Toronto Raptors Roundup: Stories and Highlights From Week Two

Toronto Raptors Roundup is a weekly segment where we fill you in on all the games, highlights, and stories from last week. Here’s what you missed from the second week of the season.

The Toronto Raptors finished the second week of play with a record of 6-0, playing impressive defense, shutting down a couple of good three-point shooting teams in the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks.

Offensively, the Raptors appear to have shaken off the rust and seem to be building some chemistry.

Kyle Lowry is playing some of the best basketball of his career, benefitting from playing alongside Kawhi Leonard. He is averaging a double-double and leading the league in assists with more than 10 per game.

Leonard also had a dominant week, finishing his most efficient game offensively as a Raptor, while living up to his reputation as being an elite defender. No play better exemplifies his hustle, instinct, and IQ than the ‘no-look steal’ against Minnesota.

Nurse on the Kawhi steal:

"“Awesome. We’ve shown it at least twice to our team. We showed it at halftime last night & in our defensive edit today. The point is if one of your best players is getting dirty & getting on the floor then we all should be getting dirty & getting on the floor”"

Game Recap

Charlotte at Toronto

Tony Parker, led his new team, the Charlotte Hornets, into the Scotiabank Arena on Monday night as the Raptors began a three-game homestand.

The Raptors defeated the Hornets 127-106, avoiding the sting of a weaker Hornets team. The Raptors, who never trailed, were up 15 at the half and never looked back.

Toronto brought a balanced attack, with five players in double digits, shooting 57-percent from the field, adding 36 assists.

Kyle Lowry continued his hot start with another double-double, scoring 16 points, and dishing out 14 dimes.

Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green played well in front of their former teammate  Parker, contributing at both ends of the floor. Leonard scored 22 points adding five rebounds, while Green continues to show he is more than just a “throw-in,” scoring 16 points with six rebounds and two blocks.

Toronto’s defence was once again impressive, limiting Kemba Walker and a streaky three-point shooting team to only 32-percent from downtown. The Raptors took care of the boards on the defensive end, racking up 41 defensive rebounds, limiting Charlotte’s second chance opportunities.

Walker, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, scored 26 for the Hornets. Greg Monroe made his first official appearance for the Raptors with 3:35 left in the fourth, as the game entered garbage time.

Minnesota at Toronto

The Toronto Raptors gave Drake a win for his 32nd birthday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Raptors kept their winning streak alive at five and tied a franchise record for wins to start a season, with the 112-105 victory.

Attribute the win to a strong defensive effort. Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Raps brought great energy and hustle plays, combining multiple efforts, deflections, and incredible pressure on the ball leading to stops and transition buckets.

Leonard attacked the rim, hitting shots from the outside, scoring a season-high 35 points. Lowry had another double-double scoring 13 points and 10 assists.

Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas have seemed to settle into their roles, sharing the five spot. Ibaka was a force against Minnesota, stifling Karl Anthony-Towns to a subdued performance.

While the Raptor second unit gave up a 13 point lead at the end of the 1st quarter, they seemed to bring better energy in the second half, finishing the game +1.

Fans didn’t get a chance to see Canadian Andrew Wiggins, who only missed the second game of his career due to a right thigh contusion. Derrick Rose showed flashes of his former MVP self, sparking a few runs for Minnesota.

Delon Wright returned to action briefly but played only 5 minutes. Fred VanVleet did not play due to turf-toe.

Dallas at Toronto

Raptor fans didn’t get to see future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki suit up for the Dallas Mavericks in what might have been his final appearance in Toronto. Their disappointment didn’t last long as the Raptors defeated the Mavericks 116-107 to win their franchise-best sixth consecutive game to start the season.

The Raptors jumped out to a big lead in the first half. But the Mavericks, down as much as 17, fought back in the third to close it to one. The Raptors responded with an 11-2 run in the fourth and a tightened defence to shut down any thoughts of a comeback.

Despite being short-handed (OG Anounoby, Fred VanVleet, and Delon Wright were all out),  the Raps managed to bring a strong defensive effort in the first and fourth quarters, holding the Mavs to 41% from the field. Offensively, the Raps managed a balanced attack, with seven Raptors scoring in double figures.

Prized rookie Luka Doncic scored 22 in a losing effort for the 2-3 Mavericks.

Pascal Siakam, playing another strong game for the Raptors, created a steal in the fourth and followed it up with a demonstrative dunk, effectively putting the game on ice.

The Week Ahead

Toronto at Milwaukee

While many NBA pundits and experts predict a Celtics-Sixers Eastern Conference Final, a Toronto-Milwaukee match-up might be one to keep your eye on. The Bucks, led by future MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, have started the season on a tear, including a win over Philadelphia. The Raptors could be in for their toughest match-up of the year against the Bucks, especially if they don’t have a healthy squad on Monday night.

Philadelphia at Toronto

Heralded as a top-tier team in the East before the season started, the Philadelphia 76’ers visit Toronto playing below the expectations of many. While still trying to integrate Markelle Fultz into the lineup after missing his rookie year, The Process may still be a process. Led by the incredible talents of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Sixers will be a tough match-up for the Raptors at home.

Toronto at Phoenix

The Suns have struggled to start the season with losses against Western Conference foes the Trail Blazers, Warriors and Lakers. Mercurial guard Devin Booker has been dealing with hamstring issues but will be the Raptor’s focus if healthy.

Toronto at Los Angeles

The Raptors will play arch-nemesis LeBron James for the first time as a Laker as they visit Los Angeles next Sunday. While the LeBron led Lakers haven’t started as expected, a start that has including scuffles and suspensions, don’t count out any team that has #23 on it. Raptor fans will be keeping an eye on a Kawhi-LeBron match-up, in hopes of finally finding someone who can shut down King James.