-21.
• Pascal Siakam recorded a season-high 35 points (16-22 FG, 3-7 3PT), 10 rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes for his team-leading 18th double-double Feb. 12 vs. Denver. Saturday marked Siakam’s sixth
career game with 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists – tied with Chris Bosh for second most in franchise history behind only Vince Carter (10). Siakam also became just the second Raptor, along with Donyell Marshall – March 13, 2005 vs. Philadelphia, to score 35+ points without attempting a free throw.
• Pascal Siakam is currently averaging 22.1 points, and career highs of 8.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists, in 42 games this season. He is one of just six players in the NBA averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Nikola Jokic & Dejounte Murray.
• Pascal Siakam (Feb. 3-12) and Fred VanVleet (Feb. 1-12) have both scored 20+ points in a career-high six straight games played. VanVleet sat out Feb. 10 at Houston with left groin soreness. Siakam is averaging 29.0 points and is shooting .643 (72-112) from the field over the last six games, while VanVleet is averaging 22.3 points and shooting .459 (28-61) from three-point range over his last six games played.
• Toronto tied a season low with seven turnovers Saturday vs. Denver, while forcing the Nuggets into 18 turnovers which led to 22 points. The Raptors currently lead the NBA in deflections (18.1), rank second in steals (9.3) and are tied for third in points off turnovers (18.9).
• Gary Trent Jr. has at least one steal in a career-high 13 straight games (Jan. 21 – Feb. 12). Trent Jr. has 26 steals in the last 13 games and ranks currently second in the NBA in steals per game (1.93).
• Toronto has shot better than 45 percent from the field in a season-high five straight games (Feb. 4-12), shooting .521 (228-438) from the floor. Pascal Siakam is shooting 70 percent (63-90) over the last five.
• Fred VanVleet has been named a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on SunDay, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. VanVleet becomes just the eighth player in franchise history to earn an All-Star selection. He is the first undrafted player in the NBA to be named an
All-Star since Ben Wallace in 2006. VanVleet will also compete in the MTN Dew 3-Point Contest.
• Sophomore Precious Achiuwa and rookie Scottie Barnes have been selected to participate in the 2022 Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland as part of NBA All-Star 2022. Toronto will have two players in the showcase event for the first time since Andrea
Bargnani and Jamario Moon in 2008. Barnes will also participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4
MIN: 35.8 REB: 7.6 AST: 3.4 STL: 1.0 TO: 1.9 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 14.7
• Tallied 17 points, five rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes of action Feb 12 vs. Denver.
• Ranks first among rookies in minutes (35.8), third in rebounds (7.6), and is tied for third in points (14.7).
• Has scored 15+ points in five of the last six games (Feb. 3-12), averaging 15.8 points during this stretch.
F – OG ANUNOBY #3
MIN: 37.1 REB: 5.7 AST: 2.7 STL: 1.6 TO: 1.8 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 18.0
• Contributed nine points, five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes Feb 12 vs. Denver.
• Has scored 20+ points in a single-season career-high 18 games; something he did 13 times last season.
• Averaging 19.1 points and 6.2 rebounds on the road, compared to 17.1 points and 5.2 rebounds at home.
C – PASCAL SIAKAM #43
MIN: 37.9 REB: 8.7 AST: 5.2 STL: 1.3 TO: 2.7 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 22.1
• Recorded a season-high 35 points Feb. 12 vs. Denver; added 10 rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes.
• Toronto is now 30-6 all-time, including 6-1 this season, when Siakam scores 30 or more points.
• Leads the Raptors with 18 double-doubles, matching his single-season career-high set in 2018-19.
G – GARY TRENT JR. #33
MIN: 34.9 REB: 2.7 AST: 2.0 STL: 2.0 TO: 1.0 BLK: 0.3 PTS: 18.6
• Finished 11 points, three rebounds and one steal in 38 minutes Feb. 12 vs. Denver.
• Ranks second in the NBA in steals per game (1.93) and fifth in total deflections (161).
• Averaging 23.0 points and shooting .455 (25-55) from beyond the arc through seven games in February.
G – FRED VANVLEET #23
MIN: 38.6 REB: 4.6 AST: 7.1 STL: 1.7 TO: 2.7 BLK: 0.5 PTS: 21.6
• Contributed 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes Feb. 12 vs. Denver.
• Ranks second in the NBA in total deflections (193) and three-pointers (197), and seventh in steals (81).
• Leads the NBA in minutes per game (38.6) – has logged 40+ minutes in 15 games this season.
INJURY REPORT
Isaac Bonga (G League – On Assignment) – Out
David Johnson (G League – Two-Way) – Out
NEXT GAME DETAILS
Opponent: Minnesota Timberwolves
Date: Wednesday, February 16
Tip-Off: 8 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Target Center
Television: TSN
Radio: Sportsnet 590 the FAN
SERIES RECAP VS. MINNESOTA
OVERALL HOME ROAD
2020-21 1-1 0-1 1-0
ALL-TIME 34-16 22-4 12-12
STREAKS Won 1 Lost 1 Won 3
LAST WIN: Feb. 19, 2021 (86-81)
LAST ROAD WIN: Feb. 19, 2021 (86-81)
LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: +23 (Feb. 10, 2008)
LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT: -32 (Mar. 19, 2002)
LAST TIME VS. MINNESOTA
GAME 30 – FEBRUARY 20, 2021
TORONTO 86, MINNESOTA 81
MINNEAPOLIS — Norman Powell scored a season-high 31 points and
the Toronto Raptors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 86-81, closing the
game with an 11-0 run … Toronto earned its third straight win … Fred
VanVleet had 12 points and seven rebounds, while Pascal Siakam added
10 points and nine boards … Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 19
points and 13 rebounds … Malik Beasley scored 13 and Jordan McLaughlin had 11 … After trailing by as many as 19, the Wolves clawed their way
back into the game with a 16-0 run midway through the third quarter …
Jake Layman had a dunk and a 3-pointer during the stretch, which tied the
game at 57 … Rookie Anthony Edwards added a long jumper and a vicious dunk as part of a three-point play, helping Minnesota to a 64-58 lead
heading into the fourth … Minnesota led 81-75 with 3:30 to play when
Toronto took over … VanVleet hit a pair of free throws, Powell scored on
a transition layup, and Siakam threw down a tying dunk … On Minnesota’s next possession, Towns was called for a moving screen, and on the
other end, Terence Davis hit his third 3-pointer of the quarter to make it 84
-81 with 30 seconds to play … The Wolves had a chance to tie it, but
Beasley’s 3-pointer was short, and Davis hit two free throws for Toronto …
Playing a second straight game without point guard Kyle Lowry (sprained
thumb), the Raptors dominated the first half, thanks in part to Minnesota’s
cold shooting … At one point the Wolves missed 18 straight 3-pointers.
1 2 3 4 TOT
TORONTO 28 17 13 28 86
MINNESOTA 15 20 29 17 81
With Marcus Smart (health and safety protocol) and Rob Williams (personal reasons) both on ice during the Celtics’ 104-92 win over New Orleans on Monday, when the coach searched for a way to shake up his lineup down the stretch, he turned to the second-year wing.
Celtics Notebook: Nesmith seizes his opportunity — Boston Herald
TORONTO & NEW ORLEANS POSTGAME VIDEO: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2j8fgl17gig3szo/AAB_ze09Pd9gbmQ4iXZXs3URa?dl=0
| TORONTO RAPTORSPOSTGAME NOTES |
FINAL SCORE: TORONTO RAPTORS 105, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 101
DATE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2022
| FINAL SCORE | RECORD | HIGH POINTS | HIGH REBOUNDS | HIGH ASSISTS | |
| New Orleans | 101 | 14-26 | Ingram – 22 | Valanciunas – 17 | Temple – 6 |
| Toronto | 105 | 20-17 | VanVleet – 32 | Siakam – 10 | Siakam – 7 |
| KEY RUN |
Trailing 99-96 with 2:26 left, Fred VanVleet hit back-to-back three-point field goals to put the Raptors up by three points (102-99) … Toronto led the rest of the game.
| KEY STAT |
Toronto outrebounded New Orleans 46-35, including 15-7 on the offensive glass … The Raptors tallied 24 second chance points compared to the Pelicans’ 6 … Toronto has outrebounded opponents 89-50 on the offensive end over the last six games (Dec. 31- Jan. 9).
RAPTORS NOTES:
PELICANS NOTES:
=
| 2021-22 SEASON-SERIES | ALL-TIME RECORDS | |||||
| DATE | SITE | RESULT | RAPTORS WINS | PELICANS WINS | ||
| 01/09/2022 | Toronto | W 105-101 | Overall: | 26 | 16 | |
| 02/14/2022 | New Orleans | at Toronto: | 12 | 9 | ||
| at New Orleans: | 14 | 7 | ||||
While the Warriors attempt to avoid their first losing streak of the season, they’ll have to do so against the New Orleans Pelicans without their top two players: Steph Curry and Draymond Green both got the night off. On the second night of back-to-back games, the Warriors traded in Curry, Green and Juan Toscano-Anderson for…
Steph Curry, Draymond Green among Warriors ruled out against New Orleans — Monterey Herald
Before the season, Zion Williamson talked about becoming more committed to leading the Pelicans into the playoffs.
Report: Zion Williamson has skipped rehab, fallen asleep during film — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
The Pelicans recently viewed Kira Lewis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as their backcourt of the future.
Pelicans: Kira Lewis tore ACL, sprained MCL — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
NEW ORLEANS – The battle in the Bayou turned into the battle of the big men. And the NBA’s reigning MVP prevailed. Nikola Jokic dug deep into his bag of post moves, dancing and dipping through the Pelicans’ paint. Jokic saved 11 of his 39 points for overtime, ensuring a gripping 120-114 win in New…
Nikola Jokic’s overtime heroics saves Nuggets vs. Pelicans — The Denver Post
Add a few more weeks to the Zion Williamson return timetable.
Zion Williamson has sore foot, workouts dialed back until next week — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
LOS ANGELES — Outrebounded and out-Valanciunas’d, the Clippers finally shot well but still came up short on Monday night in a deflating 123-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans’ bearded big man, scored 29 of his career-high 39 points in the first half, when he shot 7 for 7 from 3-point…
Clippers fall to Pelicans again as Valanciunas enjoys career night — San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The view from left field 