Tag: Toronto Raptors

RAPTORS 119, NETS 118. WHAT THE TEAMS SAID: “Incredible depth. Gasol is out, this guy is out, this guy is out. That’s a true sign of not only a good basketball team but a good program when you can have the injuries they’ve sustained and go deep into your roster. You’re going 11th man, 12th man. McCaw plays well. Boucher was really good tonight. They have young guys that are deep in their roster that have helped them win the game. That’s how you go on a long streak in this league. You can’t just do it with your top five or your top six, you’ve got to be deep. They are deep. They are playing great basketball.” — KENNY ATKINSON.

(23-28) BROOKLYN NETS, 118 VS. (39-14) TORONTO RAPTORS, 119 SCOTIABANK ARENA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES

NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)

On running out of gas towards the end of the game … You’re right – we were, we didn’t make a three, I don’t think, forever, it seemed like there in the fourth. We had a couple of point-blank front- of- the-rimmers and we all knew it. We talked about it in a couple of the timeouts, man, we gotta gather everything we’ve got when we get it inside and try to finish, but we couldn’t quite do it. Big stop at the end, good job of pressing up and getting him disjointed down there.

On playing Matt Thomas for 15 straight minutes and continuously getting big performances from guys that never play … Our assistant coaches do a great job of keeping those guys ready. I think the mindset of you never know and stay ready maybe helps a little bit once in a while. When you don’t hit the scouting report because you haven’t played for a while too, so that is the other thing. He played great, man he came in there and like always every time he raises up you think it’s going in and he banged a bunch of them in. That was a big lift. That group was awesome, first half. They were incredible, they turned a lacklustre start to the game into an energetic game and they were great.

On starting Terence Davis … I just wanted the spacing, and he has been shooting the ball really well and I just wanted the spacing out there along with kind of considering Pat (McCaw) our backup point guard. I wanted him to be able to come in and sub for either him or Fred (VanVleet) and go from there.

On leaving the bench in the game with Brooklyn brought their starters back … I thought they were playing with great defensive energy, getting out on the open floor and they guarded great for about six straight minutes. They did their job, got it the down to about five and a half or something and we started filtering the guys. It was just based on their energy really, they had it going defensively and that was creating some offence for them.

FRED VANVLEET (29 points, six assists, two rebounds)

On tonight’s final minutes… Obviously it’s not a textbook way to close out a game, but when you have a long winning streak like that there will be different types of ways to finish it. We had a good idea they were probably going to give the ball to Caris (LeVert) in some sort of fashion and try to switch everything. I thought we did a good job of stopping their initial play that they were trying to give to Joe Harris for a pin down or something like that and then OG (Anunoby) was just great (with) one-on-one defence. We did give up an offensive rebound, he had a good look in the end, but it bounced out, so sometimes it’s good to be lucky too.

On the bench play… Those guys can play. I feel like we’ve had this conversation five to 10 times this year. It’s a good thing. Every time they step up and they play well people are surprised because they’re at the end of the bench, but you just have to wait for your turn (and) wait for (the) opportunity. Somebody like Matt (Thomas), who doesn’t’ really play on a consistent basis, stepped up there with a big first half, some key buckets. Obviously Terence (Davis) started tonight, but same thing with him. Those guys have been good for us all year; Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson), Chris (Boucher), and to do it on consistent nights … it’s special and that’s what we need out of those guys.

MATT THOMAS (15 points, six rebounds)

How much easier is it to get in a rhythm when you’re out there for an extended period of time? (For) any athlete when you get in the zone and you get in that rhythm, obviously it’s a lot easier. The game comes a lot naturally and you just play a lot more confident.

What is it about this team that makes everyone pretty comfortable with playing with different guys? I think it’s just a testament to how hard everyone works on the team. Everyone stays ready. We have a very deep and talented team and everyone is more than capable of coming in and making plays. Also, just shows the chemistry we have on this team. We’re all so good at playing off each other and everyone plays unselfishly and plays the right way.

BROOKLYN NETS QUOTES

KENNY ATKINSON (HEAD COACH)

In a game like that what stands out: the comeback or the deficit? Missed opportunities. On the road, I think 34, 33, 34 points is a lot to give up. It’s a lot to make up. The fourth quarter was fantastic. We held them to 19 points defensively. We obviously started to make some shots. That’s what got us back in it. I don’t think you can dig yourself a 20-point hole against a really good team like this.

How about DeAndre Jordan’s fourth quarter? He was our defensive anchor. I felt like we weren’t getting that resistance and he anchored our defence. He did a good job on (Serge) Ibaka, was patrolling the paint, he got us back in the game with his defence.

On the last possession… We wanted to go quicker. I think guys got into a little bit. You want to go as quick as possible. We wanted to get a good shot at the end of the day.

Did you want to them to get to the rim if possible? There were a couple of options on the play. They took away the first option. Joe was the second option coming off to stagger if we didn’t get him, and Caris went one-on-one

What do you think of the Raptors run? Incredible depth. Gasol is out, this guy is out, this guy is out. That’s a true sign of not only a good basketball team but a good program when you can have the injuries they’ve sustained and go deep into your roster. You’re going 11th man, 12th man. McCaw plays well. Boucher was really good tonight. They have young guys that are deep in their roster that have helped them win the game. That’s how you go on a long streak in this league. You can’t just do it with your top five or your top six, you’ve got to be deep. They are deep. They are playing great basketball.

On Caris LeVert’s progress… I said it when he wasn’t playing well, he’s going to catch his rhythm. He caught his rhythm and he’s doing it consistently now. It’s game after game after game. That’s kind of the all-star Caris we saw at the beginning of last year and the playoffs last year. It’s great to see and it’s great news for the Nets.

SPENCER DINWIDDIE (21 points, 11 assists, six rebounds)

What turned the game and allowed the Nets to get back in it? Finally in the fourth quarter we started getting stops. Obviously Caris was phenomenal offensively for us. Just our collective energy and effort beyond Caris’ offensive outburst was what got us back into the game.

Does the early deficit make this loss that much more disappointing? Definitely. If we had have played good defence the first three quarters – and credit Toronto, they are obviously a great basketball team, making shots and doing this to a lot of people – but 30-plus the first three quarters and then 19 in the fourth is tale of the tape right there.

Are there any positives to take from this loss? I don’t think we’re in the business of moral victories. We’re a playoff team as well. I think if you had asked me that two years ago we probably would’ve been like, “yeah, we played well. We fought. We’re a young group and we’re figuring it out.” We’re a playoff team. We need to figure out how to beat these teams that could be our first round matchup. We could play them, what, next week, four more or five more, six more times in the playoffs, right? You’ve got to be ready for that.

Irving out for Brooklyn, Lowry questionable for Toronto as Raptors go for 14th straight win

INJURY REPORT AT 1:30 P.M. SATURDAY

07:30 (ET) BKN@TOR

Brooklyn Nets Durant, Kevin Out Injury/Illness – Right Achilles; Rehab
Irving, Kyrie Out Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Sprain
Martin, Jeremiah Out G League – Two-Way
Pinson, Theo Out G League – On Assignment
Temple, Garrett Available Injury/Illness – Left Over Eye; Stitches
Toronto Raptors Brissett, Oshae Out G League – Two-Way
Gasol, Marc Out Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Tightness
Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Lowry, Kyle Questionable Injury/Illness – Neck; Whiplash
Powell, Norman Out Injury/Illness – Left Finger; Fourth: fracture – metacarpal

Nets’ Kenny Atkinson: Raptors proving they’re more than Kawhi Leonard — Akahi News

The Nets have played up and down to their competition over the past few weeks, losing five games in a row to teams with winning records and then coming out of a seven-game stretch against sub-.500 teams with a 5-2 mark. Two games against the Raptors — Saturday in Toronto and Wednesday at Barclays Center… […]

Nets’ Kenny Atkinson: Raptors proving they’re more than Kawhi Leonard — Akahi News

NICK NURSE NAMED EASTERN CONFERENCE COACH OF THE MONTH

NICK NURSE NAMED EASTERN CONFERENCE COACH OF THE MONTH

The National Basketball Association announced Monday that Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in January. This marks the third time Nurse has earned the honour overall and second time this season. He was also named coach of the month for games played in October/November.

Nurse guided the Raptors to a 12-3 record last month, including an Eastern Conference-best 9-1 record on the road. Toronto ranked fourth in the conference averaging 113.1 points and third defensively holding opponents to 106.1 points (third in the East). The team also lead the East averaging 12.8 three-pointers per game and 10.0 steals.

Highlighting the month was a season-high 10 game winning streak (Jan. 15-31), which catapulted Toronto into second-place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Raptors won by an average margin of +11.0 points per game during the streak, which included six road contests. Toronto matched a franchise-record Jan. 17 vs. Washington by scoring 140 points.  

A native of Carroll, Iowa, Nurse will coach Team Giannis at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago. He became the first coach to win both an NBA and NBA G League championship, after guiding Toronto to its first NBA Championship last spring. 

RAPTORS 129, BULLS 102 — WHAT THE TEAMS SAID: “I always think of the games I play (Terence Davis II) six minutes and wonder the hell I am doing. That’s the first thing I think when he is playing like that. I think he has a shooting component that’s pretty high level and you see it a little bit on a night like tonight and that is usually the toughest component to get in this league. There are lots of other areas of the game that he can improve on and will improve on as we continue on here.” — NICK NURSE.

(19-33) CHICAGO BULLS, 102 VS. (36-14) TORONTO RAPTORS, 129 SCOTIABANK ARENA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES

NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)

On Terence Davis’s play tonight … I always think of the games I play him six minutes and wonder the hell I am doing. That’s the first thing I think when he is playing like that. I think he has a shooting component that’s pretty high level and you see it a little bit on a night like tonight and that is usually the toughest component to get in this league. There are lots of other areas of the game that he can improve on and will improve on as we continue on here.

On the defence getting more active in the second half … Yeah, we changed the coverages and stuff and there was great activity and that kind of works hand in hand a lot. You change the coverage and you have some early success and then all of sudden the blood is in the water a little bit, they are starting to really go after it, because the coverage helped them and they start feeding off of that a little bit. We did a good job, we stopped the ball a lot better in the second half. First half it was drive, drive, drive, drive, kick, drive, kick. Give them credit, I was like: man. They are playing great. They were really driving it hard, finding the right guys, knocking down shots, zipping it around and they had us scrambling big time in the first half. They were playing great and we had to get that under control a little bit.

On using different defensive coverages to get people engaged … I am not sure if that is what I am thinking. I am thinking that sometimes when you are not guarding them very well, sometimes you switch and hopefully the coverage is going to start guarding them better than you were. A lot of times this year we found that we’ve gone to a zone early, late in the first quarter or something and only for four or five possessions, but that seemed to be the part that (got) us back playing the man a little better for whatever reason. I can’t really explain it other than a rhythm change and a focus change or something. We needed to change the coverages because we couldn’t control the ball in the first half tonight. It wasn’t experimenting or anything tonight, I was just trying to get the ball under control.

TERENCE DAVIS (31 points, four rebounds)

Was there a point in the night when you felt it was going to be special? Not necessarily. I was just shooting the ball. The ball was going in, so I kept shooting.

Was this performance inspired by the fact that you didn’t make it in the rookie All-Star game? It was definitely in the back of my mind, for sure. Throughout the course of the season it will be in the back of my mind, but I’d rather be in the playoffs. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t want to play in the game because that’s a pretty special event, but I would rather play in the playoffs.

What kind of words did Serge Ibaka have for you after? He told me he was proud of me. Like I said, Serge has been a light in my life (as) a rookie, helping me eat right, we go lift after games. We didn’t today because he said we have a few days off, so we’ll get it in. But yeah, he told me he was proud of me. I really took that to heart.

FRED VANVLEET (12 points, eight assists, four rebounds)

On Terence Davis… It’s not surprising. I think for most of us, we kind of saw what kind of player he was going to be early on and he just kept getting better and better throughout the year (and) he puts in the work, so it’s really cool for all of us as teammates to see him have a big night like tonight. We’re all happy for him. I don’t think anybody is thinking about the Rising Stars game too much. I mean, he might be, but for the rest of us, none of us have ever played in it, so what difference does it make. Welcome to the party.

CHICAGO BULLS QUOTES

JIM BOYLEN (HEAD COACH)

On tonight’s game… I thought the first half was one of our better halves. Ball was moving, I think we had 16 assists, made open shots. I thought the third quarter we had the same plays to make, we didn’t make them and I thought we dropped our heads a little bit in that third when the ball wasn’t going in, and they made their run. That’s what we talked about. We got different guys playing, new guys playing and we got guys out. We got to learn how to play in that third quarter when the ball is not going in, that’s what we have to do. It was good to have Gaff (Daniel Gafford) back, we tried to get him some minutes, get him out there, and Luke (Kornet) and Cris (Cristiano Felicio), so we kind of had a three headed monster at the center position tonight to try get Gaff back in the flow a little bit.

On the offensive balance of the team tonight… Again, I thought the ball was moving. I thought we executed the game plan at both ends; they are a hard team to guard. I thought offensively, like I said we had 16 assists, Zach (LaVine) had seven assists, he could have had 15. I thought he was making the appropriate plays and moving that ball. I thought his floor game was really good. I know we’re going to have moments when we don’t score, moments when we struggle with new lineups and new situations, got to keep playing through those moments. I thought there was a point today where we didn’t do a good job of that.

What did you see that got Terence Davis going? I thought he made three off the dribble step-back 3s, I don’t know a defence for that, really. So you have to give him credit on that. Guys have big nights, (Damian) Lillard had 51 last night, guys have big nights.

Would you rather have him shooting the ball or (Pascal) Siakam and (Kyle) Lowry? I thought we did a great job on Siakam, I thought Thad (Thaddeus Young) battled him. Sometimes you have to live with some of those guys. We don’t like bench all-stars, sometimes that happens.

ZACH LAVINE (18 points, seven assists, seven rebounds)

What did you see from the Raptors in the second half? They did their job to win. We threw it away, the same story we do most of the games we lead at half-time or going into the third quarter. You have to figure out how to stop doing that.

Is there anything specific that happened with the team in the second half? We stopped making shots in the second half. They do a good job. They’re a championship team. They know to take away the first option and their going to take the ball out of my hand or show gaps to try to make me force shots. I just try to play the right way and it didn’t work out today.

How do you navigate this stretch of injuries? You just have to go out there and play. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. They may look at us like it’s an easy win; try to take advantage of it. You just have to go out there and play.

Is there a reason you’re more frustrated by this loss than others? I’m just upset. It gets frustrating when you lose games. I’ve been going through it the last three years here. It just gets frustrating. It’s like anybody else in our position. We’re human. You have human reactions and feelings. I get frustrated eventually.

DENZEL VALENTINE (three points, two assists)

Do you have any extra anxiety going into this week? No, not really. I feel like everything is going to take care of itself. I can’t really control what happens. I just have to come to work every day and be positive and work hard.

What didn’t work in the second half that did work in the first? I felt like Toronto played with a little bit more energy than we did. We have got to come out and play with a little more energy. They played as a team. They play hard. They were the better team today.

What did you think about Terence Davis’ performance today? I was impressed. He came out. His coach gave him the opportunity to showcase what he can do. He took advantage of it. That’s what the league is about. Opportunity and showcasing what you can do. He had a good performance.

Powell out with fractured fourth metacarpal of left hand

NORMAN POWELL INJURY UPDATE

During the fourth quarter of Toronto’s win at Detroit on Friday, Norman Powell sustained a fracture to the fourth metacarpal of his left hand. He will be listed as out indefinitely, and he will be reassessed as appropriate.

Powell is averaging career highs of 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 28.2 minutes in 38 games (17 starts) this season. He has scored 20 or more points 12 times, including a career-best 33 points Nov. 29 at Orlando, and has led the bench in scoring in 12 games. 

-RAPTORS-

Reggie Jackson ‘attacks’ Detroit Pistons fan base — Detroit Sports Nation

On Friday night, the Detroit Pistons hosted the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena in a game that felt and sound much more like a Raptors home game than a Pistons home game. Following the game, which the Raptors won 105-92, Christian Wood was asked about all of the pro-Raptors chants throughout the game. While […]

Reggie Jackson ‘attacks’ Detroit Pistons fan base — Detroit Sports Nation

Raptors’ Kyle Lowry claims he was pushed by fan after diving for loose ball during Cavs game — fox8.com

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry claims he was pushed by a fan during Thursday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The alleged incident occurred late in the fourth quarter during the game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Video shows Lowry land on two fans in the front row of the stands after saving a loose ball. One fan is then shown placing his hand on the player’s back before he returns to the court. It is unclear […]

Raptors’ Kyle Lowry claims he was pushed by fan after diving for loose ball during Cavs game — fox8.com

Raptors will let Gasol heal up but he has ‘slight’ hamstring issue — Toronto Sun

CLEVELAND — No team can easily withstand the loss of its starting centre, but Toronto is more equipped than most to do so. Read More

Raptors will let Gasol heal up but he has ‘slight’ hamstring issue — Toronto Sun

Wiggins leaves door open on returning to Canadian fold in June — Toronto Sun

MINNEAPOLIS — Most of Canada’s highest-profile NBA players have committed to play for their country this summer at a last-chance Tokyo Olympic-qualifying tournament, with one notable exception. Read More

Wiggins leaves door open on returning to Canadian fold in June — Toronto Sun

“Right now my team is struggling a little bit so we have to get back and trying get in a playoff run. That’s my main goal right now. And after that I’m going to decide on Canada basketball.”

RAPTORS 140, WIZARDS 111 — WHAT BOTH TEAMS SAID: “I think even the bigger maybe number is creating 28 turnovers. I thought we were out guarding right from the start and disrupting their rhythm, jarring the ball loose. Our hands have been pretty good lately and getting us out running. I think the pace certainly helps us and obviously the passing and the shooting were good too.”–NICK NURSE.

(13-28) WASHINGTON WIZARDS, 111 VS. (27-14) TORONTO RAPTORS, 140 SCOTIABANK ARENA FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020

TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES

NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)

On it being fun to watch a game with 35 assists and 140 points… Yeah, most of it was and I think even the bigger maybe number is creating 28 turnovers. I thought we were out guarding right from the start and disrupting their rhythm, jarring the ball loose. Our hands have been pretty good lately and getting us out running. I think the pace certainly helps us and obviously the passing and the shooting were good too.

On it being easier to get threes when the ball is moving like tonight… Well it is good when we play that way. I think that it is good to look down and see a number of guys in double figures and we had a bunch of guys shooting some high percentages. You know ebbs and flows; we have certainly had our one-for-nines and two-for-12s and it’s nice to get a couple six-for-sevens and five-for-sevens in there.

On OG Anunoby being back in a simplified role… I think there is always a couple of ways to look at this and I think different players react differently. When sometimes you look over there and you know that you are going to not come out, I have had those discussions with Norm (Powell) a few times, Norm would be like two-for-eight and I would be like, Norm I can’t take you out so could you make a couple here in the fourth quarter and he would or whatever. Some guys, maybe when they know that they have got to play well or there is going to be somebody else over that is healthy to come in and play, some guys react to that a little better. I can’t explain it, what I do like is he has had to guard smaller guys here the last couple of nights and he has really got out there and worked on his man, but his hands have been great. He is really been in the lane off his man tipping a bunch away to get us going and he has been out on the front of the break a little bit.

NORMAN POWELL (28 points, five rebounds)

On having time off and having fresh legs… I think it was good to be able to work with the injury. I was able to be on the court fairly quickly. They cleared me to be able to just start shooting and things like that. Working a lot with Pat Mutombo and we were trying to simulate game situations, game speed, a lot of conditioning, a lot of running just to keep myself adjusted to the pace of the game, and I think that really helped.

What has clicked offensively for the team the past couple of games? I think we are trusting one another, we are moving the ball. We are letting the offence work for us and I think the defence is really feeding the offence, able to get out there in transition and create easy looks, having the defence scrambling to get back and catch up and being able to kick out and continues to have them rotate.

Thoughts on the first half of the season… I think it has been really good. In a NBA season you never really know what’s going to happen, there are a lot of variables, but I think this team has done a great job of taking it on the chin, adjusting to it with the injuries and things like that and taking advantage of the opportunity. Playing together, playing hard and trusting the coaches, trusting one another and I think that’s what you need as a team going through an 82 game season. A lot of things are going to happen, but as long as we trust in one another, we figure it out along the way we will be good and I think we’ve done that really well.

MARC GASOL (20 points, six rebounds, five assists)

On the time off being a benefit in many ways… You always think positively on whatever happens to you. Obviously sitting for a few weeks kind of makes you itch a little bit and makes you want to really play and get back and help your team win.

What has clicked for the team offence the past couple of games? I think defensively that’s what has clicked. Defensively we create a lot of turnovers that allows us to run and create easy buckets and that kind of creates that momentum for us where it’s communicating, being unselfish, moving the ball. I think it starts defensively for us and that consistency and that trust allows us to run and you are not afraid of getting the ball go through your hands because you are going to get it back.

KYLE LOWRY (11 points, assists)

On teams offence the past few games… Just getting a rhythm, getting guys back. Marc (Gasol) helps tremendously, honestly. Pascal (Siakim) helps and putting guys back in their right spots and just being able to take advantage more of the mismatches,and being able to play through Marc a lot more.

On the team’s performance at the halfway mark of the season… All this stuff doesn’t matter. We wait until we get to the part of April, May, June. That’s what we play for, but right now we are just going to continue to get better and work.

(13-28) WASHINGTON WIZARDS, 111 VS. (27-14) TORONTO RAPTORS, 140 SCOTIABANK ARENA FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020

WASHINGTON WIZARDS QUOTES

SCOTT BROOKS (HEAD COACH)

On the 28 turnovers… That’s a physical ball team. That’s a team that has a lot of length, a lot of strength and they got into us. We started the game off with turnovers and a lot of them were uncharacteristic ones, but some of them were because they are a good defensive team. They’re an experienced team, they are long, they are tough and they were clicking. We played a championship team tonight that was clicking on all cylinders and when that happens everything seems to fall. I thought they made a couple of tough threes that went their way. Like I said, that’s a good team. We didn’t play well, we turned the ball over.

On the Raptors disrupting the offensive flow… They took us out of our offence. We’ve been really good at moving the ball and flying around, moving our bodies and they were physical. They were physical right from the start. A simple exchange, a simple movement they were touching us up. We’ve got to be able to fight through that and we didn’t do a good job with that tonight. Like I said, give them credit. That’s what they do and they did it at a high, high level tonight.

On Isaac Bonga’s career night… It’s good to see his growth. He continues to just get a little better every day and that’s what we want all of our guys to do. Tonight was his night to grow up a little bit and I thought he did, on both ends of the court, he was competing and he made plays. The growth chart sometimes is not as fast as we want but I like it to always move it the right direction, and with Bonga it definitely has from the moment we got him, he’s gotten much better.

TROY BROWN JR. (22 points, eight rebounds, three steals)

What do you think led Toronto to score a season high tonight? A lot of things; transition points, turnovers, they were hitting a lot of threes. It was just a mix of stuff and we didn’t do a good job of coming out and executing the game plan and just … the effort today was low. Like I said, I didn’t feel like we came out and did a good job.

At the midway point of the season, where would you say this team is? We’re still developing. We’re still trying to get some stuff together and just figure out roles and stuff. I think the biggest thing right now is just guys are coming back from injuries, and so we’re just trying to figure back out where everybody fits. You know, we have to make adjustments based off of people being out, so when you’re winning games like that it’s just hard to implement guys into the system and kind of get them back where they were going. We’re trying to figure it out and just trying to go out and play as hard as we can, and today I didn’t feel like we had a great effort.

On the 22-point performance… For me personally, just kind of seeing (Isaac) Bonga go out there and be aggressive, and go out there and rebound the basketball, stuff like that. For me personally, it made me want to go out there and play hard and be aggressive and be assertive. You know, especially because we both probably, I feel like, kind of play in the same position and kind of get the same touches and so for him to come out as aggressive as he was … that was good to see him go out there and do that. I just wanted to kind of follow his lead.

BRADLEY BEAL (14 points, three assists)

From your perspective, what led to the 28 turnovers? Just weren’t strong with it. A lot of careless ones. I had a couple myself. Just being strong with it, being more precise with our decisionmaking and making firmer passes, good passes. A lot of them were throwing lob passes. They’re a long athletic team. I think the last three teams we’ve played have been like that, so we just have to be better at getting open and making ourselves available and just making the simple pass.

How did the defence get away from you with Toronto’s three-point shooting tonight? They made us work. They made us scramble. They did a good job of putting good lineups out there. (They have) numerous guys who can shoot and numerous guys they can put on the floor. So you know, they just did a good job scheme wise. We just have to be better knowing personnel, knowing that once one guy hits it we kind of have to treat him like he’s hot and kind of get him off the line, but we didn’t do that tonight. We turned the ball over and when you give up threes you’re not going to win.