Former Raptors Marc Gasol, Norman Powell Bounced from Playoffs

Former Toronto Raptors Marc Gasol and Norman Powell saw their playoffs come to an end Thursday night as the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers fell

This season was supposed to end with Marc Gasol on the Los Angeles Lakers' championship float chugging bottles of champaign just like he did during the Toronto Raptors' iconic parade. It was supposed to see all the former Raptors, Gasol, Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, and Norman Powell duke it out for Western Conference supremacy. Instead, Gasol, Powell, and quite possibly the Los Angeles Clippers' duo will be heading home a little bit earlier than expected.

For Gasol and the Lakers, it was the pesky Phoenix Suns who dethroned the reigning champions. The 36-year-old Spaniard shifted into L.A.'s starting lineup for the deciding Game 6 as Andre Drummond moved to the bench for a DNP-CD. Unfortunately for LeBron James and company, Gasol couldn't muster a point in his 17 minutes of action as the Lakers fell 113-100 to the Suns.

In Portland, Powell's season came to an end as the Denver Nuggets rolled the Trail Blazers 126-115 in Game 6. He finished the night with 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting. For the playoffs, Powell averaged 17 points on 50% shooting with a 38.5% clip from behind the arc. While it won't be the kind of playoffs he had hoped for, it should have him poised for a very lucrative offseason when he hits the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

The Clippers' season may be decided on Friday night in Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks. Ibaka is listed as doubtful and is expected to miss his fourth straight playoff game.

Further Reading

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: Kyle Lowry could have made a difference for the Lakers

Norman Powell sees similarities in 2021 Trail Blazers and 2019 Raptors

Potential NHL cross-border approval may be a sign of hope for Raptors