1 stud and 1 dud from Raptors chaotic win against Hornets

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors came into their matchup against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets trending in the complete opposite direction as their foes from North Carolina. While the Hornets had lost four straight, Toronto picked up five wins in a row.

Toronto started this game off like a team looking for a blowout, as they were up by as many as 23 points midway through the second quarter. Unfortunately, the much-hyped Hornets offense started to wake up and the Raptors once again found themselves in a tight fourth quarter.

Toronto managed to lock in during the fourth quarter and come away with a 116-101 victory. The win was their sixth in a row, and it helped them plant their flag as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. Nick Nurse has reeled off wins despite a substandard bench.

While the Raptors almost let this game get away from them in the third quarter, they should leave feeling satisfied with a victory against a potential play-in squad on the road. Only a few players should look at the stat sheet in disgust and try to get back on the right track.

Pascal Siakam put on a show for the Toronto Raptors.

Today was a confusing day for Siakam. On one hand, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his efforts over the last four games. On the other, Ball was named as Kevin Durant’s All-Star Game injury replacement. Siakam spent most of this game trying to prove that he was overlooked.

Siakam was again just a few assists shy of a triple-double. He recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists while making 10 of his 15 shots from the floor. His case for inclusion in the All-Star Game is looking stronger by the day.

Charlotte lacks amazing frontcourt depth, as an average veteran in Mason Plumlee and the undersized PJ Washington have Siakam plenty of chances to flex his interior scoring muscles. Ball, meanwhile, has 15 points on 5-19 shooting and turned the ball over seven times. Who is the All-Star again?

Gary Trent Jr. deserved tons of credit for once again taking on a very active role in Toronto’s offense, but Siakam’s ability to secure that glass, make great passes, and convert on some tough shots has helped him get back to the All-Star level we’ve seen in the past.

Precious Achiuwa struggled all game long for the Toronto Raptors.

Same story, different day. Achiuwa was part of a bench unit that combined for 13 points on the night, though he supplied five of those points thanks to some free throws and a dunk. His offensive contributions didn’t exactly stand out on a night where Toronto needed every point.

Achiuwa continues to have issues finishing around the rim, as his already poor field goal percentage of 42% is buoyed by several easy dunks. If he’s going to be the first or second player off of the bench, Toronto is going to need to see some of that potential translate into tangible production.

Scottie Barnes looked out of whack for most of the night, but he at least had a few great passes and key rebounds that helped him avoid earning this dubious distinction. Achiuwa has played well lately, but he put up an absolute clunker against the Hornets given the circumstances.