The Toronto Raptors started off their six game road trip with a back-and-forth battle to the finish against the Atlanta Hawks.
In rather sub-par circumstances for the Raptors, injury trouble saw a number of players, including Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley spending the game on the bench. With extra minutes available for those who were able to suit up, the effort and energy was evident throughout the matchup and helped contribute to the strong performance by the Raptors.
Unfortunately, turnovers and second chance points were the biggest shortfall, and while it’s a tough loss, especially with the incredible effort that the Raptors put forth, there are plenty of positive takeaways as we continue to watch the team develop and think about what it will look like in the future.
After splitting the first two games of the season, this was the first matchup where Atlanta would be facing the new roster. On a four game losing skid and after being on the receiving end of Luka Doncic’s 73-point masterpiece, it was obvious that the Hawks wanted a win.
Atlanta started with possession, setting the tone early with a lob pass from Trae Young to Clint Capela for a poster over top of Scottie Barnes. Of course, Scottie responded quickly, finding Thaddeus Young underneath for an easy shot.
The tie didn’t last for very long though, with the undermanned Raptors starting to make mistakes on defence. Miscommunications and some savvy off-ball movement from the Hawks found them wide open in the paint for a number of emphatic dunks early on.
Toronto was able to stay in the mix for a little while, with Gary Trent Jr. hitting a pair of 3-pointers, topping it off with a nice take to the rim. After a timeout by the Raptors, the Hawks were able to go on an 8-0 run, creating a deficit that the Raptors weren’t able to overcome.
Substitutions late in the quarter brought the bench on, with Jontay Porter demonstrating some of the reasons the Raptors decided to take a chance on him. With back to back 3s and some impressive defence in the paint, the Raptors were able to prevent any further separation, ending the quarter 34-26.
In the second quarter, the bench continued to deliver, with Jordan Nwora cashing in 5 points in the first minute of the frame, putting the Hawks on their heels. Gradey Dick delivered from the stripe and beyond the arc as well, helping the Raptors build an incremental lead.
Changes in the defensive schemes helped reduce a number of the opportunities the Hawks had in the first quarter, preventing any easy shots, especially inside the paint. Scottie returned to the floor, helping facilitate the offense, finding Chris Boucher for an and-one, and continuing to show why he’s going to be such an important part of the franchise moving forward.
Gradey and Jordan continued to deliver, and by the time they both checked out, they had 7 and 11 points respectively. The starters returned to the floor, now with a seemingly renewed sense of energy and defensive effort, but were certainly a little bit less organized, prompting Darko to tweak the lineup, hoping to answer the Hawks’ effort as the quarter started to close.
Despite losing a number of opportunities on the offensive end, the Hawks also struggled to convert, so Toronto was able to hang on to a narrow 4-point lead on the way into the locker room.