Raptors news: Luka Doncic praises O.G. Anunoby, Juancho Hernangomez closes

O.G. Anunoby and the Toronto Raptors may have been so shorthanded against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks that Jeff Dowtin had to get minutes, but Toronto managed to eke out a 105-100 victory after managing to overcome a putrid offensive start.

Anunoby not only scored 26 points and piled up nine rebounds while defending Doncic for most of the game, but he did so while playing the entire second half and logging 43 minutes in the game. This was easily one of the best games any Raptor has played all season long.

That warrior-like effort has clearly made an impression on Doncic, who was limited to just 24 points on the evening and turned the ball over four times. The legend of Anunoby, and his Defensive Player of the Year case, continue to grow stronger every week.

Doncic said that Anunoby is “an amazing player on both sides of the floor” before vouching for his character. Doncic said that O.G. is one of the nicest players in the league after helping him off the ground. The former No. 23 overall pick and elite defender’s Herculean effort clearly made Doncic a big fan of his.

More Raptors news

• Chris Boucher recorded an insane 22 points and 13 rebounds in the comeback win against Dallas, giving him his 26th double-double off the bench in the last three seasons. That’s the most in the NBA, with Montrezl Harrell (24) and Dwight Howard (21) ranking behind him.
• Despite the fact that Gary Trent Jr. had a tremendous defensive game, Nurse decided to close the Dallas game with Juancho Hernangomez on the floor instead. Nurse put this down to the fact he liked how Bo Cruz was playing with the second unit, claiming he was very pleased with GTJ’s defensive effort.

NBA news

• Knicks star RJ Barrett is mired in a huge shooting slump, making just 31% of his shots in his last seven games and shooting 39% on the season. Barrett, who has shot 41% from the field in his career against the Raptors, said his shots “got to [fall] at some point.” The Knicks better hope so!
• The latest buzz suggested that the Miami Heat are very interested in reacquiring former wing Jae Crowder in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. While the Raptors could also make sense as a potential destination, given his skillset, Miami seems more willing to part with draft capital to acquire him.