Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Raptors Go Toe-to-Toe With Nuggets But Scottie Barnes Ejection Proves Costly
It wasn’t all that long ago that wins seemingly felt inevitable for the Toronto Raptors.
Kyle Lowry and company could fall behind by double digits and it was as if there was no panic. There was a magic to those We The North Lowry-led teams who always felt in the game no matter the score. Winning was almost a given, it seemed.
Oh, how times have changed.
On Monday, Toronto found itself on the other end of one of those nights against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets. No matter how big the lead for the Raptors, the inevitable felt, well, inevitable.
And it was.
An awkward turnover from Fred VanVleet, iffy transition defense all night, some questionable foul calls against Toronto, and an ill-timed technical foul and ejection from Scottie Barnes were all the Nuggets needed to show why they remain among the NBA’s best. The Raptors fought hard but, as has been the case too often this season, it wasn’t enough as Toronto once again squandered a late lead, falling 118-113 to the Nuggets.
No lead felt secure Monday night. Even when Toronto jumped ahead double digits early and held an eight-point lead in the fourth, there was a sense that Denver was going to respond. A Jamal Murray three-pointer cut Toronto’s lead to three late in the fourth and too many empty possessions and mental gaffs from the Raptors allowed the Nuggets to do what they seem to always do.
Turnovers proved costly all night and five from VanVleet erased what was otherwise a brilliant showing from the 29-year-old guard. He picked up right where left off Saturday night for the Raptors, facilitating the offense, working the pick-and-roll with Jakob Poeltl, and getting into the paint for buckets. He scored or assisted on 15 of Toronto’s first 28 points as the Raptors jumped ahead early.
O.G. Anunoby took the Nikola Jokic assignment from the jump with Scottie Barnes on Murray and Poeltl on Aaron Gordon. The unorthodox strategy allowed Toronto to better prepare for ball screen situations with more liberal screening. It worked for the most part as Toronto held Jokic to just 17 points on 5-for-8 shooting that included an MVP-worthy two-handed shot that he seemed to pass into the net with Precious Achiuwa draped all over him.
The Raptors jumped ahead by as many as 10 points in the first half as Pascal Siakam nailed a trio of tough jumpers. But a pair of threes from Michael Porter Jr. and a momentary lapse in energy from Toronto just before the end of the second quarter allowed the Nuggets to pull within three on an Aaron Gordon alley-oop.
An inability to get back in transition, heck, even after made buckets plagued Toronto. Couple that with 15 turnovers including a pair from Poeltl to open the second half allowed Denver to take the lead on a Murray three-pointer, one of five he hit, finishing the night with 24 points.
VanVleet, though, wouldn’t let the Nuggets get away. He’s looked stellar as a playmaker for Toronto since the trade deadline, adding another double-digit assist performance Monday night with 14 assists to go with 21 points. He even bailed the Raptors out of a late-shot clock disaster with a 33-footer he somehow swished as Toronto recaptured the lead.
Gary Trent Jr. got into his bag of tricks, hitting a pair of tough step-back jumpers and a Will Barton three opened the Raptors’ lead to six against Denver’s second unit early in the fourth. But a Nuggets timeout in response meant the return of Jokic and a quick erasing of Toronto’s lead.
The Miami Heat's victory over the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the night means the Raptors won't lose ground in the race for the eighth seed in the conference.
Up Next: Los Angeles Clippers
The Raptors will continue their West Coast road trip Wednesday night when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers at 10 p.m. ET.
