Three takeaways from Toronto Raptors close defeat to Charlotte Hornets

The Toronto Raptors dropped a game to the Charlotte Hornets in a closely fought contest on Friday night. What did we take away from the game?

After winning five games in a row following the buzzer beater loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Toronto Raptors were in action once again against the Charlotte Hornets. This time, the performance would matter more than the result.

The Raptors were stout defensively in the opening exchanges of the first quarter, but the flood gates opened for both teams and a high-scoring game looked to be on the cards with the Raptors and Hornets both putting up 30-plus points in the quarter.

It was in the second half that the Toronto Raptors began to pull away from the Hornets, leading by eight points at half time. They held the Hornets to 43-percent in the second quarter while shooting just over 52-percent themselves. Still, the Hornets are still a team desperate to make the playoffs, and it showed in the second half.

It’ll take a small miracle for the Hornets to make the playoffs at this point but they’re doing everything that they can to make it happen. Led by Kemba Walker and new Raptor killer, Jeremy Lamb, the Hornets outscored the Raptors by 12 in the third quarter, building up a five-point lead and pushing themselves into a winning position.

The Raptors fought back into the game in the fourth quarter, with Serge Ibaka putting up a huge 10 points en route to the game coming down to the wire. With Charlotte up by two with seconds to go, the ball would be in the hands of Kawhi Leonard once again.

Leonard got up a clean shot, but incredibly, it was wedged between the basket and the backboard, ball game Hornets in another bizarre moment in the season series.

Whatever the results are between now and next Wednesday is secondary to keeping everyone healthy for the playoffs.

So while the Raptors lost this one, everyone making it through the game unscathed is a win in my book.

Here are my three big takeaways from the game.

1. Turnovers the only glaring problem for the playoffs

The Toronto Raptors don’t have too many problems heading into the playoffs. They’ve got a fully healthy team and the chemistry seems to be clicking now more than ever.

With that being said, turnovers still prove to be an issue for the Raptors, and last night was no different in that department. The Raptors turned the ball over 14 times against Charlotte, compared to the Hornets six turnovers. From those 14 turnovers, the Raptors gave up 20 points compared to Charlotte’s seven points.

Turnovers remain the last real problem for the Raptors moving forward, but we’re also seeing some of the most fluid basketball they’ve played all season. Maybe it just comes with the territory but, either way, that many turnovers can hurt you.

2. Fred VanVleet + Starters = Success

As has been the case for most of the season, Fred VanVleet playing alongside any combination of starters seems to work, and it did again last night.

When VanVleet was substituted into the starting line-up in place of Danny Green, the Raptors showed up in a big way. The unit played eight minutes together and posted a net rating of 80.3, which is…good. Sorry, it’s great.

While Fred doesn’t have the defensive capabilities that Danny Green possesses, he’s another great ball handler and fantastic passer. Having that kind of dynamic that allows you to have five great playmakers on the court at once is something not many teams can boast.

3. Serge Ibaka stays hot

For the eighth game in a row, Serge Ibaka dropped double-digit points in a game and had his 22nd double-double in the process.

Ibaka finished second on the team with 20 points on 10-15 shooting, unfortunately, he didn’t hit five three-pointers this time around. Still, the scoring stretch from Ibaka has been highly impressive and he figures to be a crucial player in the rotations come playoff time.

He’s shown the desire to score and find his spots, which has led to much better decision making in the process. Let’s hope Serge takes this momentum into the playoffs.

Make sure to check out our takeaways after each game at RaptorsRapture.com